采訪檔案 | Alexandra Donohoe
澳大利亞 | 室內設計師
Alexandra Donohoe 創辦了總部位於澳大利亞的Decus室內設計工作室，Alexandra Donohoe有著無可挑剔的品味和與生俱來的時尚感，她可愛又滑稽，更重要的是，她敏銳的直覺、永不滿足的好奇心，使她能夠建立起一種受歡迎的室內設計實踐，將美麗與原始和意想不到的設計融合在一起。她和她的團隊設計的高端住宅項目，在精致與挑釁性、異想天開與經典、簡樸與多彩之間取得平衡。每一個Decus項目都不僅僅是美麗細節和精致策展的總和。Alexandra Donohoe懂得非常規的組合、平衡和張力的力量，並創造了一種完全屬於自己的設計語言。換句話說，她是一個傳奇人物。
Apart from her impeccable taste and an innate sense of style, Alex is just bloody lovely. And rather hilarious. More importantly, her razor-sharp instincts, insatiable curiosity and an all-important ability to not take herself too seriously has enabled her to build an in-demand interior design practice that merges the beautiful with the original and unexpected. The exceptional portfolio of high-end residential projects her and her team regularly produce balances the exquisite with provocative, whimsical and classic, austere and colourful. Each Decus project is much more than the sum of beautiful detailing and refined curation. Al understands the power of unusual combinations, balance and tension, having forged a design language that feels entirely her own. In other words, she’s a bloody legend.
Photo by Nick Cubbin.
能給我們簡單介紹一下嗎？您什麼時候決定要成為一名室內設計師的？您是什麼時候決定創業的？
Could you please give us a quick introduction? When did you first decide you wanted to become an interior designer? And when did you decide it was time to start your business?
我最初在新南威爾士大學攻讀景觀建築學學位(持續了整整一年)，但在土壤科學課上不斷打瞌睡。我想當我臉朝下趴在桌子上醒來的時候，我突然意識到這並不適合我。就在那時，我意識到真正讓我興奮的是室內設計，於是我轉向了室內建築。我曾在一係列公司工作，從酒店到商業，最後在住宅領域站穩腳跟。2009年，在大環境不太好的情況下創辦。
I initially began my degree studying landscape architecture at UNSW (lasted a whole year), but kept falling snoozing in soil science class. I think I had an epiphany that it wasn’t for me when I woke up full face down on my desk. It was then I realised that interiors was what really got me excited and I switched to Interior Architecture. I worked for a series of firms ranging from hospitality to commercial, landing in residential where I cemented my love affair. The rest is history. The business began in 2009 in inauspicious circumstances.
Woollahra House (2017). Photography by Felix Forest.
在開始項目時，您的首要任務是什麼？是否有一些對您的實踐至關重要的東西——您的設計理念和過程？
What is your main priority when starting projects? Is there something that is fundamental to your practice – your philosophy and your process?
我們為客戶帶來快樂的願望是我們的首要任務。當他們搬進我們精心設計、細節精美的家時，沒有比這更美妙的感覺了。就個人而言，最重要的是享受這個過程——我們確實希望獲得樂趣，對我們正在做的事情感到興奮。
Ultimately our desire to bring joy to the client is our fundamental priority. There’s no greater feeling when they move in to their considered, beautifully detailed home and they’re blown away by how it comes together. And on a personal level the priority is to enjoy the process – we really do want to have fun, get excited and amped about the what we’re doing.
Tamarama Home (2017). Photography by Felix Forest.
您的工作室是如何組織的？例如，您們中有多少人在工作室工作，您們有哪些類型的內部技能，您們有外包的項目嗎，您們在同一時間處理多少個項目?
How is your studio structured? i.e. How many of you work in the studio, what types of skills do you have in-house, is there anything you are outsourcing, and how many projects do you handle at any one time?
我們的工作室涵蓋了全方位的室內設計、裝飾和造型。我們也有一個注冊建築師為少數建築項目設計，我們負責所有的內部采購。在我監督每個項目的創意方向的同時，項目由高級設計師和項目設計師團隊日常管理，由助理設計師，初級設計師和采購經理提供支持。工作室目前似乎正處於“嬰兒”階段。
Our studio covers a full scope – interior design, decoration and styling. We also have a registered architect for a handful of architecture projects, and we handle all procurement in house. Whilst I oversee the creative direction for each project, the projects are managed day to day by a team of Senior Designers and Project Designers, supported by Assistant Designers, Junior Designer and Procurement Manager. The studio seems to currently be in a baby-making phase.
Killcare House (2018). Photography by Anson Smart.
您如何組織和管理現代商業中和生活中的競爭需求？在您的日常生活中獲得的幫助中，您有沒有什麼建議或技巧可以和我們分享?
How do you organise and manage the competing demands of modern business and life? Do you have any tip or tricks you could share with us that help you in your day-to-day?
老實說，最近剛生完孩子，我不知道自己是否能把這一切都安排得那麼好。但我可能會說，這是目前生活中最具挑戰性的方麵，所以我的回答是，我仍在努力。在實踐層麵上，我們最近開始實施Todoist來幫助我們管理自己的項目!
In all honesty, having recently had a baby, I don’t know that I do manage it all that well. But I’d probably say this is the most challenging aspect of life at the moment, so my answer is that I’m still working on it. On a practical level we have recently started implementing Todoist to help us project manage ourselves!
