Interior Design

Simplicity, Comfort, and Modesty in Interior Design for Historical Buildings

An Interview with Fereydon Ave · Photos: Habibeh Majdabadi · Memar 21 · Summer 2003

Memar Publishing in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Organization’s Pardisan Project has announced a competition for interior design of restored historical buildings. We sought the opinion of Fereydon Ave, the Iranian interior designer, painter, and virtuoso.

It is good to first point out a general problem in our country, one that is far more severe regarding interior design. We do not pay attention to the importance and role of specialization and specialists. Everywhere, when building construction is discussed, a complete team works together including the architectural designer, structural engineer, and interior designer. It is not meant for one person to provide only the architectural plan, another to build it, and then the client’s relative to come furnish it according to their own taste. Unfortunately, this is how things currently work here. We do not even have an interior design degree program.

I recently had an experience in this regard. I was invited to furnish the building of a famous architect. Then that same architect complained about why I hadn’t consulted with him. The proper way is for everyone to work together from the very first plan. This has been done for important buildings since ancient times — at the Palace of Versailles, the names of all designers are recorded.

The Italian Approach

Interior design for restored buildings is different because the architecture already exists. The Italians have taken the most beautiful old buildings and, with minimal changes, adapted them for twenty-first-century use. They went straight to the heart of the matter. They allowed the gap between the twenty-first century and the seventeenth century to show itself. Sometimes they made repairs so clearly that it was obvious what was original and what was restored. They placed the most modern furniture, chairs, and lamps to clearly show the gap between centuries.

They accepted that today’s people are twenty-first-century people and there is no need to imitate fourth- or fifth-century furniture. Making a computer desk in a fourth-century style is meaningless.

The Italian Approach

Principles for the Competition

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