Born in Germany but now based in Brussels, Victoria-Maria Geyer knew from a young age that she wanted to be an interior designer and architect. As a little girl she always moved her bedroom furniture around, which used to drive her mom crazy. She later started working as an apprentice in a small interior design company in Brussels, but she knew that she wanted to create her own interior design firm, so in 2008 she started Victoria-Maria Interior Design. It began very small as she was only working on decoration and interior design at first. The firm quickly expanded and today they are also working on everything from high-end interior architectural projects to full renovations. Fearless in mixing and matching styles and periods, Victoria-Maria has a style all her own that clients seek out for its originality and eclecticism.
We were thrilled to speak with Victoria-Maria to hear about what inspires her.
You are known for your eclectic style and in the way you mix styles and periods. How do you combine this with the expectations of your clients?
My clients come to me as they know I will bring originality to their project. I create around the pieces of furniture that my clients and I fall in love with. The beauty is in the item and in the furniture itself. If the piece of furniture inspires me, I put it in the project and I will find something that works around it. I am not afraid of mixing periods. Finding a way to incorporate and highlight in a contemporary project an antique piece of furniture that belongs to my clients is exactly what I find very interesting and exciting about my job. The idea is always to create something very personal for the client, something unique. I feel that an interior has personality when it is not mainstream, when you don’t follow one specific trend, one specific way of doing. That is why I think it is very important to have a thorough knowledge of furniture history and to be able to work with different periods and beautifully mix and match different styles and epochs.
Vicky project
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from quiet, mundane and random things. I can see something in a magazine, not specifically a design magazine, any kind of book or picture that I see. Recently, I went to a perfume shop, and I saw a very beautiful perfume bottle. It immediately inspired me to design a small side table. When I see something and it immediately strikes me, I instantly know that it is a good thing for me to use in this or that project.
What would be your best decoration advice?
My best advice would be not to be afraid. Very often my clients are afraid of doing too much, or of getting tired of a color or of a pattern. They would usually choose to tone it down and to go for something lighter, less present.
Diane project
What exciting new artisans/interior design items have you recently discovered?
For the moment I am very into Brazilian design. It is not new, but I am very interested in it. I also like Portuguese design from the beginning of this century and the end of the 20th century that is found in the United States. For example, I love the Portuguese and Spanish influences that you can find in Los Angeles.
How important is craftsmanship to you and how do you integrate it into your creative process?
Since we work on high-end projects, craftsmanship is of course extremely important to me and my design firm. We work with fantastic craftsmen who really master their art and their work.
I think Par Excellence is a fantastic organization and the way you promote your artisans and craftsmanship the way you do is really a necessity these days.
Can you please describe your favorite interior design project?
My favorite project is a post-modern house where we only did organic shapes, so nothing has an edge. Everything is round from the furniture to the carpets and there is a super large window. It is a very 70s inspired interior with warm tones. I am excited to have this project photographed very soon.
What is next for you? Do you have any upcoming projects?
We have a lot of wonderful upcoming projects. What I am most excited about is that we will soon be launching our own online shop where we will be selling our home design furniture. We have 10 prototypes at the moment.
Discover all of Victoria-Maria’s projects on her Instagram account, where she also shares many behind the scenes photos and videos, @v_i_c_t_o_r_i_a_m_a_r_i_a, and on her website (link here)
Valentine project