American interior designer, fashion influencer and “geriatric starlet” Iris Apfel has passed away at the age of 102.
The death of the multidisciplinary creative, who was recognised for her flamboyant personal style, was announced on her Instagram account with an image of Apfel in her trademark oversized glasses.
Apfel, who worked in the interiors and fashion industries throughout her career, shot to international fame in her 80s and 90s after New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibited a show of her eclectic clothes and accessories in 2005.
Born Iris Barrel in 1921 in Queens, Apfel studied art history at New York University and art at the University of Wisconsin.
After graduating, she worked for fashion magazine Women’s Wear Daily before interning for interior designer Elinor Johnson.
Together with her late husband Carl Apfel, whom she married in 1948, she set up the brand Old World Weavers – a company that specialised in striking textiles informed by things found on the Apfels’ travels.
Under Old World Weavers, the duo completed high-profile projects such as restoring the White House interiors for nine presidents including Harry Truman and Bill Clinton.
The designer became a visiting lecturer at the University of Texas in 2011, where she taught fashion students about textiles and crafts.
In later life, Apfel became a staple of the fashion industry. In 2018, toy manufacturer Mattel created a Barbie doll in the designer’s image, although it was not for sale. At the age of 97, she signed a modelling contract with IMG Models.
Apfel playfully called herself a “geriatric starlet” and described the prospect of retirement as “a fate worse than death” shortly after turning 100.
Following the news of her passing, designers around the world paid tribute to Apfel’s legacy. “Iris Apfel has become a world-famous fashion icon because of her incredible talent not only as an artist but as an influencer,” said fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger.
The photography is by Ron Adar courtesy of Shutterstock.
Interior designer Little Wing Lee has joined Dezeen Awards 2023 as a judge. Here, she selects five projects that best reflect her work.
Lee’s interior design practice Studio & Projects creates spaces and products for cultural, commercial and residential clients, taking a “narrative approach to design”
“My designs are always informed by context, location and function,” Lee told Dezeen. “I always think about the project’s story and connect that to the design decisions I make.”
Lee is also the founder of Black Folks in Design, an organisation which raises awareness and promotes the culture and importance of Black designers. She was named the first winner of the Female Design Council and NicoleHollis Grant recognising women of colour-led interior design firms located in the US.
“The grant was an investment in my talent and skill and helped me sustain my momentum to build and invest in future projects,” said Lee.
Lee is currently working on a collection with Mexican rug brand Odabashian and the launch of a new lighting collection as well as several museum and restaurant projects.
Lee among Dezeen Awards 2023 judges
Dezeen Awards 2023, in partnership with Bentley Motors, is closed for entries. The longlists will be published on Dezeen in two weeks.
Other judges joining Lee this year include architects Jason Long and Zhu Pei, interior designers Diana Radomysler, Colin King and Martin Brudnizki, and designers Yves Béhar, Ineke Hans and Lani Adeoye.
Read on to find Lee’s views on the five projects that best represent her work:
National Black Theatre
“National Black Theatre is a unique project as it combines public, performance, and residential spaces.
“It is a historic major capital redevelopment project that will transform the current property into a 21st-century destination for Black culture through theatre.
“This project will anchor and recapitalise the institution with a 250-seat flexible temple space and a 99-seat studio theatre.
“As part of the same project, the developer Ray is also working on National Black Theatre Way, a building on 2033 5th Ave which will house residential, event and retail spaces.”
OKRA for Odabashian
“OKRA was the first design by Studio & Projects from our upcoming rug collection with manufacturer Odabashian.
“The collection will be carried by Verso with additional designs exhibited this summer in their Bridgehampton gallery.”
Ace Hotel Toronto
“Ace Hotel Toronto opened in July 2022 and is the brand’s first location in Canada.
“The 123-room hotel was designed by revered Toronto firm Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, led by Brigitte Shim and Howard Sutcliffe, in collaboration with Atelier Ace with me as the Atelier Ace/Ace Hotel Group present design director.”
