Here is the last part of the interview with Ninon Petras studio. You will discover how she has adapted her interior to telework and well-being. She also reveals the latest layout of her apartment with each of her stages.
What is your storage system? Do you have a way of organizing yourself to combine telework and well-being?
The storage system is adapted to each room. We sort by color in the dressing room. I find it much easier and aesthetically pleasing. We find more easily what we want to wear. I also try to sort by type of objects. Each object must be assigned a defined location. That way, you always know where to put it and where to find it.
It is an apartment that is not very big. We tried to optimize everything. We have dedicated places to store stuff that we don't use. For example we have a bed on the terrace. Below this we have storage with things that we don't use often.
What are the most difficult objects for you to store in your daily telework?
Outsized items in the kitchen are the hardest things to put away. In my last video, I talk about how to have a more functional kitchen. It is necessary to define the uses of each room. Then we try to arrange according to our lifestyle and the objects we own. If I don't have room to store huge dishes then I don't buy them. I imposed a golden rule on myself: when I add an object to my apartment, one comes out. If I buy one item of clothing, I part with another. I establish the same rule for decoration. I think we achieve a certain balance that way.
How do you adapt the accommodation to telework?
The house must correspond to our lifestyle. It helps to feel good at home. Do the test of working in a fully tidy room and in one that is messy. You won't have the same productivity and creativity. Tidying up is important for feeling good every day and having a free mind. We took this into account when fitting out the apartment: combining telework and well-being. My companion was already telecommuting before. He often works in the living room. So we tried to optimize the living room with a sufficiently large table.
How to optimize?
We also placed stools in the kitchen to make it a second workstation. I sometimes telecommute. I also have a place in the bedroom where we can have a sort of modular desk when we need it. Trying to optimize your space to work is important in order to have more privacy. Currently, we are on a house that must be used as a habitat, a collective living area, but also as a work and professional development area. It becomes much more complicated to arrange.
But I think it's important to take all this into consideration and try to create little corners suitable for each moment of the day. We can find a lot of innovations in terms of design. We often find screens, modular desks that can move and turn into a large table, etc. There is a lot of innovation in this area. There are things to take. It's interesting, the industry is changing on this point. It adapts to new uses and new consumer needs.
In a residence or student accommodation, you should try to choose furniture and objects that have several functions. Then they shouldn't be too big. We must opt for pieces on which we can work, eat and receive friends. The design industries are increasingly focusing on the functionality and modularity of furniture.
What do you think is important when it comes to decorating?
What is important is to adopt the decoration in relation to one's style and instinct. Do not systematically follow trends or the opinions of others. It's important to have a decoration that suits you, that makes you happy and in which you are comfortable. Lifestyle is one of the only environments you can control 100%. Whether you are a tenant or an owner, this is your home. Don't make decorating choices to impress others or to follow trends. Make choices that correspond to your desires, your tastes and the uses you have.
In your opinion, what is the thing to avoid when it comes to storage?
I see so many visuals on social media that are Pinterest trading. But in the end, it lacks personality. We end up with the same rooms and furniture as the neighbor. This is the biggest fault of taste.
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What advice would you give to someone who has few resources to tidy up their home?
Take your time. I recommend second hand. The ideal is to prioritize your purchases. It is important to spend money on the furniture in which we sleep, we sit, and we work. Then, opt for the functional: the kitchen and the water features. And finally, if there is budget left, you can invest in decoration. The most important thing is to feel comfortable and sleep well. It's important to sit well on the sofa and have an environment where we are happy to be, even before decorating it. Decoration is not the priority.
I could see on your YouTube channel that you have programmed a makeover video of your terrace. Can you tell me about it? What are you planning to do?
For the little story: the makeover of my terrace is the first video I posted on YouTube in October. She has a lot more and she continues to be viewed. The arrival of sunny days made me want to spruce up the terrace. I explain the choices I made last year. I illustrate how I have optimized this space. Before, I had not necessarily chosen plants suitable for the terrace.
This year, I invested in plants that can live outdoors. I also explain that the terrace was not well designed for the winter. It was time to show the DIY (Do it yourself) that I made this year. You can find it in the video. We hardly invested any money for the terrace. It's just recovery. The bed belonged to my grandmother. I got the floor from my parents. They were moving at the same time. I also used finds. I started from the bed and tried to look for elements that matched the bed , giving it something extra. It was based on my discoveries that I started to draw boards.
And on rainy days?
On rainy days, we put up a leatherette tarp that I bought at a fabric store. It's waterproof. We try to be careful about the types of plants we choose. We do not buy things that are too light and can fly away. We didn't want to design a terrace that was going to be used for 3 months and which was going to be unusable the rest of the year. We really took that aspect into consideration. We have invested in waterproof cushions and natural materials that are weather resistant such as: wood or straw rattan.
Do not hesitate to consult our latest article: Ekhi Busquet
Interview by Imane Charkaoui
Formatting by Coralie Mottu
