A GAME OF INTERIORS

To live, work, relax and have fun in an interior that meets the highest requirements of the 2020s has now become a must for every urban resident confident in themselves. Inhabiting such an environment is a sign of being demanding towards yourself and the others, of having a taste for aesthetics and modernity, for comfort and practicality. 

In the 2020s, quality interior design is possible in one way only – with the help of a professional. There are too many factors involved in the complex process of creating a space in a way to meet the modernity's requirements and to make a positive impact on its inhabitants' lives. 

For most consumers, the interior mainly means selecting the defining style and choosing suitable furniture and accessories. The current trends, however, are too diverse and make picking harder – the majority of people are not so sure what end result they want to achieve. Minimalism looks appealing, but its strict lines are not for everyone. The modern farmhouse style is indeed cosy but will hardly seem in place in a modern Sofia flat, for example. The industrial style is already automatically associated with spaces such as creative companies offices, bars and cafés, but when it is transported into the home it can create a rather industrial (pun intended) atmosphere. One should be very careful with the eclectic style – it can easily become a lack of system and order. 

The professional interior designers will identify the most appropriate style for each space and client by answering several crucial questions. They consider the particularities of the concrete space, like whether it is a private or public one, what are its exposition and layout, how are the installation systems located and what are the options for remodelling. The professional will take into consideration as well the tastes and habits of the client and the number of people who are going to inhabit the space. 

The professional interior designer will not impose their ideas, but will try to achieve a harmony between them and the client's wishes. If, for example, the customer has some old furniture, accessories or art pieces that they want to keep for aesthetic or emotional reasons, the new interior design will elegantly incorporate them. They will become an accent that brings additional individuality in the space and makes the inhabitants feel it their own. 

When you see the "before" and "after" photos documenting the intervention of the young interior designer Mila Vladislavova, founder of mila.land studio (mila.land), you will clearly realise the power of her imagination and ability to transform even the dullest space or item into a symbol of modern cosiness. Regardless of whether she works with the history and layers of a 100-year-old building, with a prosaic prefabricated flat or with the challenging task to restore an old radio cabinet, she always successfully creates a true masterpiece in the art of fine living. Mila Vladislavova achieves this with humane approach and respect to the interiors and the objects, but first and foremost – to the people who will inhabit and use them. She deals with equal pleasure and creativity with the diverse tasks of interior transformation – refreshing, total change, decoration, consultation, complete project realisation. Her rich portfolio of successfully created interiors demonstrates her skills and abilities, you only need to select some of the service packages for space transformation and to contact mila.land. 

In the process of creating an interior harmony should be present not only in the layouts and the 3D visualisations – it should be in the relations between investors, designers and contractors as well. The Plovdiv-based interior design studio Fourth Dimension (FB: @fourthdimension.id, Instagram: @fourthdimensionid) has understood that and aims to achieve it in each project it works on. The studio's creators, architect Atanas Chuchev and Milka Terzieva, an interior designer, always build healthy relationships with the clients and value their time. They seek the fine balance between functionality, aesthetics and budget, and never compromise with the quality. This approach has made possible the memorable, minimalistic interiors created by Fourth Dimension, which redefine the concept for space, home interior and functionality. 

When creating an interior with its own spirit is a priority, being a young and ambitious designer can be an advantage. The proof are the projects of Marive Design studio (Sofia, Students Town, 8 Academicial Yordan Trifonov St, phones: 0888 033 770, 0897 461 996, www.marivedesign.com). Managed by a young and motivated team of an architect and a designer, Marive Design understands that interior design's essence covers a wide spectrum. This is why the studio offers solutions that stand out with their high level of precision and attention to both large volumes and small details. The studio offers expert help at each step of an interior's creation – architecture surveying, layout, design and author's supervision. The Marive Design professionals know that their clients' desires, tastes and opinions are crucial for the successful fulfilment of each process, and take special care to build a working relationship with them. Marive Design always finishes the tasks brilliantly, by creating interiors that carefully balance between functionality and looks, uniqueness and trendiness. 

