Student of Savannah College of Art And Design, Crystal Martin won the “Emerging Interior Designer of the Year” title for her project “Le Fer Plat V” in Hotel Interior Design category. Crystal shares with us the design process and her passion for Design, Luxury and Fashion.
Could you tell us a little about yourself? Where you from?
My background is American and Korean. I was born in the South and grew up in New York City and lived abroad in cities such as Florence, Milan, and Seoul before settling in Atlanta. My projects reflect a mix of American, European, and Asian influences as well as a Southern charm, taking the most impactful moments of those experiences and expressing them through design.
How did you discover your passion for Design and decided to study at Savannah College of Art and Design?
Having studied fine art from a young age, I always knew I wanted to pursue an artistic career. When living in New York City, I wanted to be a fashion designer or artist, but my parents nudged me to study interior design which proved to be a good decision. Savannah College of Art and Design is special in that there is a myriad of different majors and diversity where you could truly explore your passions.
The ability to take electives in Architectural History, Historic Preservation, and Luxury and Fashion Management was beneficial as it then crystallized my thesis. It then gave me a better definition of my personal style and what I value as a designer. There are also so many talented professors who pushed and challenged me in a positive way to break boundaries and unleash potential.
What was your design process when working on “Le Fer Plat V”?
When working on Le Fer Plat V, it was crucial in understanding the concept of meta-luxury in an interior environment. I conducted local site visits to the Baccarat Hotel, Lotte Palace Hotel, Equinox Hotel, Edition, and the Jane Hotel in New York City to study the DNA, heritage, and identity behind brands that extended into hospitality, historic building sites as well as rehabilitations such as the Candler Hotel here in Atlanta. I then looked at meta-luxury crafts such as urushi and materials like shou sugi ban which was then applied to the interiors of the space.
The concept of Le Fer Plat V is “East Meets West,” the merging and integration of western and eastern cultures, giving a nod to each other. Beauty is everywhere and you never know what can inspire you, such as the introduction of Japanese Art which lead to Japonismé for instance. Le Fer Plat V is a passion project that culminated all my experiences. The thesis is dedicated to my parents who met on opposite sides of the world. More information on Le Fer Plat V.
Can you please share with us, what becoming the winner of the “Emerging Interior Designers of the Year” means to you?
First and foremost, I am truly grateful to receive the SIT Furniture Design Award for Le Fer Plat V. Becoming the winner of the “Emerging Interior Designer of the Year” is amazing. It has been a reassurance of my artistic direction and reward for being intuitive and following the universe’s guidance. The recognition gives me the confidence to always pursue my desires because maybe, the world was waiting for it as well.
What are you working on now? When will you finish your study?
After taking electives in Luxury and Fashion Management, I resonated with course content in travel, hospitality, and luxury technology to name a few. As I graduated with my master’s degree in Interior Design on zoom at the height of the pandemic, many, if not all companies were in lockdown. It was at that point that I decided to move forward with a master’s in LXFM. It was an opportunity to finally merge my two passions together. Quite frankly, business and marketing classes are quite useful as well. As a millennial, it is great to be studying with the next-generation Z.
What can we wish you for in the future?
Some exciting projects are in line for me. As for my academic career, my next thesis will focus on how luxury can revitalize cities touching on aspects of sustainability and technology with post-pandemic hospitality and retail needs in mind. I am hoping that it will shed light on new projects and ways to elevate local economies the quality of life. Studying Luxury and Fashion Management, in particular supply chain, has also rekindled my young love for fashion.
Lockdowns and the pandemic inspired a new way of living, and that it is appreciating otium, the Latin word for enjoying leisure and academic endeavors. I am looking into creating apparel made from ethically and sustainably sourced fabrics, taking this opportunity to embrace all that is good.
Le Fer Plat V by Crystal Martin
Meet Wouter Myny, the designer of SecretAir – The discrete home office sideboard.
This furniture originates from the need of having a home office integrated into the living room, avoiding untidy desk annoyance and constant reminders of work to be done. Design brief: High-end home office, which is comfortable and practical during work, invisible after work.
Producible in series, not taking too much space. Technology is integrated to make the best of both working and living. It is a fully equipped office desk in your living room during the day. When the working day is over, the office is easily transformed into a nice sideboard, bringing back the home atmosphere.
How it works: Manually open the sideboard middle door. By lifting the lower panel, the other plates follow in a small groove on each side of the door. When open, the door locks in a snap. The small lid is fixated with a magnet on the two front panels. By pressing the up/down-button (button or app), two electrical actuators are activated. Adjust the table height to your preferred sit and work position.
