18 minute read
Explore est living's Esteemed 10: Multidisciplinary Designers for 2025
The esteemed 10 recognises influential voices in the multidisciplinary design community in 2025. Criterion is based on approach, notable achievements and completed and anticipated projects.
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Pattern Studio
Founders Josh Cain & Lily Goodwin
Gadigal Country/Sydney, Australia
Thoughtful, Considered, Inspiring
Our design work is best summed up as:
Sumptuous minimalism.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
There seems to be a curiosity about our residential work; people are particularly interested in how others live.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
We love the boundary-pushing, genre-defying work of zero-waste designer and florist Joost Bakker. His tenacity is inspiring, and his enthusiasm is infectious.
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
A visit to Japan some years ago has had an immeasurable influence. Not only from the esteemed architectural works by the likes of Tadao Ando, SANAA, Sou Fujimoto, and so many others, but we also sensed a deep appreciation for design and attention to detail across society broadly. From the elegant plating of a dish to a carefully decorated manhole cover on the street, beauty was everywhere.
The three words we would most like people to attribute to our work are:
Thoughtful, considered, inspiring.
What is the one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
Try to find a balance between looking outward and inward to develop your unique ideas and sensibility, leaving you energised and inspired, not overwhelmed.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
Teshima in Japan is a small island in the south, home to an incredible collection of sculptures and museums. The contrast of these incredible works against the sparsely populated coastal landscapes was striking. It was a memorable experience.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
We want to see more of the exciting, original work emerging from Australia’s rich design talent. When clients fully trust their design teams, unimaginably magical results can ensue. We would also like to see a more sensible, considerate, and restrained approach to temporary fit-outs. We are excited to witness dynamic, creative responses that inspire while significantly reducing waste.
Rooms Studio
Nata Janberidze & Keti Toloraia
Tbilisi, Georgia
Calm, Genuine, Simple
Our design work is best summed up as:
"Wild Minimalism".
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
Our projects' historical context and narrative.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
Our personal experiences.
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on work?
Of course, there are many people, buildings, and artworks that have had a lasting impact, but we feel they’ve shaped our formation more than our work directly. It’s the creative process itself that defines and shapes our work.
The three words we would most like people to attribute to our work are:
Calm, genuine, simple.
What is the one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
Listen to your instincts.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
On the streets of random cities.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
More peace, less fake news.
Arno Declercq
Antwerp, Belgium
Timeless, Tactile, Evocative
My design work is best summed up as:
"Ancient craftsmanship meets contemporary minimalism." My work is about creating pieces that honour traditional methods while embracing a modern aesthetic. I aim to design timeless yet relevant objects, merging historical techniques with today’s need for simplicity. Each piece carries a story, emphasising depth and emotional resonance through raw materials and subtle details.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
People often ask about my use of shou sugi ban, a Japanese technique where wood is charred to achieve a deep, blackened finish, enhancing durability while creating a unique, tactile texture. It’s a delicate balance between control and the rawness of the fire, adding an expressive, ancient quality to each piece.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
Collaborating with brands like Fendi has stretched my design boundaries. Merging my minimalist, raw style with their luxury vision required me to innovate while staying true to my principles. It opened my mind to using new materials and experimenting with aesthetics, prompting a richer, more versatile approach to my design philosophy.
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
Brutalist architecture profoundly influences my designs, particularly the stark forms of bunkers and fortresses. I’m drawn to their powerful volumes and geometric simplicity, which evoke resilience and timelessness. This aesthetic informs my furniture's bold lines and weighty presence, aiming to evoke the same strength and clarity in a domestic setting.
The three words I would most like people to attribute to my work are:
Timeless, tactile, evocative.
What is the one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
Embrace experimentation without fear of mistakes. Mistakes are part of the journey—they reveal new possibilities and insights. Stay true to your creative vision, even when it doesn't align with trends, because that uniqueness will ultimately define your work. Pursue materials and processes that excite you and explore them without reservation.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
Museums and galleries are my go-to places for inspiration, especially those displaying both contemporary and tribal art.
These spaces highlight diverse perspectives and techniques, reminding me of design’s universality. In particular, tribal art embodies a raw connection to culture, which resonates deeply with my own philosophy of blending tradition and modernity.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
I hope to see more collaborations that bridge traditional craftsmanship with modern design, fostering cultural appreciation and innovation. Conversely, I’d like to see less emphasis on mass-produced, disposable items that lack character and sustainability. We need more pieces that tell stories, respect materials, and honour the time and skill that went into their creation.
