We are thrilled to share with you some highlights from our panel discussion on Tuesday at O&A London and Art Rugs Gallery showroom, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour.
The talk was about powerful collaborations with established brands that can take a business to the new heights. The Creative Director of O&A London – Anna Agapova – shared the company experience of co-creation and co-production.
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The conversation was led by the award-winning editor and stylist Emilio Pimentel-Reid, and we shared the inspirations and the work processes behind our new furniture, lighting and rugs collections created in partnership with The Odd Chair Company, Preciosa Lighting and Riviere Rugs.
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The talk was followed by the amazing wine tasting experience organised by BIBENDA ASSISI.
Big thank you to all the participants! ⠀ ⠀
Interior designers do far more than just help choose nice cushions. They play a crucial role in ensuring your new space works for you on every level, turning a house into a home and making it a pleasure to live in.
Anna Agapova, Creative Director at O&A London tells about the design process and trends in September issue of Homes & Interiors Scotland.
What are the benefits of using an interior designer?
Anna Agapova: A good designer is an artist and a psychologist. They study their clients, their rhythm of life, character, dreams and desires. And then they reflect this in the design, creating spaces that go far beyond simply an idea of comfort. I want my rooms to be like art – to inspire people and bring out different emotions. It’s a myth that hiring a designer is expensive. A good designer will find the best combination of price and quality. They will know the characteristics of building materials and will tell you how these behave and whether their cost is justified. That way, you can avoid irreversible mistakes and unnecessary expenses. Also, many shops give designers discounts, which will help to keep your project on budget.
When should the interior designer get involved in a build or renovation project?⠀
Ideally, the interior designer should get involved at the very beginning. Just like the architect, builder and engineer, they will offer a different perspective and have an important influence on the finished product. The designer will draw up a work plan with a description of what needs to be done when. They’ll also assist with costs and can help steer you away from impulsive decisions that may break the budget. Most importantly, they will help create a space that truly reflects who you are.
What are the top trends for kitchens and bathrooms?
For bathrooms, I’d say the main trends are wood, wallpaper and freestanding basins. Adding something natural and organic makes the bathroom feel accessible and welcoming. Try a combination of different colours and styles of timber, a high-quality hardwood floor or wooden panelling. The latter can add tradition but changing the colour will freshen things. Consider wallpaper, especially a flower print, which is very on trend. Papers are easy to replace when – much easier than removing tiles. Papering just one wall is effective, particularly if it is something glamorous and with a sheen. The latest collection by Antonio Lupi, an icon of bathroom design, is proof that
freestanding washbasins have become the focus of contemporary bathrooms. Models made entirely of marble are especially stylish. Lightness and solidity are balanced by natural forms and streamlined shapes.
For kitchens, contrasting textures and smooth finishes are in vogue – a glossy splashback or marble countertop matches rough wood drawer fronts. Lighting is always crucial but we are seeing far more demand for statement pendants and chandeliers, rather than simple task lighting. Green and olive are the most popular colours for the new-season, combining with rough natural materials such as wood, stone, jute and leather. People are gravitating towards warm, tactile and above all natural materials. Waste segregation systems are no longer an optional extra; it is essential that designers make these invisible and highly functional.
Any design advice on windows and how to dress them?
We usually take a three-layer approach to dressing windows. We prefer a Roman shade from natural monochrome cotton as the outer layer; in the middle, we always put a blackout blind; and we finish this curtain pie with a decorative drape, which is made from natural materials such as silk or wool. This combination helps to control the light in the room, and shades the room easily in the summer.
The COVETED magazine featured Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova in a special issue titled as TOP 120 world’s inspirational designers.
Thank you to the editorial team!
Read the interview with the designers www.covetedition.com
Join us on Tuesday 17 September for a talk with designer Anna Agapova about powerful collaborations with established brands that can take a business to new heights.
Award-winning editor and stylist Emilio Pimentel-Reid will join Anna in conversation to discuss the inspirations and processes behind the Russian designer’s new furniture, lighting and rugs collections created in partnership with the Odd Chair Company, Preciosa Lighting and Riviere Rugs.
