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Garde Intl

Designers in Profile: Francesco Ristori and Anna Nishigori designer of Garde intl

Garde intl have been shortlisted for 2 categories in the international Hotel and Property Awards 2022.


Name: Francesco Ristori and Anna Nishigori
Company: GARDE Co., Ltd.
Position within company: Designers
Website: https://www.garde-intl.com/

Tell us a little about your background in design (education, experience, etc):
Francesco: I started as a quantity surveyor in a small firm in the Tuscan countryside, before graduating as an Architect at the University of Florence. After that I moved to Japan, a country that always intrigued me for its peculiar contrasts between new and old, tradition and technology, and that represented to me the opportunity to work for my actual design firm, GARDE

Anna: I had studied civil engineering at BA degree and changed a major into interior design as MA degree at university of Brighton, UK. Tate modern intrigued me to study interior design in the UK by the fact that the historic buildings, which had been used up as electric power plant, were preserved with a new role as “Museum”, Since I started working at GARDE, I have designed various types of interior such as hotels, retail shops, and food halls. I gladly have opportunity to design a historical buildings in this project.

How would you describe your personal interior design style?:
Francesco: I prefer a minimalist and at the same time pleasing design style that puts function before form.
Anna: It depends on projects but always concern to create comfortable space.

Where does your design inspiration come from?:
Francesco: I like to draw inspiration from past architecture movements and provide them with a fresh look through my interpretation.

Anna: Firstly I research an environment and building itself of projects for setting up a concept and use some features gained by research for design. In order to refresh my head, I mostly use my weekend for visiting reputed architectures that information gained through social media.

In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?:
Francesco: Social networks have influenced the way we perceive and see design, through abundancy of decorative elements and not well identified “wow-effects”; on the other side we as designers are trying to please the tastes of temporary trends, but I feel that we should reconsider the maxim from Louis Sullivan “Form follows function”.

Anna: I feel “sustainable design” is one of the most important task even in interior farm.

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

Francesco: Sustainability (and we as designers will need to put an effort to avoid green washing) Wellness, Agritecture/integration of green, Metaverse environment design and Implementation of new standards to cope with the aging population.

Anna: Sustainable, Flexible, Conceptual, Metaverse and VR.

If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to interior design schemes, what would it be?:
Francesco: Set design/process standards to offer a consistent design language and avoid design flow disruption.

Anna: In any design firm, I think finding a problem and solve it by design is a basic thought

How important are The International Hotel & Property Awards as recognition of talent and achievement?:
Francesco: Awards importance is terrific as they help talented firms and individuals emerge and being appreciated by the public.

Anna: As I find anything interesting through online, The International Hotel & Property Awards is important to being recognised and evaluated by all over the world. It improves motivation of designers to produce impressed design even if it’s tough projects.

What projects are you currently working on?:
Francesco: Recently I am mostly working on office design projects, mainly for IT international companies.

Anna: Currently I am working on hotel which is a part of urban-development.

What was your favourite project to work on and why?:
Francesco: Working for an office renovation project for an IT giant gave me new eyes to observe certain social aspects happening inside these offices that sometimes act like micro-city environments.

Anna: This CANDEO hotel project is my favourite as it’s my first own project and my dream of renovation came true.

What was your most challenging project to work on and why?:
Francesco: The most challenging project is always the next one!

Anna: Every single project is challenging for me and I am excited to learn and experience.

Which products/services could you not live without when designing?:
Francesco: Computer software, close-knit team.

Anna: Manufactures who always put effort into searching appropriate materials together in order to achieve interior design as same as perspective drawings.

What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?:
Francesco: Satisfying current client needs and make good design that is future proof.
Anna: Challenging new type of interior design such as conceptual stores. In addition, I would like to join renovation projects.

Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:
Francesco: Inspiration comes from traveling outside the comfort zone and being in the nature, hopefully the world will restart soon to open frontiers to inspire us all.
Anna: My daily inspiration comes from social media such as facebook, magazines, Instagram and BBC.
Your most treasured possession? Francesco: The Yamaha motorcycle that brought me from Italy to Japan way back in 2014.
Anna: My husband and cat are my treasure.
Your favourite holiday destination? Francesco: A road trip by car or motorcycle, the Trans-Siberian road and Route 66 were memorable trips.
Anna: Chilling by the sea and traveling
Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar? Francesco: Probably some nostalgic place from my youth age.
Anna: “Four seasons hotel” at Firenze. It was very classic but sophisticated design with magnificent garden.
Your favourite book, film & song? Francesco: 1984, Back to the future, Once Upon a Time in the West by Ennio Morricone
Anna: “The notebook” “Untouhable”
Your favourite food and drink?Francesco: Pizza and coke.
Anna: Sukiyaki and café late.
Your favourite way to spend an afternoon? Francesco: Picnic in the mountain.
Anna: Having café late and sweets by the sea.
If you weren’t a designer, what would you be? Francesco: I’d probably be in the photography/videomaking sector, or in the F&B.
Anna: Patissier
Anything else interesting? Francesco: Becoming a father this year will be the most interesting challenge!
Anna: Finding new restaurants are my interests. Please recommend me!

Garde intl have been shortlisted for 2 categories in the international Hotel and Property Awards 2022.


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