Interiors with functionality and very good taste: Interview with Maite Prats
From his studio in Banyoles, GironaMaite and her team design houses, hotels, music and dance schools, or any other project looking for friendly, functional and visually impeccable spaces.
What is the most important thing when designing a home? For Maite, the key is to find a good distribution of space. Everything else - which is no small thing - comes afterwards: the installations, the finishes, the furniture... And when she says home, she means all types of interiors. In this interview we discover how the interior architect works. Maite Prats.
Tell us about yourself and your work. Where did your vocation come from?
I suppose that, more than having a vocation, it was a process of discovery. I've always liked architecture, design, fashion, photography, painting... I chose interior architecture and fell in love. Later, in Elisava's master's degree in ephemeral architecture, there was no longer any doubt about what my vocation was. The truth is that it hit me very hard, and it still lasts! I love my work and the hours fly by. I admit that sometimes I have to be brought down from my particular cloud...
And right now, I am very happy to be working from my studio with a magnificent team on increasingly exciting projects.
What do you find most satisfying about your work? Any work you are particularly proud of?
I am proud of many projects, we take the same care in all of them. Each project is a world to be discovered and to shine. But it is a job that, although it gives a lot of satisfaction, is very hard. Partly because of the way we work. We are very demanding and this makes you feel proud of the projects, but the day-to-day work has nothing to do with the frivolous image you might have of the world of interior design. It needs a lot of dedication, it's not just a matter of making a good project but also of the work being well executed, and this is a very demanding part of the job.... But in the end it is a satisfaction to see that we have succeeded and that the customer is happy.
We have now finished a project for a music and dance school and we are very satisfied with the result.
What is your creative process like? What are your sources of inspiration?
The creative process starts by listening carefully to the client's programme of needs.We are looking for ways to give air, views, perspectives, light, communication between all the spaces, order... and we transmit this to all our projects. We look for ways to give air, views, perspectives, light, communication between all the spaces, order... and we transmit this to all our projects.
We always do research before we do anything. Before we distribute we need to catch up, to go a bit further, to solve. That's why it's so satisfying to find a good layout, I think it's the most important part of the project. When we distribute the spaces there is always a common thread, there is nothing gratuitous, everything has a reason, a purpose. When we design the space we already think about the materials, we already imagine the space... it all goes together. Once we have the distribution squared we continue with the sections and the elevations and this is when we start working on the volume and we don't stop until we have solved every space, every corner. Finally we make a presentation with 3D views and images to be able to explain to the client what we want to transmit.
Any special music while working?
Throughout this creative process, music is always present. My friend Mariana, besides being a great architect, is the studio's resident DJ, she knows how to find the right music for every moment!
I love my job and the hours fly by. I admit that sometimes I have to be brought down from my particular cloud...
Favourite colour, book, film and record - in that order!
I can't say any specific colour, depending on the situation I think one or the other is better, it also depends on the place, the moment... I've learned not to say no to any colour. That said... Those who know me would surely put me in the grey box!
I am now reading a beautiful biography of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo illustrated with the images of Maria Hesse (edited by Lumen), although in general I'm more into drawing than reading.
Film... The Black Swan, for example.
Music... Cigarettes After Sex, Ferran Palau... I love them.
Is your home a reflection of who you are? Tell us what it smells like, your favourite corner, your favourite decorative object or piece of furniture?
Yes, my house reflects how I am. It is a house between party walls but the spaces are open, high ceilings, double spaces, with communication with the outside, with lots of green, with order and with the smell of cleanliness.
All the materials are noble, wood, stone, and this makes it breathe well, it makes you want to stay. I have a passion for spaces that have had historyI love to see the ceiling with the painted brick vaults that give it texture. Depending on how the light hits it, it has different patterns... It makes me happy!
My favourite corner of the house is the living room, where there is a very good indoor-outdoor view... There is the fantastic Eames armchair, with its leather and natural wood, with its organic shape, surrounded by outdoor plants, a lamp bought in an antique shop with a lot of history and a guitar behind it. This corner makes me happy, because of its light, transparency and the objects.
If you could buy anything right now and take it home, what would it be? Anything!
I would buy time, hours... to be able to get to everything... to be able to spend more time with my loved ones.
A great plan at home always includes...
Good friends, good music and good wine.
Do you have a signature dish?
I would live on salads and good cheeses.
Where is your favourite place in your city and abroad?
I live in Banyoles and walking around the pond is a magical place, the reflection of the water, the sky, the trees... .... The fishing boats, the changing colours, the smells that surprise you depending on the time of day... It's beautiful.
Abroad... when we can, we go on a family getaway. There is nothing better to disconnect from everyday life and on a professional level it is very inspiring. I am in love with Amsterdam and Copenhagen. I have fond memories of every corner.
Anything you want to tell us that we haven't asked you, speak now or forever hold your peace!
I am very lucky to have the family I have and the team we have in the studio. Thanks to all of them I am who I am and how I am.