Special guests:
James Cook, Design Director of the Odd Chair Company
Andreas Klug, Co-Creative director of Preciosa Lighting
Monique Stamp, Director of Riviere Rugs
A wine tasting ceremony will follow the talk, which takes place at O&A London and Art Rugs Gallery showroom during Focus, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour 2019.
Address: Third Floor North Dome, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0XE
Date: Tuesday 17 September 2019
Talk: 4:30 – 5:30pm
Drinks and canapes: 6:00 – 9:00pm
RSVP to rsvp@oa-london.com to confirm your attendance.
Join designer Hossein Rezvani on Sunday 15 September for a talk about the Persian carpet, and how it has been transformed into art.
Award-winning editor and stylist Emilio Pimentel-Reid will join Hossein in conversation to discuss the inspirations and processes behind the Hossein’s new collections.
Live DJ set and bubbles will follow the talk, which takes place at O&A London and at Art Rugs Gallery new showroom during the Focus festival, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour 2019.
Address: Third Floor North Dome, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0XE
Date: Tuesday 15 September 2019
Talk: 12:00 – 13:00pm
DJ & Drinks: 13:00 – 15:00pm
RSVP to rsvp@oa-london.com to confirm your attendance.
We are so happy to see creative photoshoots, especially when stylists are using items from our collections.
Look how clever Elle Decoration Russia magazine shows interior textiles in the May issue.
By the way, our Caledonia Shells textile is on the right corner of the image 🙂
As part of the MosBuild 2019, architect Boris Uborovich-Borovsky created a project of a perfect home. And ten designers created an interior design for each room of this building.
What should an ideal room for a teenager look like in a perfect house? O&A Design team, led by its creative director Anna Agapova, designed an interior for a bedroom of a teenager who is allegedly really interested in aircraft engineering.
Dreaming of the skies is represented by the ribbon fabric ceiling finish. The protruding metal lens on the wall is very symbolic as it resembles an aircraft window and represents a window into the big world of adulthood full of discoveries.
“All grown-ups were once children, and our room reflects the concept of growing up, first love, friendships, sense of duty, being true to one’s dreams and purity of thought.” — Anna Agapova and Oleg Klodt.
Thank you Interior Designer magazine and Jade Tilley for such a great article about our new commercial project — O&A London x Thibault Van Renne showroom at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour.
We designed this showroom in the aesthetic of an art gallery. Our designers succeeded in creating a stylish interior which reflected and reinforced the principles of TVR’s and O&A London brands and created an immersive customer experience.
Behind the scenes of O&A Design
Creative workspace interior
O&A Design is a London branch of the highly regarded, award-winning Russian company Oleg Klodt Architecture & Design established in 2000.
Despite the fact that the London branch of the bureau was registered back in 2017 it took Oleg and Anna nearly a year to find suitable office space. They finally chose a building in the style of the French Renaissance located in Belgravia just 5 minutes walk from Buckingham Palace.
Please find the full article here.
This year many bright collaborations of Western factories and domestic designers were presented at the design week in Milan. Elle Decoration has highlighted the most interesting of them.
We are happy to see our stand at this selection.
O&A London and Thibault Van Renne invite press and bloggers to new our showroom for an intimate breakfast and to showcase new collections.
The new showroom was designed by co-founders of O&A London architect Oleg Klodt and designer Anna Agapova in the aesthetic of an art gallery.
Please join us for a healthy breakfast and bubbly.
Thursday, 23 May
10.00 — 13.00
RSVP to rsvp@oa-london.com to confirm your attendance.
So proud to see highlighted our AVIOR chandelier in the new Homes & Gardens magazine issue.
By this gold issue, Homes & Gardens celebrate their 100 years old. A true collector’s edition, it is packed with the most amazing houses, inspiring decorating and beautiful gardens, fabulous one-off features from content plundered from our archive and ‘The Hundred List’, the definitive edit of people and brands that are shaping interiors today. We are excited to be a part of it!