Objects of Common Interest
Founders Eleni Petaloti & Leonidas Trampoukis
Athens, Greece & New York, North America
Considered, Functional, Engaging
Our design work is best summed up as:
Designs that fuse functionality with art, creating engaging objects.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
People are often intrigued by the way we blend simplicity with storytelling, whether through materials or form. Every object tells a narrative, inviting users to interact with it on a deeper level.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
Living in an increasingly digital world has challenged us to rethink the role of physical objects—how can design create moments of real human connection and tactile experience in an increasingly virtual environment?
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
The work of designers like Dieter Rams and Shiro Kuramata, along with the artistic influence of Judd and Quasar Khanh, has had a lasting impact on my approach to design. Together, they’ve shaped my belief that design should be purposeful, innovative, and deeply connected to its context.
The three words we would most like people to attribute to our work are:
Considered, functional, engaging.
What is one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
Design with purpose. Focus on creating pieces that resonate on a personal level and serve a clear function rather than chasing what's fashionable.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
inspiration in both the everyday and the extraordinary. Whether it's a visit to an art gallery, a walk through nature, or simply observing the quiet details of objects in our home, design can be found everywhere.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
More: Designs that prioritise sustainability, practicality, and lasting impact. Less: Overproduction.
Joris Poggioli
Paris, France
Sculptural, Moving, Timeless
My design work is best summed up as:
The wish to stir emotions.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
The sculptural aspect of it, and sometimes people can’t pinpoint its era—I love that.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
Questioning why I do this work.
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
Le Corbusier, Mies Van der Rohe, Tadao Ando.
The three words I would most like people to attribute to my work are:
Sculptural, moving, timeless.
What is the one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
That you can live from your dreams. And maybe ask yourself why you’re doing this work—usually, finding that answer leads to success.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
Everywhere! In libraries, museums, and outdoors—cities are open-air museums, and, of course, nature.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
I’d like to see people trusting their instincts and gut feelings more than what they see.
Garcé & Dimofski
Co-founders Olivier Garcé & Clio Dimofski
Lisbon, Portugal
Simplicity, Thoughtful, Materiality
Our design work is best summed up as:
Crafting spaces that evoke emotion, embody purpose and celebrate craftspeople.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
The integration of historical influences, particularly ceramics and Portuguese cultural heritage, into modern design concepts.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
Exploring Lucie Rie's work has reshaped our perspective on the interplay between materiality and resilience, inspiring a deeper connection between craft and heritage.
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
The timeless art and design elements found in the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum have profoundly influenced our approach to creating forward-looking spaces rooted in history.
The three words we would most like people to attribute to our work are:
Simplicity, thoughtful, materiality.
What is one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
Embrace the stories behind every craftsperson and tool; they are the bridge between what is essential and emotional resonance.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
Museums like the Machado de Castro in Portugal and intimate galleries showcasing ceramics and architectural heritage, as well as the streets of Lisbon for its seamless blending of old and new.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
More: Designs that emphasise sustainability and cultural authenticity.
Less: Disposable trends and surface-level aesthetics lacking depth or meaning.
Destroyers/ Builders
Founder Linde Freya Tangelder
Brussels & Antwerp, Belgium
Sculptural, Architectural, Tactile
My design work is best summed up as:
I love architectural elements from different cultures and eras, inspiring my sculptural architectural furniture.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
The tactile details; how something is made and what the material is.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
My travel to Mumbai for my next solo show at Aequo Gallery. Design is something hidden in so many details and often unseen. It should also not be forced; it should come naturally.
Design can show in other ways what nature already taught us. Often, a design can relate to many origins; for me it is my background, my current findings, and my future vision in one image.
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi is always my inspiration, connecting many levels of society through powerful buildings that never grow old.
The three words I would most like people to attribute to my work are:
Sculptural, architectural, tactile.
What is the one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
Be patient; keep your inner focus.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
My main inspirations come from art and architecture, which is important to me as I love to look further than my main discipline.
The boundaries can be more fluid. The most impressive interior design projects, for me, are those where the owner is able to translate their personal collection and preferences through art, treasures, colour, textures, and design pieces as a whole, while leaving space for the new.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
More personality, dare to do differently. Less trendy choices and repetition.
