Interview with Mireille Wehbe

Hello! Can you tell us about yourself?

I am a London based interior designer and I have been interested in the world of art and design from a young age.

I conceive each project as a work of art. I always merge the residential requirements of a domestic space with an often large scale of visual art, sculpture and installation pieces.

What’s your backstory and what attracted you to design?

I have been a lover of art and passionate about design from a young age. For each project I write a new story, giving it greater conceptual value.

What do you love most about designing?

Designs create culture & values which determine the future.

Who, for you, has been the most influential designer/designers?

I am very inspired by Jean-Michel Frank and Pierre Chareau.

Table Lamp by Jean-Michel Frank

Where/how do you find inspiration for new designs?

I draw inspiration from travels, sceneries, places, and different situations such as a show, or a movie.

Describe your approach to functionality vs aesthetics.

The function is essential, the aesthetic is an added value.
Both functionality and aesthetics are required for an interesting design, but only functional design will make a product useful.

Describe your approach to choosing/using colours.

Every colour has a history and colours are like words. With colours you can tell stories. I recently designed Thali ceramics, it is an exploration of colours.

This design is about the strength of Colours and signs. The power of Color overlaps with the great power of Signs.

What do you like to hear people say when they view your work?

Glamour interiors and selection of pieces with long-lasting value.

Take us through your process of designing for a client.

The process is basically broken down into different phases :

• – phase 1, the data collection, preliminary study & programming   
• -phase 2: schematic sketch design
• -phase 3:design development 
• -phase 4: supervision
  

What is your all-time favourite design (yours)?

My Favourite design piece is the “Yo-Yo” Console that was shown in my Solo exhibition at London Design Fair. It is a biomorphic form that reflects a contemporary creation. It’s a style which evokes freedom and carefreeness desire. It’s about treating the materials and forms freely and playing with function.

What is your all-time favourite design (someone else’s)?

the Carlton room divider which can also serve as a bookshelf and display case. It was one of the first pieces designed by Ettore Sottsass and manufactured by Memphis in 1981. 

It illustrates the decade’s postmodern movement, which strove to upend the dogmas of modernism. Where modernism was functional, postmodernism was not. Carlton is practically useless as a cabinet, blurring boundaries between “design” and “art.”

Advice for readers who want to redesign their homes/workplaces?

Before bringing modernity into a place, always reconnect with its original history.

What interesting projects are you working on right now? And what does the future look like?

I am working on a newly built residential project in Kingston. I am designing the dream home of a young family.

Where can we go to learn more?

• Website:  Mireille Wehbe, Interior Designer, Beirut and London

• Instagram Interior Design (@form_follows_function)

• Email: [email protected]