The O&A London furniture collection was created by the leading design team of Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova. With their focus on the very finest details and on combining time-honoured and pioneering methods and materials, they are renowned for producing one-off pieces that harmonise effortlessly with their setting. This is the hallmark of O&A London.
The minimalism and precision of O&A London pieces can be traced back to the luxuriance of the Art-Dèco and late Modernism movements and to the clean, sharp lines of Bauhaus. By cherry-picking attributes from these iconic moments in history, O&A London has created something classically-rooted for the contemporary interior. It is a collection that can be said to question the very role of furniture; a fundamentally sculptural approach that embraces the very latest technologies in a skilful balance of ideas and materials, of form and function.
A unique feature of this collection is its ability – guided by Oleg’s architectural eye and Anna’s design sensibilities – to blend luxury, simplicity of form and complexity of technique. Exquisite textures meet hand-crafted touches. Classical design meets advanced manufacturing techniques.
Photo: Anders Gramer
Art Direction: Anna Agapova and Alla Iaskovetc
Style: Natalya Varnikova
We are so happy to be at the Salon Interior magazine’s selection of 15 best consoles for a modern interior.
“Console tables, previously only seen in the homes of the upper classes and the well do are now available to everyone. They have become as functional now as they were considered impractical before. Besides, nowadays when choosing a console table, one pays most attention to its appearance. The consumers strongly prefer the modern luxury style, the so-called “new art deco” so the console tables’ appearance has somewhat changed to suit the consumer preferences.
Of course, expensive materials and exquisite finishes are used to manufacture them. Some Italian manufacturers still adhere to traditional practices and offer console tables made in the classic Ludovic style. But some have moved forward, and their consoles are minimalistic with futuristic influences. We have chosen the most interesting, stylish and not too flamboyant examples of console tables. “
“This console table is part of a new furniture collection by Russian designers Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova under O&A London brand. Modern Luxury.”
Thibault Van Renne, luxury rug label, and O&A London, a multinational brand for furniture, lighting, textile and wallpaper lines, presented a collaborative stand at the 58th Annual show Salone del Mobile. It is one of the world’s largest furniture fairs, that was held in Milan, Italy from 9th to 14th of April 2019.
This exclusive stand was developed by the duo of architect Oleg Klodt and designer Anna Agapova from the O&A Design studio. The designers who are well known for their experimental approach to the creation of conceptual projects by re-examining of the retail idea created the stand in the style of an art gallery.
Visitors were invited to view the TVR rug collection as genuine pieces of art. The stand resembled a long asymmetrical arcade gallery with chambers. Going through the gallery one could enjoy the rugs displayed on both sides of the walls similar to the way paintings are in a museum. Each room had its tone and style and represented deferent themes of the rugs.
At the end of the pathway was the centre masterpiece — a handcrafted rug with an exceptional ornament. That was the place of contemplation.
Oleg and Anna complemented the space using their own O&A London collection of furniture and light fittings. In the collection designers combined cultural traditions of different countries and eras while using ultra-modern materials and utilising the latest technology, making sure the areas are all infused with one another and intertwined.
The luxurious O&A London lighting collection created a unique atmosphere and made carefully selected rugs to stand out while the furniture pieces demonstrated how collectable items can unite the space and play the role of the first violin in the interior, making it unique and timeless.
The stand reflected and reinforced the principles of the TVR and O&A brands and created an immersive customer experience.
Thibault Van Renne, luxury rug label, and O&A London, a multinational brand for furniture, lighting, textile and wallpaper lines, will be presenting a collaborative stand at the 58th Annual show Salone del Mobile. It is one of the world’s largest furniture fairs, that will be held in Milan, Italy from 9th to 14th of April 2019.
This exclusive stand was developed by the renowned duo of architect Oleg Klodt and designer Anna Agapova. The designers who are well known for their experimental approach to the creation of conceptual projects by re-examining of the retail idea created the stand in the style of an art gallery.
Visitors are invited to view the TVR rug collection as genuine pieces of art. The stand resembles a long asymmetrical arcade gallery with chambers. Going through the gallery one can enjoy the rugs displayed on both sides of the walls similar to the way paintings are in a museum. Each room has its own tone and style and represents deferent themes of the rugs.
