1.) Could you tell us a little bit about your background and interests and…. of course your present involvement with interior design and styling?

My name is Jasmijn Stegeman and after graduating in Human Geography I decided I wanted to do something completely different with my life than working in a nine-to-five job. Since my childhood I love decorating rooms…building beautiful houses for my Barbies’ was a true example of this… so I carried on this early passion for interior design and decided to start a 2 year course at the Artemis Design Academy in Amsterdam. From that point on my interior design career started. I founded my own business GUP, which means “Good Looking Product” in Dutch. GUP is an online shop where I sell my own interior design products. I also work as a freelancer for several magazines and styling projects.

Besides my passion for interior design I’m fond of traveling (nowadays with my ‘70 Volkswagen Camper) watching movies, going to the museum, reading, flea markets, sushi and taking my dog for a stroll or go to the heather.

2.) When you enter a room what is the first thing you pay attention to and do you focus on any particular item in the room?

The very first thing that strikes me is a ‘feeling’. If the room appeals to me and it feels right then I usually like the room. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the decoration always has to be according to my style. But when both the feeling and style are good I get very excited and try to absorb and remember as much as possible.

3.) What do you think is important to show in a room?

I think it’s important that the house reflects the personality of the inhabitants, showing you who are actually living there. A personal touch is important and it should not be a showroom. Moreover a room should have a sense of tranquility. The world surrounding us is busy enough, returning to a calm house while the world carries on is a nice feeling.

You can achieve this by not just copying whatever you see in magazines and shops, use them as inspiration, but then try to deviate slightly on color, a piece of furniture that is not quite identical, etc. Not everything has to be new and up to date. Placing your grandmother’s furniture amidst modern furniture can look very nice. Or a vintage piece from the recycle shop.. one thing is for sure…your piece will be unique and therefore shows character. Another great way to add some personal touches to your room is by placing some souvenirs you collected on your journeys as a group together this will create a still life. Or select a few pieces based on their colors…

When working on an office or public space the challenge is to focus on functionality but at the same time add personality to the room. Even though people only spend relatively short periods in such rooms it is important they feel at ease. Always give a room its own unique character. Arouse people’s curiosity and challenged their senses. Add funny details in the form of art, lights or a special furniture piece.

4.) Can you tell us about one of your recent projects and why you loved doing this project so much? Why did you choose a particular approach and style for this project and what can we learn from this?

These pictures are of three different projects I worked on recently.

“Luster in the Interior”, a styling project which I did for a Dutch magazine, Viva.

Don’t rush into a project, take your time to select nice colors first. Then combine old and new and self-made elements (the wall).

“Buttons in the Interior”, fashion being translated to interior design. Another styling project for Viva. By magnifying buttons they become the focus point of attention and almost become pieces of art.

“Grey colors”. The new grey. Grey is the new color for interior design. Not longer a dull or cold color if you use it wisely. Apply it in bright room, combine it with soft materials and pastel colors.

Gup, my own online web shop for which I did the design myself. Although the website is only in Dutch I am more than happy to answer your questions about my products in English. Just send me an email at info@madebygup.nl.

5.) Can you give us any advice about how small adjustments to a room can have a great impact and visibly improve the look and feel of a room?

A different color or wallpaper may make a world of difference to your room. Choose one wall which is easy to paint or put a different wallpaper on every year. Replace a few accessories as well and your room will have changed a lot.

6.) Which materials do you love to work with most, e.g. paint, wallpaper, textile, and which designers and manufacturers are among your favorites?

I love to go to Pol’s Potten (a shop in Amsterdam in the “islands area” just north of central station), entirely my style, or The Frozen Fountain in Amsterdam or Strand West in Utrecht. The last two shops sell many pieces from young and talented designers. Furthermore I like to work with second hand items in combination with new products, for example from IKEA, Kartell, Moooi, Vitra or Artifort.

When decorating a room I always like to reserve space for wallpaper or for a painted wall. For GUP I often work with textiles, such a cushions or bags, I love to buy vintage fabrics and turn them into accessories.

7.) Besides a good couch or chair, which other items should be in any living room, or perhaps we should leave the couch and chair out?

Proper lighting, sense of space and something at your wall. For good lighting, make sure you switch on a lamp immediately when entering a room. Have a reading lamp next to your most comfortable chair. Create a nice atmosphere with low-watt lamps and candles.

Sense of space: Don’t turn your home into a storage space of small items. It’s better to have a few nice big and functional elements. And when choosing colors for your bigger elements try to combine colors with accessories. In this way it is also easier to change the feeling by replacing the accessories. And if you are really fond of accessories make groups of them (by shape or color) thus creating these groups into elements.

Something nice on the wall: try to create a unity. In choosing a wall piece, go for one big piece or group smaller objects together.

8.) What do you think will be the new trend in interior design for 2008 and beyond?

[image above by GUP]

I think personal style is becoming much more important. Because the world around us is focused on the majority of people, it is important to preserve your own identity and your own home offers the best opportunity. Furthermore your home should offer a feeling of safety and protection against “an ugly world full of misery” (think of all the wars, terrorism, crime, intolerance)

9.) To what extent is your work influenced by trips abroad and experiencing other cultures? When you are visiting a foreign country are there any special items you look for to bring back home?

What I like best in foreign countries are the supermarkets. I love funny wrappings or strange products. In any ordinary supermarket you are bound to find them.

Also I always try to find the second hand shops. Here you will most likely find some very interesting pieces. Souvenirs or picture post cards which are so outdated that nobody cares for them any more are the best to stumble on. They are probably so out of date that there likely to be trendy again…