Prize acceptance from Crystal Martin, student of Savannah College of Art And Design for her Hotel Interior Design of “Le Fer Plat V”.
Meta-luxury, “luxury beyond luxury,” is a term coined by Manfredi Ricca and Rebecca Robins observing a cultural and economic paradigm of excellence based on purpose, knowledge, timelessness, and unique achievement through the four pillars of focus, craftsmanship, history and rarity.
The thesis relies on a historical and theoretical framework looking at wellness from a psychological, emotional, and sustainable perspective. The project entails a hypothesis that applies the meta-luxury guidelines to a luxury brand hospitality extension by telling the story of the “meta-luxury” experience.
The theme, relying on the theory of heterotopia, harmoniously combines a framework of a building, brand establishment, as well as aesthetics aligned from the same era in a modernized setting.
The project is a Louis Vuitton brand expansion into hospitality, the first Louis Vuitton boutique hotel, namely Le Fer Plat V, The Flatiron V. Japan opened to the West in 1854, the same time Louis Vuitton was founded. The concept of East Meets West draws on the inspiration of japonismé in a Louis Vuitton context as a nod to the alliance formed leading to their globalization.
More information on here.
The first winner of the “Innovation of the Year” prize, Wouter Myny has designed the SecretAir – The discrete home office sideboard to cope with the current need of “Home Office” as well as the general increase of having a working desk at home, without having a spare room.
This piece of furniture originates from the need to have a home office integrated into the living room. The annoyance of an untidy desk messing up a living room and the constant reminder of the work to be done started the process of finding a better solution.
The design brief was simple: High-end home office solution which is comfortable and practical during working hours, invisible after work. Should be able to produce in series and not take to much space.
The product is an innovative solution where known technology is integrated to make the best of both worlds: working and living. With “SecretAir” you can work efficiently at a fully equipped office desk in your living room during the day. When the working day is over and on weekends, the office is effortlessly transformed into a nice sideboard, bringing back the tranquil atmosphere of home.
Manually open the sideboard middle door. By levering the lower panel, the rest of the plates follow in a discrete groove on each side of the door. When completely open, the door locks safely in a snap position. The small lid is fixated with a magnet on both insides of the two front panels.
By pressing the up/down-button (physical button or in the app), two electrical, synchronized actuators are activated. Adjust the height of the table to your preferred sit position. Sketching needs a different height then PC work. Children can do homework on their preferred height. Just add a comfortable chair and enjoy your work, studies or hobby.
In the end of the working day, simply lower the desk and close the doors.
“SecretAir is a project developed besides daytime work. It has great potential. I would like to bring the product to the market in cooperation with a furniture company. Further development of an entire product family is also of interest” said Wouter Myny. More information available on his website.
Los Angeles, CA – The prestigious SIT Furniture Design Award is pleased to reveal the SIT 2020 Winners in professionals’ and students’ categories.
SIT Furniture Design Award ™️ was created to recognize the efforts of talented international furniture designers, Interior Designer and Interior decorators that use furniture in their space design. The SIT Award celebrates creativity and shares furniture designers’ innovative vision with the world.
The SIT Award Jury board members evaluated all submissions from 53 countries, based not only on the highest of current Furniture design standards and trends but also seeking out truly visionary Interior designers showcasing creativity and innovation.
“As we struggle this year with an unprecedented challenge, it’s important to showcase designer’s strategic thinking and imagination that goes into making great Furniture. While reorganizing our lives from home and changing life long habits, Interior Designers have a major role in redefining “private” versus “working spaces” and adapting furniture.” Said Hossein Farmani, adding that “industrial designers help in improving our daily life; therefore, their efforts should be recognized.”
𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: Sage by David Rockwell for Benchmark by Rockwell Group
𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: Country Garden Nantong Riverbank Sales Office by Vanpin Architecture Design
𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: SecretAir – The discrete home office sideboard by Wouter Myny
𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: MEMORIA Chair by Sergio Sesmero Vázquez
𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫: Le Fer Plat V by Crystal Martin
The prestigious SIT Furniture Design Award is pleased to reveal the SIT 2020 Winners in professionals’ and students’ categories.
SIT Furniture Design Award ™️ was created to recognize the efforts of talented international furniture designers, Interior Designer, and Interior decorators that use furniture in their space design. The SIT Award celebrates creativity and shares furniture designers’ innovative vision with the world.
