Elena Barenghi: Interior designer

A few months ago, many of us in Shanghai felt stuck in some sort of limbo with the never-ending lockdowns. Every day felt like every day; I completely lost the concept of time. During this time, I decided to hone my creativity. I experimented with different writing prompts, make-up, food, and fashion, and at some point, I thought I could be an interior designer. I rearranged the furniture in my apartment, which turned out so badly. I left it for a few days thinking what I had done would eventually grow on me. It did not! So I put everything back. It took me a while to realise that when I was doing this rearrangement, I had no picture in mind except the few things on pinterest I had seen on Pinterest, no inspiration; I didn't tap into anything.

There was no real thought process. I was just moving stuff. This had me thinking about the different types of creatives and how some of these processes are so intrinsically woven together to make beauty in art. As part of my blog, I always find it inspiring to talk to people who are in the creative field to find out what they do and how they work. I had to speak to someone who worked in this field. It is hard to encapsulate the greatness of interior designers, from their stunning works to their unique creative visions. In this unscripted conversation with Elena Barenghi, she gave an inside look into her life, work, inspiration, and more.

In the picture is a mural Elena was commissioned by the town of Noto in Sicily

Elena is a Switzerland-born interior designer who lives between New York and Noto. She has worked on multiple projects from a very young age, including interior design work for various flats in Megève in the French Alps; she has worked in fashion for CoSTUME NATIONAL. She has published a book of poems in English, French, and Italian ‘Il Sogno dell’Unicorno’ with Stampalternativa, a concept store ‘EM 72’, a Bed and Breakfast ‘Ruedarwin17’ in Brussels (Ruedarwin17 appears in various interior books and magazines in Europe and elsewhere), among other incredible works.

Interior design takes more than just throwing together some colours, materials and furniture. It takes harnessing that passion. What determined your passion for design? Tell us about when you decided this was the way to go.

I do not exactly remember when my passion for design began; I believe I was born with it. Since I can remember, I’ve always been compelled by beauty, by the urge to establish harmonious spaces all around me. I remember thinking when I was just 3 years old that my orange-coloured bathroom did not match the colour of my bedframe, which intensely annoyed me. So you could say that my research for perfection started at a young age, which led me to naturally dive into interior design and create my own projects.

A first passion project is always a memorable one. It becomes an imprint on your memory. I still recall mine, all the intrinsic details, how it all came together and the impact it had. I had to find out from Elena if she could recall her first design project, whether it was a gizmo she worked on as a little kid or something sold on a large scale.

My first project was a renovation of a few apartments in the French Alps. I wasn’t even 20 years old, and until then, I had only decorated the apartment I was living in, but I was confident in my abilities. The first step I tackled was the choice of colours. I wanted to choose colours that would respect the country’s landscape and history, so I started visualizing the French Alps. I thought about their nature, the shades of green I had seen, and all the nuances of browns and reds used for centuries to embellish traditional houses and costumes. I realized that I didn’t need to go far to create a cosy and harmonious place; I just had to get inspired by my surroundings. I did the same with the furniture and the fabrics, concentrating primarily on the textures and what feelings they would emit once touched and looked at. Little by little, the small details I was focusing on grew into two beautiful apartments, and they were sold shortly after. This is still how I approach all of my projects today, with more expertise and knowledge each time. I always look at creating a balance between the space, the colours, and the materials, with one specific objective: to create a home with a soul, a place of beauty and calmness where clients truly feel comfortable with themselves.

When I was introduced to Elena and her work, the contact shared some of her works with me, and she had the most beautiful design aesthetic. I, like many people, get very overwhelmed with the pictures we see on social media when we try to do it in our homes. I still haven’t locked down how I would describe my own aesthetic. I was curious to hear how Elena defined her aesthetic.

I am a woman with high standards, constantly learning and trying to evolve into a better version of herself. Although I know my sense of perfection isn’t easy to work with, it helps me create unique projects without the need to follow trends. I always follow my own intuition, and it has never failed me.

Building a career like yours must have had its ups and downs. Building such a name for yourself, what do you think was your biggest obstacle to overcome?

Since I am continuously learning and exploring new ideas, I am never fully satisfied with my projects. As the saying goes, the devil is in the details, and I always find ways I could have done better. But overall, I love my work because every project I develop has a piece of me in it and because I visualize every house I finish as a work of art full of emotions and memories.

We have some notable career experiences, some great and go down in the books, some not so much. We still take something from it, regardless. Is there a noteworthy experience that felt good for you?

I taught young adults for a program in Rome a few years ago. I tried to enhance the importance of creativity and originality so that on every project we worked on, each student would approach it in their own way and try to experiment as much as possible. Each student was different, and having the possibility to help them find their voice was very rewarding.

Any current projects you are working on that you might want to share? I am currently working on several things, including my own art, mainly focusing on paintings and drawings. I’ve had the opportunity to paint murals in public spaces, a type of art process I enjoy, and I plan to further experiment in various cities. I am also designing a collection of carpets, which I look forward to including in my future design projects! I am working on a new interior project, renovating an old stable I plan to turn into a house. I am right now designing the project.