At the end of the pathway is the centre masterpiece — a handcrafted rug with an exceptional ornament. This is the place of contemplation. The highlight of this space is an elegant curtain made of delicate silk flowers — created by an English studio that has been producing the most delicate silk flowers by hand for over 25 years.
The London connoisseurs of haute design, Oleg and Anna, complemented the space using their own O&A London collection of furniture and light fittings. In the collection designers combined cultural traditions of different countries and eras while using ultra-modern materials and utilising the latest technology, making sure the areas are all infused with one another and intertwined.
The luxurious O&A London lighting collection creates a unique atmosphere and makes carefully selected rugs to stand out while the furniture pieces demonstrate how collectable items can unite the space and play the role of the first violin in the interior, making it unique and timeless.
The stand reflects and reinforces the principles of the TVR and O&A brands and creates an immersive customer experience.
Thibault Van Renne and designers Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova will be delighted to share more of their vision on the 9th April at the Cocktail party which will take place during the exhibiting.
April 9th
11 am — 3 pm
Thibault Van Renne stand
Pavilion 1: X-LUX B-03 B-05
Salone del Mobile, Fiera Milano Rho
SS del Sempione 28 20017 Rho (Milano)
RSVP by 7th April: RSVP@oa-london.com
O&A London and Thibault Van Renne go against the online sales trend and open new physical stores.
The first collaborative showroom of two luxury brands was opened at the world’s premier destination for design and decoration excellence — Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, London during London Design Week 2019 on 13th March 2013.
The new showroom was designed by co-founders of O&A London architect Oleg Klodt and designer Anna Agapova in the aesthetic of an art gallery. The designers succeeded in creating a stylish interior which reflected and reinforces the principles of TVR’s and O&A London brands and created an immersive customer experience.
The designers’ ultimate aim is that every client can select the product that is perfectly suitable for them or create their unique piece. They are pleased to have an opportunity to provide clients, interior designers, decorators and architects of the UK with exceptional products.
Oleg Klodt, Anna Agapova and Thibault Van Renne would like to thank everyone who came to the Showroom Grand Opening Party.
And special thank you New Style magazine for such fantastic support of the showroom opening!
We do hope that you enjoyed seeing the new O&A London furniture, lighting, textile, and wallpaper collections. These pieces were created and produced for people — who admire and value beautiful things.
Please see the full photo report from the event on the O&A London Facebook page.
O&A London and TVR Showroom:
Third Floor North Dome
Design Centre Chelsea Harbour
London SW10 0XE
We are happy to announce that O&A London collection is included in the ultimate guide to the World’s Premier Design Destination.
The new issue highlights the very best at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour that unites 120 showrooms and over 600 leading interior design brands.
You can find the O&A London collection in the showroom of Thibault Van Renne. The showroom was opened on 10 March during the London Design Week.
Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova were commissioned by Thibault Van Renne, the manufacturer of luxury carpets to create the space that re-examining of the retail idea.
The designers created an artistic space by incorporating the aesthetics of an art gallery and complemented the space by the authors’ O&A London collection of furniture, in which they combined the cultural traditions of different countries and eras while using ultra-modern materials and utilising the latest technology, making sure the areas are all infused with one another and intertwined.
Here at O&A London, we believe that every client can select the product that is perfectly suitable for them or create their unique piece. We are pleased to have an opportunity to provide clients, interior designers, decorators and architects of the UK with exceptional products.
See O&A London collection at the new Thibault Van Renne showroom.
Address:
Third Floor, North Dome
Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour
London SW10 0XE
Our O&A Design team created the new Thibault Van Renne showroom interior with the aesthetics of an art gallery.
The designers succeeded in creating a stylish interior which reflects and reinforces the principles of the TVR’s brand and creating an immersive customer experience. The connoisseurs of haute design, Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova complemented the space by the authors’ O&A London collection of furniture, lighting and textile.
