After living and working in four capitals across three continents, Swiss born designer Nikki Kreis settled in London four years ago and opened her Kreisdesign studio near King’s Cross. There, she develops individualistic and humorous furniture pieces and home accessories made from plywood and other natural materials. Driven to create products that would enhance people’s lives, Nikki pays extra attention to ensure the functionality of her designs and high-quality of Kreisdesign homeware – it’s always carefully and locally crafted. The Holborn asked Nikki to describe her days in the studio and tell us more about the motivation behind Kreisdesign.
Could you please tell us a bit about yourself, Nikki?
I was born in Switzerland and trained as an interior architect at the EAAL School of Architecture. Throughout my life I have lived in London, Berlin, New York and Sydney, where I have worked in various architectural practices. I’ve also designed and developed furniture and interiors for hotels, fashion showrooms and residential spaces throughout Europe, Asia and the US.
How, where and when did Kreisdesign start?
I collected lots of ideas for products while working as an architect. Then, a few years ago – then still in Sydney – I rented a small studio where I started experimenting with product designs and different materials. In 2012 I decided to move to the city which I believed to be the centre of innovative design – London – and here I set up my design studio. Running the business is hard work and there are seldom any weekends when I don’t work, but I love it and it’s exactly where I want to be!
The journey so far had lots of ups and downs and it’s sometimes difficult to keep believing in your business. Being a one-woman show, doing everything – designing, making, dealing with the customers and running the day-to-day operations – can be tough, but I’m still very passionate about bringing new designs to the world. And the best part of it is when my customers tell me how much they love my products and how well they work!
What was the motivation behind it?
Over the years, working in architecture and interior design, I accumulated a large ideas book – it consisted of products and furniture that I wanted to get out into the world! So the moment came when I felt it was the right time to test those ideas and validate them by bringing them to life.
How does your standard day in the studio look like?
There are days that I spend mainly at the computer, but I also have so-called ‘production days’ which are spent in my workshop, making my designs. The days I enjoy most are the ones when I get to do a little bit of both. A lot of time is also spent on the phone, talking to manufacturers and suppliers, trying to find the best materials and processes for my products – this can sometimes be a long and winding road! There’s always at least one workshop or networking meeting per week where I meet fellow designers to share ideas and skills. I also go to yoga twice a week – it helps me switch off my mind and refocus, and it feels great to move my body after a day spent in front of a screen or at the workbench.
Could you briefly walk us through the process of creating an item of furniture for Kreisdesign, from coming up with the design to putting the final product onto the website?
An idea comes to mind whilst observing the world around me, for instance, looking at how people do things or handle objects. I examine how things work and consider ways to improve them. Likewise, a specific material sometimes triggers an idea. I always sketch ideas in my notebook and then develop them over time. I love to make prototypes, as well as working on new ideas in my woodworking & welding studio. After the prototype has been developed I make a small batch, photograph it and put in on my webshop. This is usually followed by PR actives and lots of social media posts.
You seem to work a lot with different types of wood. Any particular reason for that?
Actually. at the moment I work with only one type of wood – birch plywood – which I use in ‘natural’, ‘white faced’ or painted in various colours. I enjoy the simplicity of the ply and the graphic quality of the cut layers visible on the edges. It has a mid-century and Scandi feel to it, which I love.
Who are some of your favourite designers, manufacturers, brands?
Designers I like include Inga Sempe, Conran, Tom Dixon, Bethan Gray and many others. Some of my favourite brands are Vitra, Hay, and Another Country.
How does living in London influence your creativity?
For me, London is the design capital of the world – the reason I moved here in the first place! There’s so much happening here and one can always count on the support from various design associations and groups.
Any exciting plans for the near future?
I’m looking at (screen) printing on the plywood surfaces or testing out laser-cutting patterns into ply. I would love to collaborate with a surface pattern designer as well. I’m also looking at working with a new material – steel wire – formed by wire bending machines. Plus, I’ve been planning to cast a door handle I designed in bronze from a 3D print. So many things to do and not enough hours in the day.
Further information about Kreisdesign furniture can be found here.
Photo Credit for pegboard images: Yeshen Venema
Interview by Julia Tsilman