Over 15 years of experience and more than 120 successfully realised projects – the team of the Varna-based interior design studio Hi Home (phone: 088 870 1128, www.hihomestudio.com) has more than enough professional experience. However, the interiors it has created are always charged with the freshness of a designers' outlook that ceaselessly searches for new solutions, reexamines the idea for space and creates elegant and functional interiors. The team of Hi Home is equally good in designing private and public spaces. A trademark of its interiors are the clear elegance of the classical and Scandinavian style with colour accents. The functionality is as important as the sought aesthetic effect, and the successful materialisation of the concept is guaranteed by the active work of Hi Home's team on the interior's construction and assemblage. 

Open mindedness that sometimes reaches the realms of extravagance but nevertheless ends with an impressive interior – this is a major principle in the work of architect Pavleta Pavlova, founder of studio LetaLova (Varna, 14 Aleksandar Dyakovich St, Office 10, phone: +359 8 98 519 722, www.letalova.com). Before starting her own practice, architect Pavlova had gained 12 years of experience as a part of bigger teams working on large projects and working alone on smaller ones. LetaLova offers architecture, interior design and furniture design services. In 9 out of 10 cases, the clients choose to trust the studio with the realisation of the project as well. The finished interiors of architect Pavlova speak best for the quality of her work – clear and sometimes bold solutions that are both visually impressive and functional. 

Light, harmony, functionality and personal style – engineer designer Elena Karlova, owner of Eclectic Design studio (Sofia, 15 Dr Ivan Seliminski St, phone: 0898 755 619, FB: elenakarlova.ED.bg), always seeks these principles when working on a project. She successfully manages to materialise them in impressive interiors with their own soul. Eclectic Design specialises in interior design and realisation of private and public spaces. It offers both standalone projects that are then realised by another contractor and performing all the tasks connected to an interior materialisation. It is a true pleasure to live and work in the spaces created by Eclectic Design. They are functional, cosy and stylish, all the details are carefully crafted. This is why the studio's services are welcomed by clients not only in Bulgaria, but also Italy and Germany. 

Of course, a new interior would be impossible without suitable furniture, wall and floor coatings, home textile and accessories, and special accents. Modern consumers have an impressive choice from the rich catalogues of manufacturers and importers. 

Whatever the choice for the particular interior, it would be good to consider several factors. Established Bulgarian and international manufacturers with good reputation and proven quality are always an excellent solution. The health of the inhabitants should come first so the coatings and the other elements should isolate properly and not allow the growth of bacteria. The building and the interior's energy efficiency is becoming more important and should be secured not only with high class electricity appliances but also with quality window frames, doors, exterior coatings and facades. When possible, it is recommendable to install a "smart" home or office as well. These solutions save on the utility bills and provide comfort that we have never imagined we could have. 

When your goal is a harmonic and modern interior created with leading Italian and European brands visiting the new showroom of ILLUMINARTE INTERNI (www.illuminarte.eu) at Building А3 on 106 Bulgaria Boulevard in Sofia is a must. Here at one place you will find an inspiring diversity of furniture, lighting, bathroom furnishing, coverings, carpets, wallpapers and accessories by manufacturers and designers with impeccable reputation of quality and design. The experienced team of ILLUMINARTE INTERNI has created a selection that achieves the most important thing – it guides you through the current trends, provides solutions for each space in the home, the hotel and the restaurant, and inspires new ideas and successful creative exploration. The partnership with ILLUMINARTE INTERNI is worth it not only because of the rich range of products and ideas, but also because of their invaluable help to turn your project into a reality. Because the people in the company know that everyone deserves the luxury of good design. 