The showroom Grand Opening will be held during London Design Week 2019 from 10th to 15th of March 2019. Thibault Van Renne and designers Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova will be delighted to share more of their vision and present their brands on the 13th March at the Grand Opening Party.
Wednesday, March 13th
5 pm — 9 pm
Third Floor, North Dome
Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour
London SW10 0XE
Please RSVP by March 10th to secure your place on the guest list: RSVP@oa-london.com
We are happy to share with you a new article about the CALEDONIA collection at the Elle Decoration website.
For the Caledonia collection, Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova created a story that journeyed around the Scottish land, consisting of nine ‘chapters’— unique designs that show how the three forces of nature can be embodied by a collection of wallpaper and decorative fabrics.
Thank you the editorial team for featuring our work.
PRESS ABOUT US:
Salon Magazine featured our textile & wallcoverings collections in the mood board heading.
We are happy to see our designers inspiration, photos od the video backstage and lookbook shots.
This year showrooms in central Paris were opened both to interior designers and to the public, creating a pleasant opportunity to get out from the exhibition buildings and have an inspiring, full immersion into the design novelties.
CALEDONIA TEXTILE COLLECTION PRESENTATION
On January 17th O&A London started to celebrate the Paris design fest with the introduction of CALEDONIA, our textile and wallpapers collection inspired by Scotland.
Our designers Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova with President of Holland & Sherry Bryan Dicker were happy to greet the genuine connoisseurs of design in a Scottish pub in central Paris. The atmosphere was fantastic, and we were delighted to share our inspiration with colleagues from all over the world.
DÉCO OFF
This year the Déco Off had celebrated its 10th anniversary.
A step inside each Parisian showroom was full of excitement. The colours, patterns and textures introduced at the event will influence the year’s interior-design trends and end up in homes across the world.
O&A London interior design team visited all the luxury textile boutiques in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and were inspired by new collections launches in showrooms of James Hare, Misia, Galeria Eberwein, Maison Pouenat and others.
GALERIE AVANT-SCÈNE
The most significant discovery of this trip was sculptor, designer and scenographer Hubert le Gall. His artworks are presented in Parisienne Galerie Avant-Scène.
The artist perfectly uses an incredible sense of humour to transform the design world. His subtle approach and illusion game gives a new meaning to furniture and decorative arts.
MAISON AT OBJET
This year the Maison et Objet exhibition changed its format, separating the show into two distinct categories: home interior and objects.
Over 600 new brands on the show. Here are our highlights of Black Tie, Nomon, Frato, Bert Frank, Hudson Valley, Ana Roque and other brands.
Finally, it is a time to breathe out and reflect all seen beauty that gives us inspiration and energy to work for months ahead.
Photo: Anna Klepikova
Text: Alla Yaskovets
Bridge for Design magazine featured our stunning O&A London lighting collection in the new winter issue.
A unique feature of O&A London collection is an architectural approach. The minimalism if O&A London pieces can be traced back to the luxuriance of the Art-Deco and late Modernism movements and to the clean, sharp lines of Bauhaus. Each piece can be customised to the client’s taste.
Dear friends,
O&A London and Holland & Sherry invite you to celebrate the presentation of the CALEDONIA collection of decorative fabrics and wallpapers.
The CALEDONIA collection reflects the deeply intimate sense of beauty that designers Anna Agapova and Oleg Klodt felt on their first visit to Scotland.
Please join us for whisky tasting & light fare on Thursday 17th January from 8 pm until midnight at The Highlander – Scottish Pub (8 rue de Nevers 75006).
Please RSVP to rsvp@oa-london.com to request your attendance.
Oleg Klodt, O&A London Co-Founder and Designer, took participation in a business talk organised by the Department of the International Trade at the British Embassy Moscow jointly the Skolkovo Business school in Her Majesty’s Ambassador’s Residence.
He told why our studio has chosen the UK as the best place to invest in and which instruments we use for developing business in Great Britain.
The discussion aimed to inspire young entrepreneurs and start-up companies to make the first step towards business expansion.
