Astrid

STUDIO ESCAPIST is a Stockholm-based interior design and architecture studio run by Elin Martin and Michaela Hemlin. The studio mainly focuses on private residences and homes, hotels and office spaces. Their creative interiors radiate warmth and personality. Astrid is proud to be a part with fabrics in several of their projects.

We try to mix so that all projects get contrasts of soft, hard, warm and cold. Then for some reason it is always yellow-stained birch that finds its way into all our projects. And we have a passion for mirrors and high gloss!

A: Tell us about yourselves.

SE: We met while working at property developer Oscar Properties. We had both been working there for many years in the design and marketing departments. Then, one day we decided to start our own studio and we were off. We have different backgrounds and experiences, which turns out to work very well when working together. It’s a cliché that partners should complement each other, but in this case, it is actually so. A basic condition is that we have a common point of reference on things we think are beautiful.

A: What would you say is your signature style and aesthetic?

SE: We try to mix so that all projects get contrasts of soft, hard, warm and cold. Then for some reason it is always yellow-stained birch that finds its way into all our projects. And we have a passion for mirrors and high gloss!

A: What characterizes an interesting interior in your opinion?

SE: We love small funny details and well-thought-out mixes of materials, colours, wood and textiles. More is more! Although there are examples where it is a little less successful and then maybe less is more would have been better.

Mix old with new, dare to use colour, preferably put some art on the walls and use beautiful textiles. Keep your eyes open for auctions where you can make incredible bargains!

A: What does your work process look like?

SE: Depending on the project, we start from the location, the character of the building and, of course, the wishes of the customer, who we try to help develop their vision of an idea. We gather inspiration from the idea we get and then develop it from there. In some projects it is very quick and easy to land in something that feels good, while in other projects there are a few more twists and turns, at that point it is nice that we are two.

A: What do you think is most important for creating a personal home?

SE: Not to stress about anything, rather to live with no furniture for a while than to buy a lot of ill-considered furniture just to be done. Mix old with new, dare to use colour, preferably put some art on the walls and use beautiful textiles. Keep your eyes open for auctions where you can make incredible bargains!

A: How do you find inspiration?

SE: We are often inspired by old classic projects, the care and time spent on details back in the days are hardly done today. You can look at the classics 50 times over and always find something new and inspiring.

A: How would you describe the interior design you created for Casa E, Norra Tornen and Hale Center and what feeling did you want to achieve with the fabric you chose?

SE: In the Casa E project, we used Varese in the bathroom, which is a nice contrast to the concrete ceiling and the sandstone from Puglia. In the other rooms, we chose Torno as a curtain, it has a beautiful texture and feels a bit 60s’, which was very appropriate in this apartment, since the building is from the same decade.

Casa E has a lot of light coming in from two directions, where Torno makes the light fall through the room in a nice way.

Norra Tornen’s penthouse has a woolen fabric that goes a little towards light yellow, it gives warmth to the bare white walls.

For Hale Center, the most important issue was to make it feel calm and harmonious when you step into the room, that’s why we covered all the walls with light textiles, and at the same time letting daylight through. Otherwise, the center is quite minimalistic, and we worked a lot with materiality and structures, such as the u-shaped glass wall that separates the rooms, the polished concrete floor and massive wooden details.

A: Do you have a favorite collection?

SE: Astrid has so many fantastic fabrics, but we are very fond of the thicker fabrics with a lot of structure like Torno and the new Brera.

A: What do you dream of doing in the future?

SE: To continue to do different types of projects, but the dream would be to design and build a house of our own in Italy…