For over 30 years now DMD Furniture (Sofia, Gotse Delchev Blvd, Block 1-B, phone: +359 895 793 382, www.dmdmebeli.com), a Bulgarian company, has created timeless designers solutions for furniture for all types of spaces in a home, an office and a hotel. The company's professionals have the talent to understand the clients' ideas and needs and to materialise them in beautiful and functional pieces of furniture made of high quality MDF and hardwood materials. For even more visually impressive and functional solutions, DMD Furniture now offers as well furniture with metal and aluminium constructions, glass and mirror elements, and also rope and moss decorations, tables and counters processed with different resins and colours, and massive tables, counters and elements. In order to ensure its clients that the ready DMD Furniture solutions will be as designed, the company also offers their delivery and assemblage. The attention to the detail, the individual approach and the aim to always give the best explains why DMD Furniture has what every company wants: satisfied and loyal clients. 

The dance of live fire in the fireplace is a timeless interior classic, but modernity has offered the consumer an alternative with even more flexibility. Bioethanol fireplaces are the way to enjoy the playful flames even if there is no chimney around, to immerse yourself in an atmosphere of cosiness and warmth, and to create a remarkable accent in every type of interior space. Since 2008, Biokamini Fria (Sofia, 29 Prof Tsvetan Lazarov Blvd; phone: +359 882 10 30 58; www,friafire.eu; www.friahome.eu) has represented on the Bulgarian market the best manufacturers of bioethanol fireplaces. As an additional service, the company also offers bespoke fireplaces after individual design. The advantages of bioethanol fireplaces make a long list. When burning, bioethanol does not emit harmful emissions, and it is green as it is made of plant waste. The fireplaces are easy to maintain and the fuel does not take much space. What is more – bioethanol fireplaces can be used as a warm accent in outdoor spaces as well, such as gardens and terraces. 

The feeling that we are at some idyllic place far from the noise and drabness of the big city and our everyday lives is one of the most important qualities of a well designed home. With the ethnic accessories offered by My Soul Depot (www.mysouldepot.com) this is easily achieved. The specialised online store is dedicated to the mission to find and offer to Bulgarian audiences interested in the beautiful and the exotic stylish furniture, home accessories and textile from near and far. Made of natural materials such as wool and linen, copper and wood, they are evidence for the ability of the human genius to create beautiful objects that bring soul and exotic atmosphere in each home that welcomes them. 

The coatings of natural materials produced by the Greek company KOURASANIT (Sofia, 79-81 G Rakovski St, www.kourasanit.com) are everything that a home, an office, a hotel or other building needs when the goal is environmentally friendly construction, healthy living environment, effective insulation and stunning appearance. The KOURASANIT coatings are suitable for interiors, exteriors, floors and even for furniture, doors and other surfaces. They are visually impressive, but also practical – they are good for both overhaul and the creation of interiors and exteriors from scratch within timeframes that are shorter than those needed by ordinary coatings. They also have an antibacterial effect – a great advantage nowadays. The KOURASANIT products step on the century-old tradition of ancient builders, but in a modern interpretation that focuses on environmentally friendly production, natural materials and recycling. A combination of tradition and modernity that is the foundation for inimitable architecture and design solutions. 

Since 1971, ETEM (www.etem.com), a Greek company, has designed, manufactured and distributed high class aluminium products for a wide range of industries – including construction. Thanks to the constant aim for self improvement and innovation, ETEM's solutions make possible the design and construction of buildings and interiors that combine the ideas of practicality and style, looking to the future. The facades, sun protection solutions, window frames and doors developed and manufactured by ЕТЕМ are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also impressive with their high energy efficiency. ETEM's architectural solutions are certified according to the EU standards in Germany, and also Belgium, the USA and other countries, a surefire proof for their quality. 

Creating a good interior is a complex task. It should find the balance between aesthetics and practicality, between nice 3Ds and the harsh reality when you need to find often lacking construction and interior materials, to organise their installation and assembly and to oversee the builders' work. Such a task is beyond the capabilities and competences of the average person who has more important things to do, such as taking care of their family and business. This is why the only way to be sure that the interior where we live or work meets our requirements in full, is to give the task to an established professional.