Dr Laurie Bristow, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, opened the event with a few words of welcome with the further presentation by John Lindfield MBE, Counsellor and Director of Department for International Trade Russia.
On 22 November 2018, the Department for International Trade at the British Embassy Moscow jointly with AD Russia hosted British Interior Design Showcase, a high profile event to promote 15 interior design companies across a variety of sectors – traditional and contemporary furniture, bathroom fittings, home textiles and linens, wall coverings, door handles, and tableware.
The event was held in Her Majesty’s Ambassador’s Residence – one of the most spectacular buildings in Moscow with gorgeous interiors and a breathtaking atmosphere.
O&A London was invited to be a part of the design exhibition aiming the promotion of best traditions of quality, craftsmanship and innovations in the field of interior design.
Oleg Klod and Anna Agapova, the creative duo behind and driving force of O&A London presented their new items from furniture collection and the current fabric and wallpaper collection ‘CALEDONIA’.
The ‘CALEDONIA’ collection, is the first collection of decorative fabrics and wallpapers and is a declaration of love to the Scottish Highlands. The wallpaper and fabrics demonstrate how forces of nature can be embodied within the home and reflect the intimate sense of beauty that Oleg and Anna experienced while exploring the remote Scottish landscape.
John Lindfield MBE, Counsellor and Director of Department for International Trade Russia opened the event with a few words of welcome with further remarks by Anastasia Romashkevich, Chief Editor of AD Russia.
Over 350 guests attended, including leading Russian architects, designers, decorators, architectural bureaus, retailers and distributors, HoReCa community.
Media titles in attendance included AD Russia, Elle Decoration, Salon-interior, Kommersant Style, Robb Report, Vogue.ru, Forbes, Houzz.ru, Kitchen and Bathrooms magazine and others
Exhibitors: Savoir Beds, Vispring, Titchmarsh & Goodwin, O&A, Indian Ocean, Chadder & Co, Samuel Heath, Lefroy Brooks, H&E Smith, Turnstyle Designs, Wedgwood, Heirlooms Linens, Designers Guild, Edmund Bell & Co, Graham & Brown.
O&A London is delighted to present a new display in the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour that tells the story about our last achievement, which is the launch of the Caledonia textile and fabric collection.
The ‘CALEDONIA’ Collection is a declaration of love to Scotland.
Being inspired by the majestic landscape, the Oleg Klod and Anna Agapova created a story that journeyed around the land of the Celts. It consists of nine “chapters” — nine unique designs.
Inspired by the beauty of nature, we used different textures in our fabrics and wallpapers in order to represent the different elements.
For example, our STAFFA pattern presented on the display is inspired by the Scottish island. It owes its name to the Vikings, its columnar formations of volcanic rock resembling their homes, which were built on vertically placed beams. Simplicity is not the key to this striking design – pinstripes and complex geometry set the tone.
The O&A London display is located in the North Dome of the Design Centre on the third floor.
The full collection is available for purchase in Holland&Sherry showroom located on a First Floor, North & Centre Domes, Lots Rd, Fulham, London SW10 0XE, UK
O&A London launched its first collection of interior decorative fabrics and wallpapers in September 2018.
The CALEDONIA collection is a declaration of love to a remote corner of the world, where, against the backdrop of the picturesque Highlands, the basalt cliffs of the Isle of Skye are washed by cold Atlantic waters.
CALEDONIA reflects the deeply intimate sense of beauty that designers Anna Agapova and Oleg Klodt felt on their first visit to Scotland, where the concepts of their new wallpaper and fabrics collection took shape.
The CALEDONIA collection has been created in partnership with Holland & Sherry. Holland & Sherry was founded in London in 1836 and is now synonymous with woollen cloths of impeccable quality and exquisite design. They have 17 showrooms around the globe, including London, Paris, Dubai and New-York.
The first event was held in London in the “Frame of Focus” show at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. Bryan Dicker, President of Holland & Sherry, presented the fabric and wallcoverings to interior designers, architects, photographers and other guests.
Following the successful presentation in London, the O&A London team travelled to the USA; where the collection was presented by designers Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova at the D&D Building in New York and in the R Huges showroom in Atlanta.
