LÁZARO ROSA-VIOLÁN

Lázaro Rosa-Violán describes himself as an ‘urban archaeologist’ and ‘style hunter’. Although he studied the Fine Arts, his ability to conceive interiors is instinctual. His first project (a restaurant) was carried out in the Balearic Island of Ibiza in 1990 and in 2003 he established Contemporain, on the premise that very few bars and restaurants were executed whereby interior design, lighting, ambiance and food worked together to make a coherent whole. “The interior designer is an actor“, he has stated. “He must dress up and change roles, understand new identities and integrate them with his own.”

His ability to re-interpret design icons, culturally-aware sense of aesthetics and technical knowledge has resulted in an impressive portfolio. Rosa-Violán’s mise en scènes create a sense of luxury and timelessness. Every detail, be it furniture, textiles or wall art converge together naturally, resulting in harmonious interiors that stand out for their ease of use and concise visual language.

today’s cluttered marketplace, clear and succinct branding is vital. Unique identities are not achieved by vision alone. With this in mind, Contemporain offers a complete service, from initial concept to revision and implementation of structural changes to your locale to bespoke design and merchandising elements and corporate graphic design. From our studio in Barcelona, Contemporain has created over 40 distinguishing interiors for some of Spain’s most successful restaurants, boutique hotels and retails establishments, from 100-room hostelries to a micro food shop.

Lázaro Rosa-Violán leads Contemporain’s eight-strong team of industrial, interior and graphic designers. Our combination of technical ability, knowledge of design culture (both past and present) and ability to interpret our client’s needs is our raison d’ être. Together, we aim to create rich and beautiful interiors that, although meticulously contrived, carry an air of ‘lived-in’ spontaneity. This, we believe, creates a harmonious setting for our clients’ vision, and, in turn, one that their clients will wish to return to again and again.

Melbourne warehouse

Be inspired by silk-lined walls, glossy floors and glamorous fabrics

Diane Bergeron blends the approach of SoHo loft living with technicolour hues, vivd patterns and vintage elegance in her Melbourne home.

The textile designer, originally from New York, moved to Australia with her Aussie husband Peter in 2004 and bought a run-down warehouse in the Collingwood area.

'It was totally raw when we found it – no electricity, heating or plumbing,' says Diane. 'But it gave us the chance to create spaces that felt generous and floodlit, without being cold and sterile.'

As well as being the ultimate live/work space, it's a functional, flexible family home. Diane is able to manage her interiors business from a specially-designed office/showroom on the first floor, while the upstairs space can be low-lit and sensual for jazz and Martinis in the evenings.

Cool, calm renovation

Photographer Paul Massey's latest house project…

Paul Massey's house has had quite a year. Bought by the photographer – whose name you may have seen in Livingetc magazine – last summer, it has gone through a classic ugly duckling transformation from a poky collection of nondescript, neutral rooms to an open-plan, pure-white wonder. Despite the property's initial shortcomings, Paul knew 'it had the shape and the space, even though it was all divided up wrongly'. And his vision, combined with project coordinator Mark Lewis's expertise, was enough to set that straight.

A veteran of house renovations (this is his 10th), Paul knew what he was getting into. 'I allowed twice as long as the builders said and I added another 50 per cent to their original quote,' he explains. 'If you start with a realistic idea, everything is less stressful.' But as this was the largest project he'd undertaken, the house was still a challenge. 'In the past, I've tackled rooms one at a time, but with this place I did it all at once,' he says. That meant several weeks of no hot water, no electricity and no floor to stand on. Fortunately, Paul had a secret weapon to see him through the tough times: a Sixties VW campervan.

The plan was to head for the hills (well, the Continent, actually) while the worst of the work took place. So Paul and his 10-year-old daughter, Daisy, took off for a five-week adventure, leaving the builders to get cracking. They collected various treasures along the way – sidra glasses in Spain ('for about 10p each'), all sorts of enamelware from France and, naturally, plenty of photographs.

In fact, the only downside of the trip was when they got back to London and discovered the building work had only just begun. Time to get back in the van, then.

Space Magazines: DYD Argentina: www.dyd.com.ar

With 25 years of experience in the magazine publishing market DYD is our leading magazine, is a careful edition with a photo quality ecxelente that exposes the best interior of Argentina and the world, the lid is presented without holders, which gives you a feeling of being more a book than a magazine, has a bi-monthly publication, and is on display in homes los architects, interior designers and decoration enthusiasts as a true trophy. Congratulations DYD for 25 more years.

Glam-rock attic apartment

Cookery writer Laura Santtini's daring London flat...

Laura Santtini is a cookery writer whose passion for food is equal to her love for creating a warm and welcoming home. The interior of her home is a daring mix of unexpected ingredients that surprises and delights at every turn. Ethnic rugs sit alongside glamorous mirrors, contemporary furniture mixes with antique finds, and pop art is placed next to family heirlooms. 'I guess my cooking is about throwing flavours together to deliver bursts of taste where you least expect them,' she says. And the same is true of her home, which she shares with her partner, children and dog.

Laura's passion for food was passed down from her Venetian hotelier grandmother and her parents, who founded Santini in Belgravia – famed for being Frank Sinatra's favourite London restaurant. Laura ran it for a while after her father retired, but now she takes a back seat, concentrating on cookery writing and consultancy. Naturally, entertaining at home is an important part of her life, but it's more likely to be a chaotic family affair than a sophisticated soiree. Or when friends pop round she'll whip up a pasta or risotto dish.

Now Laura has turned a lifetime's knowledge of food into her first book, Easy Tasty Italian, based on combining unexpected flavours to create 'magical flavour bombs'. 'I call it alchemy,''she says, 'putting good ingredients together and producing something that's more than the sum of its parts.' The same could be said of her home.