Q&A: Eliska Sapera

You began as a fashion designer. How did you make the transition to interiors?

I was a knitwear designer, then when I had my children and wasn’t working full time anymore, I started creating collections for stores like Henri Bendel and Sachs. I also did a lot of work in Japan and the company I worked for asked if I would do some textile design for them. I said yes. Then they said: “Will you do the room sets?” I’ll do the room sets. Around that time, I also had people coming to my home and saying: “Would you do my home for me?” So that’s what I did. I figured, if you can draw a pattern, you can draw a product and you can dress a room.

How do they differ, fashion and interiors?

Not an awful lot. When I was designing fashion knitwear, and now when I design a product, each piece is unique. I couldn’t see the point of designing anything the high street could pick up on and run with—that does happen, of course, but it’s always a weaker version of what you’ve created. I’m very tactile, I love fabrics, I love the feel of wood, I love the feel of things. For me, with both knitwear and a domestic product, they have to work—they can’t just sit on their booty.

How did the Marylebone boutique come about?

I opened the shop because I couldn’t find things I wanted to put in my clients’ homes. Everything was very same-y, I wanted to have some quirky, individual touches and that’s what the shop reflects—it’s contemporary, with some antique and unusual pieces.

What do you look for in a piece, and where do you find them?

First of all, they have to be beautifully made. I look at craftmanship. I source worldwide—it can be the depths of England or I get some stuff in the middle of nowhere in Scotland, the spun mohair rugs for example. I go to auction houses: Christie’s, Bonhams, Sotherby’s. Masterpiece is quite amazing, the Olympia Fine Art Fair, Frieze. I’m in these places all the time, looking at things for clients.

You also design your own, one-off pieces. How do you go about it?

We start off by sketching up rough ideas. We then get it onto CAD [computer-aided design], get its structure right, the measurements right, then we send it to the factory. We have one company that’s been making my furniture for the last 10, 15 years so we have a rapport, which is very helpful. I need to know that things will be produced to the desired standard.

I’ve done a fair few dining sets, I design crystal collections, dinner services. It requires knowledge of different materials and techniques. I’ve been here nine years, but I’ve been designing for more years than I care to remember. It’s a skill you build over time.

Do you have a definable style?

I do very clean lines, I like very structural shapes—that suits me. People don’t tend to come in here and ask for something very frilly, because they know that’s not me.

With your interior design work, is it purely domestic?

No, we do a lot of high end residential, but we do hospitality as well. We were actually shortlisted for an award for our work on a cigar snug for Home House. It’s completely different to working domestically: you’re looking at fire regulations, sound issues, all sorts of things. We have our own architects, so we feed ideas to each other, bounce backwards and forwards. We’re currently looking at plans for a house in Lahore. It’s in its initial stages but that’s something very different for us—which is what I like.

Do you follow trends?

I’m not a trend-lover—I try always to do timeless. Clients are investing a lot of money, so I try to create something that they can add things to over time. My clients tend to like unusual bits and pieces, but it all has to relate to what’s in their home already and their lifestyle—at the end of the day, this is all about lifestyle. They’ll ask about a sofa and I’ll say, okay, let’s look at the space you’re talking about, think of the style. What makes you comfortable? Are you going to lie on it and read a book? The better we know them, the better we can tailor our service. So, it’s based on that, rather than trend-led.

How difficult is it to blend contemporary and antique?

The thing is, you can’t have too much of any one thing. You’re sitting on a sofa that was made and designed in the 1940s in France. There are seventies lamps beside it, black and white photography above, and antique silverware on either side. It works. You just need to know how to refine it. Which is where I offer my expertise. Usually people have too many things, we’re all guilty of it—by nature we’re hoarders, it’s a human condition. The main battle cry is, where do we hide things? We have to get inventive with storage.

What’s the best way to refresh a room?

It could be taking things out of one area and putting them into another. Lighting is key. It’s always the last thing people tend to think about, when it should be the first. It can be as simple as some new throws, new cushions on a sofa. It could be that the floor needs addressing: if it’s carpets, they could be renewed. Maybe the sofa needs to be recovered. People always think recovering will be cheaper than buying new, but it’s about the same price. It’s about upscaling what you have and reinventing it. It could mean filing through all the debris in their home to see what can be used—they might have a silver tray that hasn’t seen the light of day for years, so you could put it on a table and put drinks on it. You make vignettes that people’s eyes are drawn to.

You cover the whole interiors spectrum—is that a reflection of your personal interests?

It is, and it has just grown organically. I’m inquisitive. I like the idea of the broader palette: antiques, 20th century, designing one-off pieces, pulling it all together, beautiful fabrics. Finding price-specific things, too. It’s not all about money; money can’t buy you taste. I like going into people’s homes and using what they’ve got, but in a different way. I’m not a person who says, okay, let’s get rid of everything and start again. I like to make those pieces work in a different atmosphere, in a way they hadn’t thought of.

How has Eliska Design changed over the years?

I like to think I’m evolving. That’s what keeps my clients interested. Nothing is static—in life, but certainly in the world of interiors.

Interview: Ellie Costigan