The SIT Award Jury board members evaluated all submissions from 53 countries, based not only on the highest of current Furniture design standards and trends but also seeking out truly visionary Interior designers showcasing creativity and innovation.
“As we struggle this year with an unprecedented challenge, it’s important to showcase designer’s strategic thinking and imagination that goes into making great Furniture. While reorganizing our lives from home and changing life long habits, Interior Designers have a major role in redefining “private” versus “working spaces” and adapting furniture.” Said Hossein Farmani, adding that “industrial designers help in improving our daily life; therefore, their efforts should be recognized.”
The 5 Grands winner will be revealed at the online Winners Celebration on Saturday 24th of April, broadcast on social media at 3 PM UTC.
Congratulations to all SIT 2020 winners!
The 1st Annual SIT Furniture Design Award winners celebration will be streamed online at 3:00PM (UTC/GMT) on Saturday, April 24th.
SIT Furniture Design Award ™️ was created to recognize the efforts of talented international furniture designers, Interior Designers and Interior decorators that use furniture in their space design. The SIT Award celebrates creativity and shares furniture designers’ innovative vision with the world.
Due to the extreme circumstances of COVID-19, the Board of SIT Award decided to host an online event; to congratulate the winners, showcase a selection of winning works and reveal the Grand Winners:
The event will be streamed online via Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Join the 1st Annual SIT Furniture Design Award winners celebration which will be streamed online at 3:00PM (UTC/GMT) on Saturday, April 24th.
We will be congratulating the winners, showcasing a selection of winning works, and revealing the Grand Winners: Furniture Design of the Year, Interior Design of the Year, Innovation of the Year, Emerging Furniture Designer of the Year, Emerging Interior Designer of the year
The event will be streamed online via Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Give your furniture design the recognition it deserved, SIT Awards is pleased to present the official “Certificate of Achievement” given to SIT Winners and Honorable Mentions.
The SIT Furniture design Award Trophy will be given to the Five Grand Winners yearly:
All winners & honorable mentions will receive a certificate of Achievement and SIT Winner Seal as well as be featured on the SIT winner online directory and benefit from the all-year-round media coverage.
Amazing networking opportunities will be available at the winner’s celebration evening which takes place every second year. More information on ST Award benefits here.
The fundamentals of interior design will never change as they are what brings the elements together into a cohesive, definable, and aesthetically pleasing visual medium.
Some people do have that innate talent of transforming a room into a jaw-dropping interior space. Bringing in mixes and matches of great finds from thrift stores and even from bargain home depot shops, these talented people can bring together the elements into a stunning and tasteful interior.
Although there’s no magic when it comes to interior design, instead, it’s how one makes use of these basic principles. Much like professional designers, where following these fundamentals are paramount in creating aesthetically pleasing and functional spaces.
But, note that creating harmony doesn’t mean designing without variety. There should be a balance between the two to create a vibrant and cohesive interior design.
A worth-mentioning type of harmony in interior design is color: Color Harmony. A room’s color or hue is probably the first thing we notice in a room and as a universal language that can convey a myriad of emotions and meanings. As an essential and fundamental principle and the element of interior design, it can affect the overall look of a room. As bright and neutral colors bounce off light, it can make a room look seem larger while dark hues, on the other hand, can make a room cozier and smaller.
Ways to Create Balance: Symmetrical Balance. Usually has a focal point. It is where assigning a central point where elements are used similarly to each side. This is demonstrated on one-point perspectives in painting and visual graphics. Asymmetrical Balance. Unlike symmetrical, the form, color, and other basic elements may not be duplicated, but instead, use different elements but still have the same perceived weight or intensity. This still achieves balance from the center point.
For instance, for a Savanah themed interior, you can use leaf-patterned wallpaper with green shades. Taking a cue from this pattern, you can choose to have similar leaf prints on your throw rugs or even on your sofa covers. Add sculptural vases with avocado green hues on reddish wood oak center tables and embellish the ceiling with black chrome-plated drop pendants to finish the look.
Contrast is an essential aspect of creating designed spaces. In an interior designer’s book, contrast is an effective way to emphasize a focal point or how to showcase, say sculptural furniture. Repetition and similarity can be blunt, and with contrast, it can make elements pop.
Even the best successful designers do break the rules when it comes to principles of design. But, if ever they do so, typically, a commendable quality is at stake. Unless you have gained extensive experience in interior design, it is still best to follow these fundamentals. If you’re ready, then you may bend a rule or two!