Studionatalie – A New Edition to Hackney’s Thriving Creative Scene
Natalie Papageorgiadis. Photograph: Studionatalie
Studionatalie is a Hackney-based design studio led by its founder Natalie Papageorgiadis, an interior designer and stylist. Here is a Q&A with her about the creative process and some of the studio’s projects:
Where in Hackney are you based?
The studio is based in Haggerston and I myself have lived in London Fields for 11 years.
Are there any projects you have completed recently in Hackney?
The closest one would have to be a project consisting of two apartments in Shoreditch for Cuckooz, a serviced apartment company.
The gold and blue colour scheme for the Cuckooz apartments is a nod to the brassware that used to be manufactured in the former warehouse
Tell us about the client brief and how this was interpreted in your design.
An important element of the brief from the Cuckooz team was to create something “specific” to that block of apartments. I began with the historical context of the building itself. “Hudson’s Yard” is a former industrial warehouse of furniture and brassware manufacture. The original entry doors were painted blue on the exterior and so I used blue and gold / yellow tones (to represent brass) as a basis for the colour scheme. Then the design was developed with customised wallpaper; featuring illustrations of vintage advertisements of the various factories and their trade, that had been based in the local area of the project in Shoreditch, about a hundred years or so ago. I always want to achieve a fresh and fun design. It’s the twist, that makes it interesting and sometimes that doesn’t come until the final stages.
Natalie’s custom wallpaper was inspired by the building’s industrial roots
In an industry quite saturated with interior designers and architects, where do you position yourself and how do you go about the design process?
Good question! Well first and foremost we want to improve the lifestyle of our clients and install a sense of well-being in the spaces we are designing with the use of natural textures and a “clutter-free” freshness. We aim to map out a design story, expressing heritage through contemporary modernism and always with an unexpected twist. We are also art directors; styling events and advertising campaigns for editorial, commercial or social media use.
Are you influenced by any other designers or artists in your work?
I am hugely influenced and a great admirer of the designers Patricia Urquiola, India Mahdavi and Ilse Crawford. The artists that have (and still) influence my work, ever since a young child, are Gerhard Richter and Anselm Kiefer. When I lived in Berlin as a student, I delved deeper into their work and occupied myself with many creative pursuits. Parts of Hackney remind me of Berlin! There are also so many other contemporary designers out there whose work I think is amazing and continue to inspire me, such as Faye Toogood, the duo behind Studiopepe and I love going to trade shows like PAD, Saloni del Mobile and Maison Objet.
Natalie is currently working on a five-bed property in Hertfordshire
You have also worked in the world of film and set design – which project have you enjoyed most?
I absolutely loved working on The Crown, series two. I learnt a lot about the royal family, especially the members whose plotlines I worked on in more detail; Princess Margaret, Antony Armstrong Jones and King Edward VIII.
What projects are you currently working on?
A large five-bedroom property in Hertfordshire, where we’re looking to specify some amazing statement pieces such as a lounge chair by Gufram. Also, next year, we’re hoping to progress further with the conversion of an old disused bank into a bar in East Berlin – this one I am really excited about!
To find out more about Studionatalie see: www.studionatalie.com