Black Folks in Design
“Black Folks in Design (BFiD) is a network that connects Black designers within and across disciplines to support each other and share professional opportunities.
“We help people understand the excellence, contributions and importance of black designers to create economic and portfolio-building opportunities for Black designers.”
National Museum of African American History and Culture exhibitions
“The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history and culture.
“The museum helps all Americans see how their story, their history, and culture are shaped and informed by global influences. It explores what it means to be an American and shares how values like resiliency, optimism and spirituality are reflected in African American history and culture.”
Dezeen Awards 2023
Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent.
Designing with empathy for the consumers of today and the future is a challenge we must take on, says Birsel + Seck co-founder Ayse Birsel at a talk filmed by Dezeen for Global Design Forum in partnership with SAP.
“If we have the users in the room thinking with us and using our tools to think creatively, that changes everything,” Birsel said.
Called Creating a Compelling Reason for Change as part of the Circular Design Series, the talk brought together a panel of design and digital thought leaders to discuss how to design for consumers in the face of global economic, environmental and social pressures.
David Jonker is vice president of the Insights Research Center at SAP
“When we get to designing and changing the system, it’s a multifaceted challenge,” said vice president at SAP Insights Research Centre David Jonkerduring the talk.
“Those who will be the disruptors are those who are willing to question some of the fundamental assumptions that we take for granted,” he continued.
Eli Halliwell is the chairman of haircare company Hairstory
There is an opportunity to design products to be inherently better and cleaner, said executive chairman and co-founder of HairstoryEli Halliwell.
“The step-function change comes from rethinking the actual problem that you’re trying to solve, versus just iterating on the delivery mechanism or the packaging,” Halliwell said.
Ayse Birsel is an industrial designer and co-founder of Birsel + Seck
Birsel also spoke about how inclusive consumer research can promote change, explaining that consumer datasets historically tend to be skewed towards men.
“For example, pianos are not measured and made for women, and that means there are very few great pianists who are women in the world, not because they are not talented, but because the products are not designed for that data set,” said Birsel.
“It’s on us to design great products for this new era, which is our future,” she continued. “We’re living longer and longer but the planet’s life is shorter and shorter.”
Birsel expressed that consumers in today’s world have the opportunity to collaborate with designers.
“When I think of circularity of design, it’s not only design and brand together anymore, it also includes the user. When we can do that, we build incredible empathy with our users. They feel heard, they feel seen,” she said.
The talk was held at The Standard, High Line in New York City
Global Design Forum is London Design Festival’s curated thought-leadership programme. Its flagship event will take place as part of the London Design Festival in September.
Photography is by Daniel Salemi.
Creating a Compelling Reason for Change is the second talk filmed by Dezeen as part of Global Design Forum’s The Future of Packaging symposium, which took place on 23 May 2023 at The Standard High Line Hotel during design festival NYCxDesign. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
Partnership content
This video was produced by Dezeen as part of a partnership with London Design Festival. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
Anyone fitting out a new home has likely considered whether it’s better to hire a professional to design the interiors of their new space or to take that task on themselves. Hiring an interior designer brings unquestionable value to making a home uniquely functional and comfortable, but it does bring into question if it’s worth the cost. Luckily, the burgeoning world of online freelancing platforms offers a new method for homeowners to engage with freelance interior designers that makes even a modest investment worth the expense.
What Can an Interior Designer Do?
In general, an interior designer’s role in a home design project is to conceive of one or more possibilities for the layout, look, and feel of an interior space, then communicate their ideas with images such as 3D renderings, technical drawings, or material lists. Most importantly, they design spaces to satisfy both the functional requirements and aesthetic tastes of their clients. If done well, their experience and training leads to a more detailed, refined, and well-implemented design than a homeowner taking a do-it-yourself approach.
