The conversation
You could call him the founder of minimaluxe or the most influential designer working today – but, as he tells our editor Pip Rich, just don’t call him a minimalist
Iconic designer Vincent Van Duysen founded his architectural studio in Belgium in 1989, coining a look that has taken on a universal appeal that we are now calling minimaluxe. He recently made headlines by working on Kim Kardashian’s incredible home.
PIP RICH One of the easiest ways to characterise your designs is by the materials you choose – so many of them natural. Stone, wood, linen… why are you drawn to them?
VINCENT VAN DUYSEN Natural materials are the focus of my creations. They instil a sense of serenity and wholeness. I think a significant part of the emotion in my work comes from my consideration for the materials within a space.
PR I understand that – Ihave a real emotional response to your work,asenseofbeingcalmed.Butconcretefeaturesheavily,too,and couldn’t be any more man-made. Why does it sit so well with your natural elements?
VVD I like concrete because of its texture, rawness and authenticity. It is a very tactile and versatile material. I used it once at Casa M where, besides the beauty of the material itself, finding the right tonality to blend with the surroundings was a challenge.
PR Yes, I can imagine. I’ve seen a boost recently in coloured concretes – greens, blues, pinks, and they look incredible but the vibe is so different from what you create. Joyfully uplifting, rather than what I’d describe as upliftingly soothing.
VVD I am drawn to natural colours like bone, mud, etc., as they are texturised, sensorial and warm, but they also highlight and make visible the features of different surfaces.
PR You’ve been working with these materials for a while but they’ve really caught on to the wider world more recently. I think you are one of the most influential designers working today and a lot of what is happening in this quest for warm minimalism – or minimaluxe – stems from your vision. Why do you think that how you like to design resonates so strongly right now?
VVD I think that has happened because first of all I don’t follow trends; I am aware of them, but usually I never adopt the latest fads. In addition to that, I try to step back with my ego and design
MY WORK CONVEYS A SENSE THAT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL SURROUNDED BY WARMTH AND BEAUTY AS IF IN A SHRINE OR SHELTER
spaces or products with mankind in mind – my work is humancentric. Then, there are the elements, materials and colours that I always adopt: they convey a sense of holisticness that make human beings feel protected, comfortable, surrounded by warmth and beauty as if in a shrine or shelter.
PR And never before have people craved that sense this much. That sentiment embo
