Live out loud magazine – July 2010
On the couch with John
BY DENISE MHLANGA
Interior designer John Jacob Zwiegelaar is well known for creating highly bespoke, glamorous work underpinned by attention to detail. For this to happen, John feels strongly that space should be exciting and move you without a stitch of furniture or decor.
When a client walks through one of your interiors what can they expect and how would you describe your work?
I like to think that the work that I do is so varied and different that it makes it impossible to answer this question. My design range is very broad – think super modern, classic and traditional. However, I do believe that my work is underpinned by glamorous proportions and scaling no matter what the style. Projects differ and are informed by the buildings and the client’s desires. What I aspire to as a designer is a design language that transcends fashion and even decoration. A focus on excellent design as opposed to overzealous frivolous decoration.
What is the most sought after architectural design many clients choose for their homes and why?
Our clients in Europe tend to opt for old buildings with modern interiors. In South Africa clients choose classic buildings with classic interiors and modern buildings with modern interiors. Sadly, people in this country do not respect the importance of good architecture. They simply impose a ‘lifestyle’ on a building, irrespective of what the building is saying. The Atlantic Seaboard in Cape Town is a prime example. You see all these old buildings that have been hideously modernised. The overall look is just nowhere, it’s not modern and it’s not traditional, it’s just a mess. If you want to have a clean, modern space, live in a clean modern building. In this country, people also buy into nasty clichés: Tuscan in Durbanville and Provencale in Constantia …
When you approach a new project what triggers your vision – your emotional heart or technical challenge?
It is a combination of the client’s personality and architecture of the building. My primary focus is to create a beautiful architectural space with well proportioned doors and windows. Ceilings that say what they are supposed to say, joinery that complements the overall interior idea etc, etc. Most importantly, the space should be exciting and move you without a stitch of furniture or decoration. The shell must be lovely first.
If somebody asked you what you are today, what you were, an artist or a designer, what would you say?
I would say both. The artist in me dreams up the concept or idea. The designer in me then translates that concept into reality, implementing that idea so that it makes sense.
How should one go about a complete redecoration?
It’s important to let a building speak otherwise you end up with something half-baked. People think they can call in a decorator to mask or upgrade the old without dealing with the fundamental essence of the building. This does not work. You have all been to show houses and seen how some old buildings have been modernised. Instinctively, you can feel something is not right because what has been done is going against the grain of the building. The idea is fashion led, this is not how you should approach a complete redecoration. Oscar Wilde once said that fashion is a form of ugliness so dreadful that we have to change it every six months. In design, I am opposed to the concept of applying decor trends to environments without addressing the underlying interior architectural form of the space.
Your interiors have been described as having integrity and layers meaning. Tell us what this means?
They have integrity because they are sympathetic to the building that they find themselves in. I use furniture pieces from all over the world this creates interest, and I guess it does give a space layers of meaning. My interiors transcend fashion and even interior decoration, they are at their core harmonious I believe the subtle reinterpretation of old ideas to say something new is important. Spaces that say something new in even the most subtle of ways have integrity as they are leading they way as opposed to carbon copy clichés. Walking into a space and immediately recognising the look is tiring and uninspiring these spaces have no aesthetic integrity. As a designer, it is essential that I have a clear and in-depth understanding of the chosen style that I am working in. This is how to avoid bad clichés.
Which one of your works elevated you to another level?
It is not any particular job but a combination of various projects. I think the fact that the projects all look completely different has made us more interesting. You are famous for your attention to detail.
How do you keep control over the when you are involved so much?