Sandra Soler Studio emerged in 2008 as a progression from a previous studio, Mésdisseny, also founded by Sandra in 2006. This second studio was created with the aim of providing projects with professional and personal solutions. As she states on her Web page, her approach focuses on looking for the essence; that is, creating emotive spaces, simplifying complexity and transforming chaos into something that is at once functional and beautiful.
Looking back in time, do you remember what first sparked your interest in interior design? Was there a particular experience or event that set you on that path?
Ever since I was little I was intrigued by home interiors: how they were set up and what materials were used in them.
What other interests attracted you in or did you follow in shaping your professional career?
It was always clear to me that I wanted to work in the field of interior design.
How do you combine individual creativity with teamwork in your studio?
Good communication with the team is essential; over the years you build an environment of trust and surround yourself with professionals who know your way of working and your level of expectation.
What is challenging is to find calm moments within that, through which to escape the intensity of the daily work. I would say that my work doesn’t finish when I walk out of the studio, but rather that my mind is always connected to it and when I get home I relax and begin to create.
Who would you say are the architects, interior designers and other professionals and artists who have most influenced your career?
Here in this country, interior designer Francesc Rifé is one of the professionals I most admire and with whose conceptual philosophy I most identify when it comes to designing spaces.
I would also mention, among others, Miguel Milá and his passion for timeless objects; John Pawson and Vincent van Duysen for their minimalist work; and David Chipperfield for his sense of architecture.
What most motivated you in pursuing your career?
When a client commissions you to do a job and you begin the creative process, you draw the first sketch and then something magical happens: a development process gets underway and lasts months until you reach the end goal.
Seeing how your projects make people’s lives more comfortable, how what starts out as a sketch on paper takes shape and ends up offering my clients quality of life, is what most motivates me in the work I do. I would say that I don’t consider it work; I like what I do and I enjoy creating, which is why I always find space for the creative process.
In what way do you particularly relate to the bulthaup values?
The bulthaup kitchens are a timeless product and I very much identify with the company’s philosophy of understanding the kitchen as a living area within the home. It doesn’t cater to trends and, in my view, perfectly complements my work.
The bulthaup design enhances our projects. In addition, there is the high quality and service guarantee that it offers me. That is why I recommend it to my clients, because bulthaup is a guarantee of success, both aesthetically and quality-wise.
In your refurbishment projects, how do you combine the architectural elements that you want to preserve, with the new elements and technology? How are these criteria reflected in this project?
I like working in a decisive and practical way, without ever losing sight of the space I am working with, which has a personality of its own.
What did you consider to be the main challenges in the bulthaup 2019 award-winning project?
The main difficulty was to incorporate the kitchen into an “L”-shaped space in such a way that it could be enjoyed as a central focus in the home.
What led you to select a bulthaup kitchen for this project?
As I mentioned before, bulthaup enhances the project, adding aesthetic and functional quality to any space. The historical significance of the house, the surroundings, the stone walls and wooden ceiling all played a significant role. I needed a totally neutral, timeless-and almost sculptural-product that could adapt to the surroundings in a subtle manner, and bulthaup met the perfect conditions and qualities for that space.
Photographer: Adrian Pedrazas Profumo