International Designers by Rita Chraibi have been Shortlisted for 6 Categories in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2021. Read more about Founder & CEO Rita Chraibi below:

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Name: Rita Chraibi

Company: International Designers by Rita Chraibi

Position within company: Founder & CEO

Website: www.intdesigners.com

Tell us a little about your background in design (education, experience, etc)

My background is one of opposition between art and discipline, creativity and duty. Growing up in Morocco, my father was one of the few officers in the Moroccan Army to have studied at “St. Cyr” in France, which is the highest training of the military. The same education General de Gaulle had and he cut a very serious figure. My mother had a doctorate in philosophy, so even though it had always been my dream to be a fashion designer, they felt I needed to study in an intellectual field. So, my dreams to draw, create, and work with colors and textures were dashed when I acquiesced and got my law degree. I felt my artistic soul had been crushed.  I worked at a law firm for two years until I had a reawakening when I had to opportunity to do an internship with a family friend Hugo Torrico at Villarroel Torrico, a renowned design firm with offices in Spain and China, and I took it!

This exposure helped me fall in love with the world of interior design and architecture. It also made me realize that some of my favorite things about fashion, were also present in interior design in terms of colors, textures, drawing, fabric and volumes. You can “dress up” an interior and evoke many feelings, create and rethink space. It’s magic.

So I went back to school to study interior design and trained to master even concept design. I worked for Miguel Cancio Martins, who was a very hot designer at the time.

Then, in 2013, I opened my own firm, “International Designers by Rita Chraibi.” I didn’t want it to only be my name, because, even though all of my projects do start from my inspiration, there is an exceptional team of designers behind me and I wanted to pay tribute to them.

Entering the world of architecture and interiors was also a nod to my paternal grandmother, who was a well-known businesswoman in real estate and built many luxury buildings in Casablanca, Marrakech and Paris in the 1960s. I think often of these buildings when I am designing, considering what made the best ones timeless and relevant, decades later.

How would you describe your personal design style?

I’m not a fan of giving my style a label or committing to one for my firm, because I think a good designer understands that each project has a soul of its own. Whether it is a hotel, office or residence, each property has a story I want to help tell it. My job is to hear what it’s saying and communicate that through my design. So while each project is my guide in terms of style, I do have some core values that I always want to respect.  My spaces must feel elegant and sophisticated no matter what style they are designed in. That said, I have a good mastery of classical European, contemporary, Art Deco and Arab-Moorish styles, perhaps in part due to my French and Moroccan roots.

Perhaps another way to try to define my style would be to see it as “haute couture” as I do draw a lot of inspiration from the world of Haute Couture fashion be it Christian Lacroix or Chanel. I see interiors as a fashion designer would see his model. This doesn’t just mean using fashionable furniture lines like Hermès, although I do that as well, it is just a way to humanize the interiors and express their personality. But fashionable and chic choose should not mean cold. It is very important to me that interiors are warm, livable and friendly! Achieving interiors that are at once chic and sophisticated and warm and cozy is a challenge that I enjoy rising to.

Where does your design inspiration come from?

I am a very open-minded and sociable person but I need a lot of solitude when I create. This is often done in the evening for me, I can project myself into the space and imagine it in a hushed (quiet) atmosphere with lots of candles around me and music.

Great designers who have inspired me include Le Corbusier, who for me is the architect and interior designer of all times for his incredible vision of volumes and objects. Also, Andrée Putman for her mastery of the French art of living with a refined and elegant style. She married the design world with fashion design in the way I feel I do.  Zaha Hadid is one of my favorite architects for her ability to design volumes that are sensual and futuristic at the same time, everything was thought of in curves and very sensual shapes.

In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?

We are learning to live much more at home than we were used to, so this has to be factored into designs going forward. I think interiors will need to be arranged in a way that is both more family-friendly, but also allowing for solitary moments for both reflection and getting real work done.

 Design will probably move towards cozy and away from trendy, which is a good thing in my opinion.  For me, anything that is too trendy is further from authenticity and truth. There is a certain hypocrisy in imposing a current color or style on everyone so I simply don’t do it. That said, I think we are going to get closer to the “real” and have a more authentic and closer connection with nature. Conversely, there will be more tech incorporated into design, which may, in some ways, help us with these natural connections.

Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in 2022 and beyond.

Incorporating sanitary and hygiene measures into the design

Creating space for meditation and relaxation

Making dedicated, quiet space for work and concentration

Creating an extra cozy atmosphere for families and guests to gather

Connecting design to nature more than ever before

If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to design schemes, what would it be?

There are so many things to consider when designing, but for me, the most important is use and time. By thinking outside the trends and creating something that will be timeless, functional and beautiful, you cannot go wrong.

How important are The International Design & Architecture Awards?

Very! I am so honored to be shortlisted for The International Design & Architecture Awards which offers worldwide recognition of our work, and represents a benchmark in the design industry.

What projects are you currently working on?

I have several projects underway around the world and things are getting especially busy now as some had been put on standby due to the pandemic are all moving forward at the same time!                        

I have a few, very exciting projects I wish I could discuss here but are confidential at the moment. But I have some big things coming up in the Middle East, North Africa and the USA that might be contenders for future awards.

What was your favorite project to work on and why?

 My favorite recent project was working on a 250-year-old Gothic heritage building located in a historical neighborhood in the center of Barcelona. It was a challenge as there were many governing rules to respect, but it was amazing to work where the walls and the floors have so much history. We restored 250-year-old Spanish “zelliges” tiles and the ashlar walls had to be cleared by hand for months and it was extraordinary.

I love authenticity and it doesn’t get more authentic than this project which was like a mirror to the past, with the restoration giving it back its full beauty and life. I respected the deep history so much that it gave me an electric energy and it was an honor to be in charge of a project like this!

What was your most challenging project to work on and why?

Without a doubt, it is one I am working on now. It is a 40,000 square-foot ocean-front mansion in Golden Beach, Florida.

We are redoing all the facades of the house in addition to the interiors, so the house itself will be unrecognizable when the work is complete. Additionally, the city rejected previous designs by another designer, so it was quite a happy moment when I had my designs approved by the very discerning council. It is the biggest project I have done so far in America, and quite an important one as the house is due to be listed for $120 million upon completion!

Which products/services could you not live without when designing?

My Revit Architecture software and my imagination and inspiration

What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?

I’ve found that life is full of surprises and has much more imagination than I do! I am thankful for what has been offered to me and what will come my way tomorrow and I try not to plan too much.

Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:

Your most treasured possession?

I try not to attach myself too much to material things but my children are my life, the driving force behind everything and my dearest love.

Your favorite Holiday destination?

I live and work in destinations most people take holidays, such as Miami, Morocco, Paris, London and UAE so I usually don’t have to leave to find myself somewhere wonderful. That said, I love to discover new places and get fresh inspiration so I rarely return to the same place for a vacation.

Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar?

   Hotel:  The Oberoi Marrakech that I designed.

   Restaurant : Le Meurice Alain Ducasse

   Bar : Le Bar du Bristol

Your favourite book, film & song?

Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Movie: I like movies that deliver deep feelings and make me either laugh or cry

Song : Clair de lune DE Claude Debussy

Your favourite food and drink?

 My go-to is a nice white fish with a glass of wine.

Your favourite way to spend an afternoon?

Listening to music and creating or doing fun activities with my kids whenever they want ?

If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?

I would be a fashion designer for sure

Anything else interesting?

I try to go running every day. That is my mediation.

International Designers by Rita Chraibi

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