DESIGN TALKS
© Interior-Treasures
© Interior-Treasures
Living Mansion Dubai Bathroom Mansion Dubai
: Some people don ’ t understand the difference between a designer and a decorator .
Marieux van den Broek : So , a decorator is someone who has taste — who can give you colour advice , can do your decoration in a certain style and feeling , propose the sofas and chairs and tables and make a beautiful picture . But an architect is starting with the architecture . The difference with us is that we ’ re not only doing design , we ’ re doing manufacturing . We do the technical design of each piece of furniture . We are inventing . A table can look very simple , but it has to be designed . How do you make a structure that ’ s balanced ? All of this is very important to consider before you produce . Then the technical design goes to the factory , the factory looks at it and says , ‘ Ok , we ’ ll go this way .’ When we do a sofa , for instance , we do pre-seating which we give to the client and ask if they feel comfortable with it . Because maybe they need eight or ten of those sofas in their house , so it ’ s very important .
: In this case you must have trusted suppliers and contractors who work with you . Am I right ?
Marieux van den Broek : We are working in five or six different countries . This company is only for upholstery , that company is only for metal works , that company is only for lighting , that company is only for glassworks . All these companies have been working with me for a long time . We are the managing director for the full work , we are constantly travelling to check the full process and we do the technical design before it goes into production .
: Does the complexity of the project depend on the budget ? ple , doors with mother-of-pearl inlay in beautifully 3D sculpted wood . But the same design , I can do in high-gloss lacquer and the wood is not sculpted , it ’ s in two or three different colours . You have the same door , same design , but different prices . If you have many doors , you have an enormous difference in price . So that is what you play with . The design is the first and most important thing . We do the design first ; if the design is not right , not to their liking , we do it again and again . A client can change the details of our design three times without cost . ‘ No , I don ’ t like that bar ,’ ‘ Ok , how
© Interior-Treasures
Marieux van den Broek at Blue Gin Monte-Carlo Bay — renovated by himself
about the shape or the colour ?’ ‘ I want to have more space .’ ‘ Ok ’.
Up to three times . When that ’ s done , we show them our material choices , what we
Marieux van den Broek : No , I can do the same design for two prices . Or even three different prices . I can show you , for examthink it should be and then the clients say yes or no . Then we do the pricing .
: What about timing ?
Marieux van den Broek : Our projects mostly finish on time . I can only make money when I fulfill my projects within the time schedule I promised . Otherwise , I lose . The factories we work with finish at a certain moment and then we have to start our installation at a specific time . If I am not ready to make it happen , then I will lose money . Of course , there are some hiccups during the whole process . But if you are just a designer and you have to find the suppliers , the contractor , the electrician , the plumber and the wallpapering and this and that , you step onto a battlefield of stress . We are extremely tough and everyone who is working with us has to sign and commit . Because doing international projects is extremely difficult , we have to do a lot of planning upfront and have an enormous amount of knowhow . Without it , you would never succeed . I ’ ve never experienced a big delay . Maybe a week or two weeks . But never something major that was caused by our company .
: What was your most challenging project and why ?
Marieux van den Broek : My next one ! Now I have my full orchestra of professional staff , I am able to rise to any challenge .
: So , you like challenges .
Marieux van den Broek : Yes , I like them . Without a challenge , it doesn ’ t work .
: Which project are you the most proud of ?
Marieux van den Broek : The project I ’ m currently working on . It ’ s an enormous ,
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