Killcare House (2018). Photography by Anson Smart.
您覺得現在做設計師最具挑戰性的部分是什麼？如果您能改變這個行業的一件事，那會是什麼?
What do you feel is the most challenging part of being a designer today? And if you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?
這可能是一把雙刃劍，事實證明這是一個相當大的挑戰。雖然這是一個很好的工具，可以幫助客戶向我們傳達他們喜歡什麼，但當他們不一定能清晰地表達出來時，如果你不小心，它可能會成為一個創意吸血鬼。一個設計練習可以變成一個複製粘貼練習，你想知道為什麼客戶不隻是雇傭一個繪圖員，我們真的必須悄悄地反對這一點。 當我們都有這麼多的時間限製時，這是一個挑戰，因為它是最簡單的圖像庫，但絕對不是產生最佳設計的方法。
It can be a double edged sword which is proving to be quite a challenge. Whilst it can be a great tool to help clients convey to us what they like, when they can’t necessarily articulate it with clarity, if you’re not careful it can be a creativity vampire. A design exercise can become a copy and paste exercise instead and you wonder why clients don’t just engage a draftsperson. We really have to quietly rage against that. This is a challenge when we all have so many time constraints as it’s the easiest library of images to go to, but it is definitely not the way to produce the best design.
North Bondi Home (2017). Photography by Felix Forest.
您有什麼方法可以保持動力，專注力和表達能力？您的靈感和參考資料的前3個主要來源是什麼——是書籍，雜誌還是網站/博客等？
What are some of your methods to stay motivated, focused and expressive? And your top 3 main sources of inspiration and references you are drawn to regularly – i.e. books, magazines, websites/ blogs etc?
旅行是100％保持動力和表達能力的最佳方式！走出澳大利亞旅遊無疑是最好的靈感來源。冒著離婚的風險，我的丈夫每周都會被拖著去世界各地的多個展廳——無論是洛杉磯、哥本哈根還是蔚藍海岸——這一切都證明，我們有那麼多無限的可能性去探索。我經常提到《Elle Decor Italia》，老實說，這是因為在內心深處，我想我是意大利人。我在《法蘭西廣告》中看到的是一種無畏的精神，它似乎很快樂，不太關心其他人在做什麼。
Travel is 100% the best way to stay motivated and expressive. Getting out of the Australian bubble is without doubt the best source of inspiration. At the risk of ending up divorced, my husband gets dragged to multiple showrooms a week wherever we are in the world – be that LA or Copenhagen or Cote d’Azure – it all proves there are just so many endless possibilities to explore. I regularly reference Elle Décor Italia – If I’m being honest it’s because deep down I’d like to think I’m Italian. AD France – there’s a fearlessness to what I see in the pages of AD France. It seems quite joyful and not overly concerned with what everyone else is doing.
North Bondi Home (2017). Photography by Felix Forest.
你有受誰的影響?總的來說，你還欣賞哪些其他設計師、同行和創意人士?
Who or what are some of your influences? What other designers, peers and creatives, in general, do you admire?
我有點迷戀那些名字以Pierre開頭的法國人：Pierre Yovanovitch和Pierre Paulin。
I’m a bit obsessed with Frenchmen whose names begin with Pierre: Pierre Yovanovitch and Pierre Paulin.
Coastal House (2018). Photography by Anson Smart.
對於那些想要追隨您道路的新興設計師，您有什麼建議？您從實踐中得到的最大教訓是什麼？
What advice would you give to emerging designers who want to follow your path? What was one of your biggest lessons learned since starting your practices?
真正的品質需要時間。準備好流一段時間的血、汗和淚，因為建立一個穩固的企業不是一夜之間的鍛煉。學習手藝需要時間，在學習的過程中，不可避免地會有很多次想說“唉，也許下次不會再這樣了”，所以我們要一路學習。
Genuine quality takes time. Be prepared to shed blood, sweat and tears for a while, because building a solid business isn’t an overnight exercise; and learning your craft takes time. Inevitably, there will be a lot of “eeek, maybe wouldn’t do that again next time” learning along the way.
您能和我們分享一下您的願景，您的一些目標（和您目前的一些項目）嗎?
can you share with us your vision, some of your goals (and some of your current projects)?
對於正確的客戶和正確的簡報，我們願意去任何地方(幾乎)做任何事情。對我們來說，客戶的態度是關鍵。這是關於客戶的冒險精神和嚐試的意願。我們目前的項目包括Margaret河的海濱地產項目，和新西蘭的幾個項目。與Luigi Rosselli建築事務所合作的美麗悉尼海港項目以及幾個美麗的海濱別墅正在進行中。
For the right client and the right brief we would go anywhere and do (almost) anything. For us, a client’s attitude is key. It’s about the adventurousness that a client has and the willingness to experiment. Our current projects include a beachfront property in the Margaret River; a couple of incredibly-sited projects in New Zealand; a beautiful Sydney harbour-side collaboration with Luigi Rosselli Architects and a couple of beautiful beach houses in the works.
Coastal House Master Study Sketch.
Coastal House Powder Room Concept.
版權歸屬
Interview © Yellowtrace
Photos ©Decus Interiors
