We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Olga Petrova-Podolskaya ("OP").
Olga Petrova-Podolskaya is an award-winning designer that helps make the World a better place with their original and innovative creations and advanced design works.
Olga Petrova-Podolskaya Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Olga Petrova-Podolskaya.
Olga Petrova-Podolskaya Design - Jazz Mini Kitchen
Designer Interview of Olga Petrova-Podolskaya:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
OP : I worked in furniture sales, built a career up to the director of the department. Suddenly I realized that I wanted to be creative. During this period, I was pregnant with my second daughter. So I went to study and my studies at the design school led to the fact that the second daughter is a very creative person.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
OP : Together with my husband, we have a furniture studio. I am responsible for kitchen design, he for marketing and production. I also lead interior design projects, dealing with apartments in the historical center, in old houses. Recent projects in houses built in 1890, 1917
DI: What is "design" for you?
OP : Design has been a way of life for me for almost 15 years. Design for me is an opportunity to change the world, to make it more beautiful. Design for me is the details, everything that surrounds me, fills my world.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
OP : Creating new kitchen models is a great happiness. to see how your models fill new houses is a wonderful feeling of self-realization. Reconstruction of the old fund, historical objects - this is my second favorite!
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
OP : Candy lamp. Now it is produced by the Italian company Laudarte. This year my lamp was presented within the framework of ISALONI and this is a great pride.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
OP : My first design item - console and lamp
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
OP : My favorite material is marble! probably because I haven’t worked with him much yet, and this really trains the imagination
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
OP : Definitely during flights. when I'm on a plane - as if closer to inspiration. Nothing gets in the way... and the flow starts and it's out of control
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
OP : I think about people and imagine how my creation will live with people in the interior
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
OP : Doubt and anxiety. Lots of doubt. And then I wait when I see live what I came up with
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
OP : I'm crying... it's like the birth of a child ... I get very upset if there are flaws in the subject and I wait for everything to be done as it should
DI: What makes a design successful?
OP : Proper marketing and the need for your design. And of course the talent of the creator
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
OP : The design may be uncomfortable, but very famous. may be unknown but very convenient. It's like clothes - you can be smartly dressed but feel uncomfortable, and then come home and dress in your favorite. Design is a choice. Design is marketing.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
OP : Thinking about how your design will be recycled is what matters. The main thing is reasonable consumption and design should be so well done that it can be left to children.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
OP : There is too much design in the field of design. Design for a project for a specific space and person is right
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
OP : The exhibition of my objects was in 2019 in Milan and in 2022 in Milan. Want! exhibition of their kitchen models in Milan
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
OP : A walk through the historical center, an appeal to the origins of history. Traveling and meeting interesting people. oddly enough - fashion magazines
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
OP : Initially, I was inspired by Art Deco style. This style meets my philosophy - conciseness, lines, proportions. Now I look wider at the world, I change my style
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
OP : I have been living in Russia, in St. Petersburg for 15 years, now in Moscow for the last 5 years. I began to study the history of Moscow and make the latest models based on the architecture of old Moscow. In Russia it is not easy with design, our society is used to consuming. I believe that I can contribute to change. No matter how the situation in the world is, we must honor our origins
DI: How do you work with companies?
OP : Work with the first was wider. Now I create more for our family atelier and for my interior projects.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
OP : A designer, when doing something for a company, must adhere to its style and direction. Often novice designers of foreign companies
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
OP : I draw a sketch. Pencil. I already know what I want to see the object from. Next, I design it myself in 3d max or in Autocad. If the question concerns the kitchen, then go with the designer of the factory. If these are lamps, then I discuss all the details with the production.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
OP : Floor lamp, Console, Bedside table, Mirror, Dining table
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
OP : In the morning I take my youngest daughter to kindergarten. My husband and I are going to the studio. I make new sketches or drawings. I go to construction sites. Next, my husband and I go home and discuss what we have done useful. Evening with children at home, cooking in our kitchen, living among what I came up with, and my husband produced
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
OP : 1. draw your ideas every day, even if they seem strange. 2. embody ideas from a sketch to an object - this will help you move on or get sidetracked. 3. be persistent in achieving the realization of your design
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
OP : Positive impact on the environment. Negative - not everyone is in awe of the fact that you influence the world around you
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
OP : the hardest thing to do is simple
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
OP : Patience and overcoming difficulties. Create even when the world is falling apart
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
OP : Pencil Ability to draw Ability to explain what you want The ability to listen to the people who will produce your item
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
OP : Time is never enough. The importance of prioritizing your to-do list
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
OP : from a week to six months
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
OP : Why should it sell? How much do you earn as a designer?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
OP : My main experience is ahead. I look forward to it, working on projects every day
DI: Who are some of your clients?
OP : Famous people, which unfortunately can not be spoken about. people are closed
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
OP : Great happiness when everything is the same as in the sketch
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
OP : I have a few new items in production and it's distracting. Pray for peace and create
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
OP : The team is very rare. I always come up with one
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
OP : I cook the kitchen Moscow. This is a great study of history. One part of the model is ancient Moscow and minimalism. The second part - In the style of the Stalin Empire
DI: How can people contact you?
OP : @olga_petrova_podolskaya_design
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
OP : my dream is to contribute to the history of design