Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2016 | Page 35

Chatting with Charmaine Werth | Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine

Generally, how will you
describe Caribbean interior
design and how does it differ,
if any, from the mainstream?
Caribbean design, like the people,
is a mix of cultures. A pepperpot,
a potpourri, a mélange, if you will.
We design for living. We use bold
colours and many materials. We
have deep lazy balconies and patios,
taking advantage of tradewinds.
We have shutters for protection,
shade and accents of colour. We
bring the outdoors in with many
windows and doors, and we all use
fans because they are a necessity.
We tend to use sheers and mosquito
nets to protect us from those
pesky insects. Plus they are so very
romantic.
What is your design aesthetic?
Retro, shabby chic, minimalist; it’s
all over the place, really, depending
on my mood and influences at the
time. But mostly it’s Bohemian
chic. I love vintage elegance and
am drawn to the ’50s and ’60s, in
particular. Thrifting for furniture,
accessories and fashion from that
era is my idea of a perfect day out.
I’m a bit of a chameleon, so the
client and whatever project I’m

working on also often contributes
to my style, hence I take cues from
this and blend them through my
‘creative processer’. I am quite
eclectic and love mixing old and
new, and colours and materials.
Texture is quite important to me
and I enjoy mixing textures. Colour
and light make my world.
What or who inspires you?
There are so many people, places
and things, but two who come to
mind are the Mexican architects
Luis Barragan and Ricardo
Legaretta for their use of texture,
solid volumes, bold colours and
clean lines, often offset by rustic
elements. The Sri Lankan architect
Geoffrey Bawa, again for his
dazzling use of colour, as well as
his ability to so successfully bring
together elements from different
times and places. Haitian–Italian
fashion designer Stella Jean for her
decadent combinations, cacophony
of colour, texture, ethnic prints
and voluminous silhouettes. U.S.
designer Kelly Wearstler for her
crazy, quirky mixes and English
interior designer and decorator
David Hicks for his masterful
mixes, which are so luxe! I think

31

that New York-based interior
designer, Sheila Bridges (Harlem
Toile Girl) is awesome and bold.
The audacious set designs and
costumes created for the Parisbased Ballets Russes in the early
twentieth century also bring
endless inspiration. I recently
saw an exhibition on them at the
Smithsonian’s National Gallery
of Art in Washington and it was
simply breathtaking
To lots of people, interior
designing conjures up images
of glamour and luxury. Do you
agree?
To some extent this is true, because
we designers tend to surround
ourselves with glamour. Luxury,
to me, is comfort. It’s not an
acquisition but a sensation. It
brings pleasure, contentment and
happiness. And happiness in their
space is what I try to bring to all
my clients. But, in saying this, the
perceived meaning of luxury, on a
job-site... that could not be farther
from the truth. There is nothing
luxurious about being covered in
dust and shouting over power tools.