At Home With: Swantje x Reform

7 Apr

The German graphic designer and illustrator Swantje Hinrichsen has a distinct, playful identity as a creator – you may recognise her from her quirky typography, or HER adorable fascination with drawing googly eyes on different objects. As she paired up with the Danish interior creatives Reform while sprucing up her Münster apartment, we were able to take a sneak peek into the artist’s home and find out with it means to her.

What are some of the factors you consider when choosing/designing furniture for your home?

The first five factors are most definitely:

Design
Craftsmanship
The history of the brand
Material
Functionality

And then there is colour. I think I’m very conceptual when it comes to choosing furniture, like I’m in my daily work as a graphic designer. I do a lot of research and create moodboards before buying a piece of furniture.

What does home mean to you?

I used to say that my home is my «filling» station. I’ve once read an article about another person being highly sensitive and she said that she can load her batteries and fill up on energy when she just IS at home. It’s the same with me. I don’t have to do much: just be at home, rearrange something here and there, put up another art piece, read some magazines … and I’m totally calm and relaxed. It’s like meditation to me.

My daily life is packed with so much stuff, my head is always full with chaos – I strongly need calmness and serenity at home.

““ My interior style is very graphic, serene and bold. I love craftsmanship,artisan ceramics and the colourconcepts we have in every room. The dining room is painted in a moody green and I always feel like being in a forest while having breakfast. It immediately calms me down…””

— Swantje

Tell us a bit more about the colour palette you’ve chosen for the apartment.

I like the fact that we have different colours on our walls in almost every room. On our first floor we have no doors between the kitchen, dining and living room, so I tried to “separate” the rooms with paint.

Choosing colours is a very intuitive process for me, I always ask myself how I want to feel in a room. Do I want to feel calm? Do I need energy or serenity? The dark green of the dining room does just that. The hallways are really colourful, as I want to be filled with happiness and brightness when leaving or entering the house.

Is your personality as an artist reflected in your interiors, or do you keep those separate?

It absolutely is. For me it goes hand in hand, hundred percent.

Are there any other projects you’d like to work on in collaboration with Reform in the future, and why?

Oh yes, I’ve been dreaming of a Reform kitchen for years. My top one is «MATCH» by one of my favourite designers Muller van Severen. My previous kitchen often appeared a bit untidy due to its open shelves and cupboards, so I wanted to have nice, calming fronts with a pleasant surface for the high cupboards, which is precisely why I chose Reform. The mushroom colour of the doors simply blends in perfectly with the overall picture, and I am super happy with this decision.