Oleg Klodt and Agapova Agapova talk about the furniture side of the industry from a studio business perspective in the new Interior Design Yearbook 2019 issue.
What does the furniture design landscape in the UK look like at the moment?
The British furniture landscape is diverse, and it is experiencing a renaissance. Every year we can see new names and emerging brands that are hard to categorise under one particular style. There is no end to these designers’ creativity and London can proudly be named as a global creative hub!
Broadly, we can divide modern furniture design in the UK into two big groups. The first one is represented by the designers who are committed to classical English traditions. These brands keep conservative approaches and design authentic furniture by trying to rethink traditions and give new contemporary interpretations. In a nutshell, we can identify them as the representatives of ‘refined English delicacy’. In our view, Justin van Breda, Stuart Scott and Soane Britain belong to this category. The other group of designers adheres to the principle of innovation. They create relatively iconic shapes by mixing different materials and adopting revolutionary technologies. These designers are more European oriented. Thus, they follow traditions of exceptional quality and classic design but add an eccentric flare. The ‘tailored’ items created by David Linley and Tom Faulkner are a great example of this.
How have changes in client expectations changed the way you prepare furniture packages as part of your interior design service?
Any creative activity is the cumulative result of all the experience you’ve built up throughout your life – or at least, everything which has been involved in your profession. Our experience in interior design stretches back more than fifteen years, evolving more and more in the luxury segment of the market. Most of our clients hear about us through the grapevine and many of them know each other. On the one hand, this means our clients trust us and respect our experience, but on the other, no one wants the same furnishings as their friends. That requires us to have a thoughtful approach to the whole creative process, including the sourcing and designing of furniture.
The manifesto of our company is to create interiors that will always remain modern and relevant. Any interior needs a kind of suppleness, a soft feeling that arises from a mixture of different items which all have different stylistic approaches. There shouldn’t be a feeling of completion – instead, a sense that you could always add something else later. The interior works as a foundation: the clients can change some elements in the future, but the whole system will work perfectly. Thus, our primary task is to find these pieces or design them and show to the client how the interior will work from a long-term perspective.
How do you continue to innovate in the furniture sector?
After years of designing private and commercial architectural projects, we realised which items are hard to find in the market. As a result, the next evident step was to create a whole new brand: O&A London. We started by designing pieces that we could not find for our projects. For example, the back of the Pictor II armchair is particularly unique. From our experience, we perceived that spacious living rooms require a group of two armchairs that viewers can observe from different angles. In the same vein, difficulties sourcing lighting for high-ceilinged spaces such as atriums and stairwells led us to design our 3-metre chandelier Meissa. We featured it with lots of elements and allowed viewers the opportunity not only to contemplate it but touch it.
These innovations fill gaps in the market. We do not follow trends by creating furniture just for decoration’s sake. We find solutions. New materials and technologies are only the instruments.
Where do the majority of your furniture briefs sit, in sourcing pieces or bespoke commissions?
Tailored furniture items have always been featured in our projects.
We design all built-in furniture and 20% of stand-alone items play a crucial role in the interior. These unique pieces accumulate to lasting effect. Our idea is to create furniture that can match any interior style. All items produced by us reflect the concept of universality, timelessness and ‘intergenerationality’. Moreover, all elements are based on our characteristic architectural and structural approach. The perfect house is the house where the interior and exterior are in harmony. Bespoke design is not simply a side project, but an integral part of our brand identity.
People place more trust in furniture produced by architects, which is why when we are sourcing pieces, we devote our attention to collections designed by people who have significant expertise in interior design.
What are the most popular requests from clients when beginning a project that requires bespoke furniture designs?
The most popular request from clients is for decorative lighting products. It is quite understandable since lighting plays a central role in any interior. Chandeliers completely transform entire spaces in a house, becoming its central point. Lighting can influence our mood, so we aim to create a relaxing, intimate and homely atmosphere. It is the unseen soul of the space.
Desks are also an important concern for our clients. We observe a real shortage of these pieces because they are quite complicated design-wise, but our clients trust our exceptional production capabilities as architects.
