Irene Gunter doesn’t start with moodboards or color swatches but a with a list of questions instead - a foolproof list guaranteed to make your house a home, as she tells our executive editor Pip Rich
The Designer Setting Out a Whole New Way to Decorate
Pip rich Irene, I’m always inspired by your very thoughtful approach to design. What is informing your decor decisions at the moment? IRENE GUNTER I’ve been thinking a lot over the past few months about what makes people feel at home, and how I can harness that sense to create better spaces. What I’m finding to be more interesting than aesthetics, and asking people what colors they like visually, for example, is to ask them lots of other weird and wonderful questions instead. Things like what time they wake up, what they do the moment they wake up, what they do when they come home – if they need a space to dump their things while they say hello to kids or pets or grab a drink. It helps me build a better understanding of the design they’re going to need. PR That makes sense, to decorate for real life rather than an imagined version of it. IG Right. And then to find out what the concept of home means, I ask my clients for their favorite childhood memories, which could be anything from their grandmother’s piano to a Mickey Mouse motif they had on their bedroom wall. Whatever made them feel safe, soothed or uplifted. In this way, you start to get into the nitty-gritty of a person’s soul, to understand what puts a smile on their face. We might end up then putting a nod to Mickey Mouse inside a cupboard where only they will see, but it will always help them feel grounded.
PR So this is like a checklist that anyone could ask themselves before they begin any redecoration project, and try to fold those memories into their designs? IG Absolutely. A home is somewhere that is meant to ground you. The more connections we can feel to our surroundings, the better. Because we’re moving away from open-plan spaces on the whole, we need to find other ways to connect to people who aren’t necessarily in the same space as us. This could be through visual connection – having a piece of art that you can see through a doorway that attracts you into adjoining rooms – or good acoustics. PR Is this approach changing what you’re putting into a room? IG Yes. Be sensible about how many seats you’ll need, and don’t overcrowd a space with more chairs than you’ll ever have people. The ergonomics of a space are reduced if you cram it with furniture. I’m a big fan of window seats – people are drawn to light – so could you focus your seating around the window instead of, say, a TV? Isn’t that more appealing?
A home is somewhere that is meant to
ground you. The more connections we
can feel to our surroundings, the better.
Photography Shane McCauley / @shanemccauley
stylist Danielle Goldberg / @daniellegoldberg Hair Stylist Irinel de Leon @ Mane Addicts / @hairinel
Makeup Artist Dana Delaney @ The Wall Group / @dana-delane
Manicurist Natalie Minerva @ Forward Artists / @natalieminervanails
Set Designer Cecilio Dolcetto Lara Ramirez / @dolcetto
Director / DP James Ollard @ Amusement Productions / @amusementproductions.la
Director of Production Samantha Rockman / @rockman_productions
Executive Director, Entertainment Jessica Baker / @jbake21
VP of Creative Alexa Wiley / @awiley_creative
Global Brand Director Sarah Spiteri / @Sarah Spiteri
Return home
Return home
PR You are always so good at lighting. I think of the pink dining room in one of your projects (above), and the way the lights are conical so as to create such an intimate, downwards flow of illumination, drawing people together. IG The magic touch is when you have beautiful lighting, anything that creates cosiness and isn’t too architectural. That dining room ceiling was painted in Rouge II by Paint & Paper Library, one of my favorites. It makes you feel flattered, so I also use it in bedrooms, as its plaster hue helps you feel good even when naked! PR I agree! Back to ceiling colors, when would you go darker than the walls, as you did with that dining room? IG When I want to make the ceiling seem lower. That’s not a bad thing when you’re looking to foster intimacy. A notion that can bring people together, make people feel soothed, and, yes, like they’re at home.
Photography Ori Harpaz
The colors and shapes of this dining room, designed by Irene Gunter, were chosen to help bring people together and allow them to have a good time
The designer Irene Gunter
Lead image: The living room of Rancho Pelicano in Malibu, a recently completed project by LALA Reimagined which embodies the Playfulist trend
other ways to connect to people who
spaces on the whole, we need to find
Because we’re moving away from open-plan
aren’t necessarily in the same space as us.
The Kitchen Design Moods Setting the Tone and Trends for 2025
The Design Direction of the Season - Fall’s Key New Decorating Trend
MORE ARTICLES
Our Editor Explains the Italian Design Trends Shaping the Lookand Feel of 2025