About

Making a House your Home
Interview with Regina Astahova
Riga, some times in August

We’re meeting Regina-Maria Astahova, an interior designer with over a decade of experience behind her, to talk about her love for finding harmony in every project, her passion for precision and the confidence in her profession that she has gained by following her own rules. We’re meeting in a trendy cafe in downtown Riga; she enters wearing a simple black and white dress, and brings along the air that immediately puts you in a getting things done mode. 

Regina-Maria: You can see it on my company’s logo — the wind-powered generator. I could meditate on them, you know, this is how much I love them. They produce energy out of wind, it’s like getting something out of thin air. Isn’t it fascinating?    

Regina orders an Americano. “Make it on the lighter side, please,” she adds with a smile. It’s all about precision and details.

Copywriter: You put on your card “interior projects and other art” — what do you mean by that?
R: Clients come to me with all kinds of projects. It can be an A to Z interior design project, it can be one technical part of it or just the fittings. Sometimes people need only a consultation when they are in the process of buying a flat or a house or when seeking ideas for renovating or redecorating. And sometimes they come to me when they happen to hit a dead-end with their ongoing interior design project. This is what I call “other arts”.
Usually these are very challenging non-standard tasks with super short deadlines. There is a problem, not to say a total mess, and I have to make it right like a ninja (laughs). At the same time, “other arts” refer to my side projects, like the school of art photography that I ran between 2009–2015.

C: Your studio was previously known as Lietišķās mākslas laboratorija..
R: R: Yes, I established my own interior design practice under this name in 2011. I had worked for interior design studios and as a freelancer before that, but then I finally realised that I needed to set out on my own in order to work and follow my own rules. I love freedom in my professional choices and transparency in the relationships with my clients. Working for a company which gives a motivation to sell this or that piece of furniture will always stand in the way of these values. I went away from that years ago and have never looked back! So LMLab became my statement — here we do things like in a lab, uniting creativity with a systematic approach inspired by science. 
Every little detail has a reason — if I place a sofa like that, it is not because “I like it”, but because it creates a perfect balance within the interior composition
“Laboratory” also referred to the fact that there was a lot of other things going on: we were coaching young photographers, I was teaching colour and composition. But in 2019 I have decided that I need to focus on what I love most, take a step forward and put my own name on the front line. My work is my brand — it has always been like that, and now I need to own it.     

C: How has your education influenced your approach to work?
R: I am proud that I actually have an classical education in design. My father is an artist, so entering the Art Academy of Latvia to follow his footsteps was a natural choice. However, after a year I realised that I am more of a hands-on person, so I transferred to interior design in the Riga College of Design and Architecture.  

C: How has your education influenced your approach to work? 
R: I see interior design as a precise and definite sphere. For me, there are no “maybes” in the array of choices that I offer my clients. And I am ready to justify each of them. Basically, each interior is based on layouts and blueprints; it is built on precision. I have a very good ability to measure by eye too — no flaw has the chance to go unnoticed when I’m supervising the works!

C: Do you mean you follow your work down to the last detail?
R: If a client needs that, then yes, of course. There was a case when I saw a client just three times before they moved into the newly renovated and decorated apartment. In such cases, I take care of everything, including a general cleaning after all the work is finished. But then there are clients who will want to participate and be in control, which is also totally fine with me. 

C: Do you think the owner should be more involved in arranging their own home?
R: I always leave space for a client to choose some things on their own. I even try to talk them into it. Such involvement, like choosing towels and soapboxes, for example, is important to make their place feel like home.   

C: Are there any styles in interior design that you prefer? Or ones that you would never work in?
R: I can work in any style and with any budget — for me, the client’s preferences are what matters. Usually the whole project starts from just one detail. It can be something that is already there, like an antique cocklestove, a set of furniture or black modern windowboards. It often sets the tonality which we go with throughout the whole project. And then, of course, there is the layout. 

C: Do you have a favourite project so far?
R: I am usually in love with the project I’m currently working on, no matter if it involves full interior design or just a mood-board for a consultation! For example, I have just finished a project for a huge family house in Barcelona without visiting the place once! It was very interesting work for some regular clients. I can’t wait to see the photos!  

The interview was conducted by Copywriter for ASTAHOVA INTERIORS website.