Over the years, Marbella has developed a style of its own, born out of a very special way of life. Michel Cruz speaks with Jana Novakova, Interior Design Director at AALTO EXCLUSIVE DESIGN Marbella about how the Marbella design touch is brought to life in contemporary furniture and décor creations
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Marbella has a certain something that draws people, then keeps them coming back for more. It is not the only beautiful place in the world, it’s not even perfect, but Marbella has a certain mix of ingredients that give it a very particular appeal.
Perhaps it’s the unique blend of Andalusian culture and cosmopolitan vibrancy; the Mediterranean beachside vibe and green mountain ranges; or the ancient heritage and modern can-do philosophy, but this little corner of Europe offers an easy-going yet exciting lifestyle that is as stylish and glamorous as it is laid-back.
Over more than half a century, this mingling of cultures and trends has created a unique sense of architecture, decorative design and even landscaping that is a central element of life in Marbella.
From its showroom and design centre on the Golden Mile, AALTO Marbella celebrates the Marbella style in offering bespoke design concepts that are not only resonating with local clients, but also finding their way into homes around the world.
How has COVID-19 affected your work?
The two-months period of confinement was actually very busy. We had a lot of projects on the go and by adapting to a new home office environment, we attended to clients through Zoom, Skype and email, providing design solutions as normal. Although nothing replaces personal contact and selecting materials together, working from a home office works too. We took the opportunity to streamline our processes and improve our service, and we also designed new collection pieces.
I believe the confinement made people realise that they are more comfortable with working from home and shopping online than they were aware of, so the trend is here to stay. With this in mind, we had already created a furniture E-shop platform dedicated to the AALTO furniture collection before Covid-19 struck, and we’ll continue to expand the offer with more items.
What services does the AALTO Design Studio provide?
Since Ness Yammine took over the ownership and management of the company in collaboration with myself a year ago, AALTO has created a series of customised interior design services for both residential properties and commercial projects. As a result, we cater to both private and professional clients, offering made-to-measure design solutions in combination with showcasing our own luxury furniture collection and the international brands we work within our 800m2 multi-brand showroom on the Golden Mile.
Pivotal in all of this is the AALTO interior design studio, in which we harness the know-how of a team of architects, interior designers and graphic designers, supported by the expert craftsmen in our manufacturing plant in Málaga, to offer bespoke projects, tailor-made to our client’s needs and budgets locally and abroad.
What kind of projects have you been involved in recently?
Among our latest projects is the interior styling of one of the exclusive beach villas of The Edge by Kronos, marketed by Nvoga. These unique properties are awash in open-plan space, panoramic sea views and natural light, so we allowed ourselves to be inspired by the surrounding greenery, the peace and serenity right by the beach, and of course the expansive sky and seascapes.
This blend of factors provided the basis for a very personalised interior design style created for the living room, which blends with the luxurious terrace area to create an ideal indoor-outdoor lifestyle space. In the bedroom suites too, we brought the sea into the house, though each room has a look and feel of its own, an ambience unique to the different family members and their personal preferences and tastes.
As with all our projects, we approached the styling of the beach villa at The Edge as a one-off creation, using high quality finishes, bespoke furnishing items and art, and award-winning design lighting and brand decoration, in combination with our own AALTO collection pieces. The atmosphere created emphasises the natural beauty of these unique sea villas by Kronos Homes, and it all comes to life with ever-changing hues of sunlight, sunset, evening and dawn, and with shadow effects that define the living spaces in a spectacular, unique way.
What are you working on now?
We’re completing earlier projects and beginning on new ones, and one of the most imposing among them is a stunning beach villa designed by Rodolfo Jacobson in a completely futuristic style not commonly seen in Marbella. Completed this summer, it coincides with other wonderful projects at the Puente Romano, Bahía de Marbella, and Nueva Andalucía to add to others in Luxemburg.
The future will bring changes and challenges, but we’re confident that our industry has the capacity to adapt to them and continue to provide the level of service and creativity that has seen AALTO become a respected name in Marbella and abroad.
We’re proud to be flagbearers for the Marbella style and to give shape to its lifestyle in new collections of stylish contemporary furniture and interior design that complements luxurious homes and commercial projects locally as well as in further-reaching parts of the world.
Tel: (+34) 951 919 092
WORDS MICHEL CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AALTO EXCLUSIVE DESIGN MARBELLA
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