Surprise and excite
After studying interior architecture at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, Izabela made a career at Heineken Interieur Design for 10 years before starting her own business Studio Iska in 2018. 'You are almost a psychologist, my mother said because I dive deep into the perception and character of my clients. I really want to get to know them, explore what they like and translate that into interior design. My aim is to surprise people, make them feel special and at home in the spaces I design. I am therefore always looking for new, materials, designs and shapes. I love doing things that are just too difficult and set the bar high. This is how I continue to excite my clients as well as myself.'
Love of nature
Through the Vermaat Groep, Izabela met the Droogh family, operators of four Intratuin branches in the Rotterdam area. 'Love for nature, that's where we found each other. I also admire them for the way they run their business: their employees are well looked after and they choose the best people to work with. I share their vision and the fact that we are of the same generation also plays a role: we are on the same wavelength and feel each other well. They dare to let go of control and understand that you must let creative people do their thing.'
Extreme
The restaurant concept 'Eten in de Proeftuin’, is offered nationwide by Intratuin but entrepreneurs are free in design, interpretation and styling. The most recent project is the hospitality concept in the new Intratuin Zevenhuizen. 'The briefing: we're going to take it a step further this time Izabela, we want extreme.'
A cue for the creative designer. 'From a nice blank canvas, I fleshed out the desire to create intimate places that would appeal to diverse audiences. We studied every corner and set it against the bar of target audience and experience. Who is going to sit here? What do they want? What does it look like? In this way, the different zones were created, each with its own atmosphere. Despite the different sections, I created unity. That unifying factor is in the use of colour, luxurious fabrics and the neon garland that guides visitors to the different zones. The pendulum lighting has been a challenging experiment because this 49-metre-long, bendable light tube had to run exactly horizontally with the ceiling. This gave the installer a lot of work and headaches but he succeeded! The light garland is a real eye-catcher.'
Undulating interior landscape
Together with the Droogh family, I visited Satelliet's showroom: looking for the right fabrics and models that embody relaxation and wherein you can really enjoy yourself. By involving the family in the creation process, and through the mix of tastes and different types of people, we designed a diverse and undulating interior landscape with the luxurious Bishop, fresh Michelle with rattan wicker, the round Barcelona sofas and the Lux and Tonic by Satelliet Originals. The generous choice of fabrics is amazing and we took ample time to make the right decisions. A long session but more than worth it.'
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Sustainability
Driven by the will to act sustainably, which is ingrained in both the Droogh family and Izabela, several materials were reused in the restyling. 'Sustainability is a starting point and where possible, used materials have been deployed in new forms. Like the oak planks from the existing frames. Existing, open, black framework was sealed with the glass in an oak frame for an extra ‘bite’. The coloured neon rings - from a trade fair presentation by one of their partners - have been adopted and incorporated here as interior highlights.'
Connection
Physical shops need to offer something extra that cannot be found online, and the bar is being set higher. Whereas hospitality used to be mainly a concept in the hospitality industry, today it is also indispensable on the shop floor. 'In the hospitality section, I looked for the link and connection between the two disciplines: restaurant and shop. The design incorporates collections from suppliers that are also for sale in the shop. Like the silk flowers and plants and the mood lighting. In fact, this restaurant is a large shop window and an extra stage for Intratuin's suppliers. In this welcoming setting, shoppers have a moment of rest to let the products affect them and see and judge them in an interior setting. In this way, there is interaction and reinforcement between retail and hospitality: not only in collection and presentation but also in atmosphere and experience.'