What kind of challenges are you facing in terms of creating new and unique designs?
The most common problem is finding trustworthy manufacturers. The second challenge relates to suppliers. For example, we often combine wood and metal in our pieces, and it is a challenge to link the suppliers and organise production management, especially when bronze is used. The most experienced workshops that work with this metal are in France, and they are overly cautious about new commissions as they try to keep their production methods a secret.
Our journey was long and full of learning curves. But meticulousness and integrity in the quality of the product helped us to find reliable partners.
Have you experienced changes in budgets and the way people are spending and how have you responded to this as a designer?
In our practice, we regularly experience budgetary reductions which sometimes reach 30%. But since we have a good network of suppliers and producers, we are very flexible. In most of the cases, clients want to reduce the costs of ‘soft zones’ and playrooms. But there are always some pieces that can be considered beyond the budget such as decorative lighting and furniture for living rooms.
What do you like to know from a client when embarking on a furniture design journey with them?
Before starting the design process, we ask our clients to fill out a form. Many questions help us to find a visual territory for future items. But there are no guarantees when met with challenging situations. In this business, especially in the high-end segment, you have to balance between the aspirations of the client and our artistic principles. Our clients are often eccentric people. Some do not like sharp corners or particular materials, or cannot tolerate specific fabrics. It is unpredictable. That is why we keep close contact with the client. The most important thing is to understand the lifestyle of the person. We have learned to build a dialogue, the result of which is a design product that meets two criteria at the same time – the dream of the client and the pride of the designer.
Are there other countries that you look to in terms of furniture design inspiration?
We are in love with American brands. There are two groups. The first one is represented by premium design companies such as Holly Hunt. These companies offer top-class design products. The second group covers young artistic brands such as the Apparatus, Lindsey Adelman, BBDW. These guys produce exceptional items through experimentation which provides us with plenty of inspiration. We are fascinated by the creativity and intelligence that lies behind each product.
Regular visits to France give extraordinary opportunity to feed the mind.
Where do you source furniture from for residential projects?
About 50% of furniture sourcing for our projects is carried out in the UK. Around 30% is sourced in America and only 20% in Europe.
When commissioning bespoke pieces, where do you find is the best source of materials for the work?
We have a group of high-quality material suppliers. Our manufacturing partners buy materials according to our requests even if it requires some readjustment of the production process. Our suppliers are located in Germany, France, Italy, Russia and the Czech Republic. But we have never been fixed in one place, and we continue to develop our network, because in this business if you want to be at the top of your profession, your motto has to be ‘never stop learning and sourcing’.
What do you see as being the biggest furniture design ideas for 2019?
Everything develops cyclically. The pace of life speeds up year after year and the lifetime of each style becomes shorter. Trends are increasingly replacing each other and sometimes mixing. But every time, as they come to the fold again, they are transformed due to new technology.
It is impossible to foresee what will be in fashion tomorrow. But we can guarantee that only high-tech items will be in high demand. These new technological art objects can fit into any space, including traditional ones. These items indeed will be high functioning and environmentally friendly.
In 20 to 30 years, functionality and so-called digitality will completely replace decorative and aesthetic aspect in interiors. Nevertheless, we are sure that architects and designers will continue to create spaces and products that link us with the past. And no doubt, people will desire to remain in areas only if they feel comfortable and calm, where they can explore real human connections. That is why we created the brand O&A London that reflects such values as universality, timelessness and links between generations.
Every autumn AD Russia magazine releases a list of 100 best architects and designers in the country, a tradition adopted from the “American brother”, Architectural Digest magazine.
In 2014, the editors of AD Russia compiled and published their first “AD 50” list, which Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova were named. Since the list’s inception, Oleg and Anna continue to go from strength to strength and have remained in the AD 50 of best Architects and Designers year on year.
On this accolade, Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova say; “We are grateful to our clients and for the creative projects that have helped us reach such professional achievements. We want to thank the editorial team of AD Russia for the recognition our contribution to the development of modern design in Russia”.