Marion Mailaender
Marseille & Paris, France
Originality, Humour, Displacement
My design work is best summed up as:
Fun follows function.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
The aspect of my work that sparks the most curiosity lies in the absolute freedom with which I mix things without prejudice, opening the way to an infinite creative exploration. This bold, unconstrained approach captures attention and intrigues those who encounter my work.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
Throughout my career, encounters have acted as catalysts, constantly pushing me to evolve how I approach design. My recent collaboration with artist Yto Barrada has particularly enriched this perspective, encouraging me to fully embrace the instinctive side of my process and the absolute necessity of creating from the existing.
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
The Fluxus movement and artists like Sophie Calle have had a lasting impact on the way I see things, inspiring me to approach the world with humour and joy.
American minimalists, such as Donald Judd and Carl André, have profoundly influenced me.
I am influenced by things that are very different and, at first glance, seemingly opposing.
Three words I would most like people to attribute to my work are:
Originality, humour, displacement.
What is one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
The advice I would give to the younger generation is to cultivate themselves as much as possible in order to create new things and bring fresh ideas to the world.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
Musée Arts décoratifs à Paris.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
More ideas, less copying.
Don Cameron
Gadigal Country/Sydney, Australia
Enduring, Emotional, Character
My design work is best summed up as:
My background in directing makes me assemble interiors with a filmic vocabulary—crafting engaging spaces that have a certain mood and ambience. Collectable and historic design are used as important reference points. My design is based on feeling and emotion.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
I would say sourcing. The romantic notion of travelling and research to find unique pieces, and the cultural and social aspect of my work that goes with this—the cities, the objects, the stories, the relationships. There are some things you can build or buy; others you have to search to find.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
Mark Manders’ first showing at Xavier Hufkens in Antwerp presenting his ongoing project ‘Self Portrait as a Building’. Manders’ first looked to find autobiographical expression through writing before moving to installations, sculpture and furniture arrangements in ‘rooms’, which together create a kind of composite identity. It was a very scenographic way to propose his varied practice and different aspects of his oeuvre as an ever-expanding self-portrait.
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
I have always been drawn to the marginal and obscure, be it film, music, performance or architecture. When things exist outside the regular boundaries of ‘taste’, you are free to dream. I’ve always looked to built forms for their expressive potential and as a basis for inspiration.
The three words I would most like people to attribute to my work are:
Enduring, emotional, character.
What is the one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
Travel. See. Feel. You have to encounter buildings, interiors, and objects—experience them to fully understand how and why they affect you.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
Belgium and Italy.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
Personally, I want to continually grow. To these ends, I look to build on and forge new relationships with workshops and ateliers to create my next body of work.
Sophie Dries
Paris, France
Textured, Timeless, Genuine
My design work is best summed up as:
Experiment like a chemist, dig the history like an archeologist.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
In my relationship with workshops, I always begin any design project with a meeting with a craftsperson, whether working with glass, papier-mâché, wood, metal, or ceramic, followed by a conversation with them. Then come experiments with materials through samples, and only after that, the design and function. In my interiors, it’s also about an encounter with the owner and space. We need to create a dialogue between both, written with our words.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
I would not answer AI because AI is a tool like any CAD program or pen, but I would say social media. I've realised people/clients are extremely influenced by nostalgic images, which are reassuring in troubled times and have influenced many interior trends in the last five years. conversations between the past, present and future, and I never copycat a cinema décor from past times.
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
I look at contemporary art very closely—almost daily. I work mainly for art collectors and live with an artist. I would say that is my largest source of inspiration, together with nature of course, is an endless source of beauty.
The three words I would most like people to attribute to my work are:
Textured, timeless, genuine.
What is one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
Never be afraid to experiment and always learn from others such as makers, colleagues, masters, and relatives. Know your classics to be able to twist them.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
I live between Italy and France, which is already a big source of inspiration. Recently, I’ve travelled to Asia for work and have appreciated the many layers of crafts and sophisticated arts. I love visiting countries and smaller villages with a vernacular tradition of architecture and objects that are anonymous and locally made—recently in the Algerian Desert and the Faroe Islands.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
More of local support craft initiatives, sharing and transmitting, and less of mass market products and petrochemical materials.
