Interview part 1
I cover interiors
Spanning from interior architecture and styling to consultancy and marketing, Marc Heldens is an all-round design hound. His forte is interior reportage. He scouts people with unique interiors and tells their story. This search for the stuff that life is made of, takes him across the globe on many inspiring design expeditions.
My creative motto is: I come and observe, I listen and analyse, I shape and reciprocate.
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Beyond lifestyle
Covering interiors helps me to uncover very personal and touching stories. It is a tool I use to reconstruct the life story of the people I visit. I like to think this goes beyond lifestyle. The search for unique interiors is a journey that never ceases to fascinate me. I believe that interiors come to life if they shed light on the personality of the people who have collected, cherished, and really spent time in them.
Characteristic interiors
What does it really mean when you describe an interior as “characteristic”, “authentic” or “personal”? It boils down to focusing on the individual instead of the icons. A person’s inspiration used to be expressed by the design icons they collected. If you had an Alessi kettle and a Le Corbusier, you were telling the world that you knew how to recognise originality. These icons represented your personality. In contrast, a story about a characteristic or authentic interior places an individual’s life in the foreground.
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Breaking new ground
Breaking new ground with interior reportage does require an element of vulnerability, of openness from the people I interview. Sometimes they express their surprise at the photographs of their own interior, because we have indeed captured a story that reveals their inner life, their inspiration. It could be a precious memory, or a memento of a special time, or something you wish to preserve for your children. In the end any object or piece of furniture, but also colour patterns or an atmosphere, can convey meaning and become relevant in a personal way.
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Letting yourself be inspired
When it comes to styling, my interest lies in the area beyond trends where a great deal of experimentation is going on. So I would advise you to choose a particular object because you find it personally appealing. Because it fits in your personal story, your evolution. Authenticity is a matter of staying true to yourself and letting yourself be inspired by something you encounter, even if it is just by that one piece that appeals to you at this moment.
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