Responsibility-wise, interior designers are often tasked with both selecting products and devising layouts for surface finish materials, lighting fixtures, furniture, cabinetry, and other furnishings. They can also oversee a contractor who’s building their designs, or advise a homeowner that’s installing them on their own. Their exact responsibilities vary by the needs of a project, but they can grow or be limited to include any aspect of how the interior of a home, or even just a single room, is designed.
Hiring an interior designer brings many practical benefits to a home design project. Their expertise allows them to spot problematic decisions before they’re implemented, saving time and money on mistakes. They’re also likely able to use their professional connections to get the best price on any fixtures, furniture, or furnishings needed for the project. Most importantly, their services free up a homeowner from taking the time to come up with a design, determine if it will actually work, and fret over numerous minor details in the process.
Why Hire a Freelance Interior Designer?
Many great, small-scale interior design firms and solo practitioners can provide services within many homeowner’s budgets. However, the best value is found by hiring a freelance interior designer through an online platform, such as Fiverr. The development of online freelancing platforms in recent years has allowed freelance interior designers to operate virtually while offering their services in discrete, pre-packaged bundles. This allows them to perform their services at much lower rates than conventional professional arrangements due to lower overhead costs and the elimination of a great deal of up-front negotiation.
Anyone pursuing this approach to home design would definitely benefit from considering what deliverables they expect from a freelance interior designer before reaching out to one. An interior designer’s work products are often produced cumulatively as a project progresses, and what’s needed depends on the scope of the project and a homeowner’s budget. A typical workflow could incorporate any combination of items including an introductory consultation or conceptual direction-setter, such as a mood board, before moving on to detailed floor plans, elevations, or renderings.
If a homeowner is hiring a contractor to build their new space, they should ensure any plans an interior designer creates are detailed enough for their contractor to build from. In this case, it may be best to arrange a meeting between the designer and the contractor, or even a series of check-ins throughout the project’s construction. Many freelance interior designers offer this service virtually, although for relatively simple projects it may not be necessary, so it’s best to verify in advance what each party feels they need from the other to best complete their portion of the work.
How to Hire a Freelance Interior Designer
The easiest way to hire a freelance interior designer is through an online platform. With a dedicated Architecture & Interior Design store, Fiverr leads the way in this approach. A homeowner searching for an interior designer can filter their search on Fiverr by the type of deliverable, set of services, budget range, or seller characteristics they’re looking for, leading to a match far quicker than relying on recommendations from friends, family, or local industry groups.
Most talents on Fiverr break their work packages into three graduated levels of service, with price and other items like turnaround time, number of revisions, and final deliverables clearly identified. Specific details are agreed upon through direct communication before an assignment begins, and many freelance interior designers are open to discussing custom combinations of services, or even more complex work beyond their boilerplate packages.
Ready to find the perfect interior designer for your project? Head over to Fiverr’s Architecture & Interior Design store and check out the vast range of budget-friendly professional interior design services at your disposal.
Spotted: Chinese designer Meng Du has released a new collection of bags made with an alternative leather produced from leftover grape skins. The bags have been created in partnership with OddBird, a non–alcoholic wine producer based in Sweden.
For her Unwasted collection, Du sourced the material from Planet of the Grapes, a French producer of materials and natural dyes made from waste grape skins. Planet of the Grapes uses a byproduct of wine production called grape marc. Grape marc consists of all surplus skins, pulp, pips, and stems of the fruit left over after pressing.
To make the leather alternative, the grape marc is sun dried and ground into a powder. The powder is then blended with other natural ingredients to create a liquid that is poured onto a fabric of natural stem fibres and left to dry again.
“The entire process takes around four or five weeks, as it starts off with the spreading out and the drying all of the grapes in the sunshine for a couple of weeks,” explains Planet of the Grapes co-founder Sam Mureau.
The collection features two models: a large squashed plastic milk carton looking bag called Unwasted Merlot, and a tin-can-like pack named Unwasted Chardonnay which is smaller. Du explains that she hopes the shapes will draw attention to the importance of recycling as well as encouraging consumers to rethink how their belongings are made.
