Firm/Studio Name
Hedon Designs
How did you come up with the name of your studio?
We wanted the studio to have a name that represents our thinking in terms of design. Designing spaces and experiencing well-designed spaces brings on a certain kind of happiness and pleasure and that’s how we came up with the name Hedon. Hedon is a unit of pleasure used to theoretically weigh people’s happiness.
What determined your passion for design? Tell us about the moment when you decided this is the way to go.
” When I was a kid I received a pamphlet of a luxury cruise. The pamphlet had pictures of the interiors and I was wonderstruck. It was beautiful! I tried to imagine what it would be like to be in a space that looked like that. This was in grade 9 and I did part of my schooling in Dubai. I loved art and anything that was related. I enquired about what I needed to study to pursue this field. Luckily a relative of mine was working in an interior design studio in Dubai. I visited the office and the designers there and asked them how things worked and they showed me the projects they did. That’s when I knew, this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life” – Nile
What kind of projects were you doing when you first started as a designer?
We were involved in small residential projects and home renovations during our initial stage of practising design.
What field of design are you most interested in?
We love both interior and architectural design. But designing spaces that are unique and creates conversation is something that we are interested in.
What is your favourite book/magazine on design? How about your favourite site?
Most definitely the Architectural Digest. We could get lost in them. We always feel the next site after a project is handed over would be our favourite. We love them all!
What is your Signature Style?
We love the rustic aesthetics. There’s a certain kind of perfection in imperfect places.
However, we don’t have a signature style and like to experiment with different styles according to our client brief.
What inspires you to thrive in this industry? Which piece of architecture inspires you the most.
The completed project after handing over and the client’s reaction to the spaces are the best. It makes all that we go through during the project worthwhile. We love ancient Greek and Roman architecture, especially ancient Gothic structures. However, we try to derive inspiration from our surroundings and not limit it to something singular.
From your point of view, is design an art or a science?
Design is a combination of both art and science. Neither of them single-handedly can be called design. Science because every design needs precision for it to function well, art because when, whatever functions well are aesthetic it has a different feel that cannot be explained by mere words alone.
If you had no limits (money, resources), what would you create?
If money wasn’t a barrier we would love to create environments that benefit all living beings and try to make creations that would reverse the ongoing climate change crisis. We want to make spaces that connect people and other living beings without barriers and bring harmony.
What advice do you have for young designers or architects reading this interview?
Passion is the way to go! If you aren’t passionate about this field, do not pursue architecture or design. This field requires a lot of hard work and a lot of your time. The only thing that could encourage you to go on is your passion. Where there is passion there is dedication and where there is dedication, there is magnificence. Travel! Travel inspires you to design in ways you cannot imagine.