Orlando & Lisette Rodriguez on post-opulence & patience - PrimeResi Interview

We are so pleased to see LPF members Rodriguez Design Studio feature in PrimeResi Journal this week in a stunning interview. Husband and wife team Orlando & Lisette Rodriguez explain how to achieve timeless interiors – and why flexibility is the key to attracting buyers in the current climate…

For the full article click here but here is a little taster. This is a definite must read.

Rodriguez Design Studio, PrimeResi Journal

You both worked for high-profile design houses, including Northacre, Linley, Helen Green and Laura Hammett, before setting up your own studio together; what made you decide to go it alone, and how have you found the transition?

Orlando Rodriguez, Northacre’s longstanding former design director, and his wife Lisette, a former lead interior designer at Linley, Helen Green and Laura Hammett, joined forces last year as Rodriguez Design Studio

It all comes down to relationships. Being part of a high-profile design house and developer meant we both worked very closely with suppliers, end users and clients over many years. Their encouragement, combined with our years of experience, gave us the confidence to start our own business, along with a clear idea of how we wanted that business to look.

Correspondingly, we had also built up very good personal ‘black-book’ of suppliers, which is an essential part of our offer and success.

We have really enjoyed the transition. In a way it’s very similar to what we have always done but it feels great to be in control of our own destiny – but now wholly under the Rodriguez Design Studio name, which is very satisfying.

You launched Rodriguez Design Studio amid a period of intense political and economic uncertainty; has this affected how you are approaching the business and planning for the future?

A particular strength of Rodriguez Design Studio is our proven ability to understand how to create real value for our clients. That skill has come to the fore more than ever during the current time, when value for money is one of the top priorities for many, whether they be private investors or developers.

Our background in working for a developer means we understand about creating good design but importantly, creating good design for a budget. With our ‘developer hat’ on, we ensure we keep the prices very reasonable for our clients but still offer our brand of exclusive design. That way our clients keep coming back. Being a small company means we can also pass on our low overheads to our clients.

Do you have a house style or particular aesthetic; what sets you apart from other interior design houses?

Yes, we do have a particular style….we call it ‘Sophisticated Simplicity’.

It’s a sophisticated contemporary-classic style which is serene, simple and elegant and applies both to thearchitecture, as well as FF&E. Lisette’s work is distinguished by her refined Scandinavian take on design,focusing on subtle layering creating uncluttered interiors with timeless elegance. So we complement each other perfectly; the architecture and building working WITH the interior, and vice-versa.

Our Private Clients want ‘uber-unique’ with designs that reflect their personality and tell their story. The fact that we design a lot of our furniture and fittings bespoke means we can provide highly-crafted, unusual materials meticulously featured in furnishings and architecture. This in itself is very unusual.

Are there any key design trends that you are tipping for the high-end sector in the post-pandemic era?

We see a trend towards ‘post-opulence’. This is a shift towards making fewer more conscious purchases to create a more refined, simple and timeless design. Less grandeur and fuss; clients want something pure and clean.

Even Rolls Royce’s new Ghost due out later this year is being designed with this new simplified philosophy that clients are demanding.

Along the same lines, sustainability is increasingly becoming more and more important. Clients are becoming more self aware, moving away from the ‘throwaway’ culture of re-designing their houses or apartments every few years. They are opting for more timeless, well-made pieces that will last a long time, so that these can be recycled for future generations.

What practical advice would you have for other designers starting their own practices – is there anything you wish you had known at the start?

Be patient. We waited a long time until we felt we had the experience and contacts to make Rodriguez Design Studio work. This experience really counts in the current period. If we had started this 10 years ago, we might have struggled….As a result we had the good fortune to be able to start with projects that are some of the best apartments and addresses to be found in London and abroad.

We knew it would be hard work….but we thought it would be rewarding….and it is!

Where would you like to see Rodriguez Design Studio in five years time?

We’d like to take our exclusivity and work on the very best developments, apartments and houses around the world – New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Monaco, Hong Kong etc. for private clients.

We would also like to get into the development side. Create really special boutique developments of say five to ten apartments. Watch this space!

Priya RawalSeptember 4, 2020interior design, design, luxury, property