For the Unwasted Merlot, it takes about 1,200 grapes to create enough leather alternative – which is about 0.5 square metres of leather. The bags are currently available to pre-order before on-demand production begins later in the year.
Springwise has spotted innovations using leather alternatives made from hemp, apples, and mushrooms.
For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up 10 dream bathrooms with statement baths ideal for luxurious bathing, including tubs made from teak, clay, concrete and porcelain.
This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbook series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased peaceful bedrooms, colourful kitchens and living rooms with calm interiors.
Below are ten bathroom interiors from the Dezeen archives featuring standalone baths that sit in the middle of the room or away from the walls.
Screen House, Sydney, Australia, by Carter Williamson Architects
The bathroom of Screen House by architecture studio Carter Williamson is covered from floor to ceiling with tactile black tiles to create a spa-like setting for its owners.
A freestanding bathtub was placed under a bubble-like pendant light that is suspended from the asymmetric pitched roof.
Find out more about Screen House ›
Chimney House, Sydney, Australia, by Atelier Dau
As part of an extension and refurbishment of a heritage-listed building in Sydney, architecture studio Atelier Dau added a ground floor bathroom.
The bathroom is defined by porcelain floor tiles designed by Patricia Urquiola and a statement roll-top bath alongside a narrow window with views to the home’s internal courtyard.
Find out more about Chimney House ›
Highgate house, London, UK, by House of Grey
This London home designed by interiors studio House of Grey incorporates a range of natural materials and finishes.
In the bathroom (above and top), the walls are coated with a lime-based plaster surface called Tadelakt, which is waterproofed using a soap solution. The bath and sink were made from a combination of sands, unfired clays, pigments and minerals.
Find out more about Highgate house ›
Art Villa, Costa Rica, by Formafatal and Refuel Works
Czech studios Formafatal and Refuel Works left the concrete structure exposed throughout this villa nestled into the jungle in Costa Rica.
In the master bedroom, a concrete tub is set alongside a pair of glass doors that allow the space to be opened up to the surrounding jungle.
Find out more about Art Villa ›
Mountain cabin, Italy, by Modostudio
The bathroom of this secluded mountain cabin designed by Modostudio has spectacular views over Italy’s Adige Valley.
Set at the centre of the room the freestanding bath was positioned to take the best advantage of these views through full-height windows.
Find out more about Mountain cabin ›
Tsubo House, London, UK, by Fraher & Findlay
Architecture practice Fraher & Findlay focused the renovation and extension of this home in east London on a small courtyard.
All of the house’s bathrooms feature graphic monochromatic tiled floors, while the master bathroom has its own fireplace and a freestanding jet-black tub.
Find out more about Tsubo House ›
House V, Slovakia, by Martin Skoček
The dramatic en-suite bathroom of the master bedroom of this gabled house near Bratislava, designed by architect Martin Skoček, is lined with salvaged bricks.
Its centrepiece, aligned with the apex of the pitched ceiling, is an oval, freestanding bathtub.
Find out more about House V ›
Atelier Villa, Costa Rica, by Formafatal
The bathrooms within this perforated-aluminium clad villa in Costa Rica are defined by floors made with cement tiles from Nicaragua.
One of the bedroom suites has a freestanding bath that is lit by mottled light coming through the cladding perforations.
Find out more about Atelier Villa ›
Leaf House, London, UK, by Szczepaniak Astridge
The focal point of the rooftop extension to architectural photographer Edmund Sumner and writer Yuki Sumner’s London home by Szczepaniak Astridge is a Japanese-style wooden bath.
Positioned against a large window that has views across London, the bath was made from waxed teak by furniture maker William Garvey.
Find out more about Leaf House ›
The Boathouse, Devon, UK, by Adams+Collingwood Architects
London studio Adams+Collingwood Architects designed this house overlooking Salcombe Estuary so that its first-floor living spaces could take advantage of views across the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
On the ground, which is embedded into the hillside, there are four bedrooms and three bathrooms, including the master en-suite that features a copper bathtub.
This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.
