We are excited and proud to announce our new collaboration with Berlin-based interior designer Otto von Berlin. Coming soon, Gregor Drobnic and his French Bulldog Otto will be bringing us design inspiration, trends and tips from Otto’s Corner on DesignSpice.
We wanted to get to know Gregor and Otto a bit better and find out what inspires Otto von Berlin, what defines their interior design style and what we can look forward to from Otto’s Corner, so we met up with them for a little chat:
Take us back to the beginning… How did Otto von Berlin get started? How did you evolve?
“I moved to Berlin five years ago. It was quite a life-changing step for me – especially thinking about the impulse reaction that made me move to this great town. I just sold all my stuff I had left in Slovenia and took a train a couple of days later to start a position in an Interior Design office. But I couldn’t stay there for long – I had the urge to be my own boss and realise my own great ideas. So, I founded Otto von Berlin in September 2013. I started off being a ‘Personal Furniture Shopper’. I pretty much helped my clients to personalise their homes and public spaces. Shortly after a publication on my work in The Tagesspiegel, I got a call from my first client to create her new space she just bought close to Viktoriapark. That was my kick-starter to what I became now. I had many changes in my life and changes are a good thing – but one thing I never want to lose in the midst of it all: my authenticity and my own darker style of Interior Design.”
How would you define Otto von Berlin’s working style?
“One sentence that defines my working style pretty accurately: “Don’t be afraid of darker colours”. I love to use darker colours and mix them with softer materials. Especially my so-called ‘Dark Scandinavian’ style is what I have worked with the most. Dark coloured metals, mixed with light-coloured wood, to make it cosy but a bit rougher and edgier. I like to use industrial elements and use them in places you would usually not expect them.”
Otto is Chief Inspiration Officer, but what inspires Otto? Where does he get his inspiration?
“As easy as it sounds, he derives his inspiration from everyday life. Usually, Otto and I are going for a walk through town and cross some new spaces that we like and where we get new ideas. Especially in a metropolis like Berlin, a city that changes its image so quickly and is so vibrant, you can never run out of new designs. One can find a great idea at (almost) every corner. After our inspirational walk, we sit down together in the most comfortable couch possible and let our bodies and mind sink in and start thinking.”
What is your dream project? What kind of interior would you love to get the chance to design?
“I have always dreamed of designing an apartment hotel. It’s a big challenge, but the variety of designs you can create in that space is near-endless. I would give each room a different identity: Vintage, Chic, Cosy, Arty. But all of them would have a common theme: Otto von Berlin Style. After doing projects in Milan, Prague and Vienna, I would like to build something in Paris. Especially after our visit to the Maison et Objet, I can’t get this idea out of my head, to design something that is inspired by those French bistros, restaurants – just Paris in general. I think I found a new obsession.”
What made you want to work with DYH?
“As I told you before, I started off being a ‘Personal Furniture Shopper’. This is where Design Your Home comes in and complements my idea of personalising one’s home or a public space. Together we can take the idea of customising a space on an online platform and help the client put together an unforgettable interior design.”
What can we look forward to from Otto’s Corner on DesignSpice?
“Well, Otto is my muse, my source of inspiration. So, you can definitely expect to be learning from an expert. He likes to share his ideas on Interior Design with others. Believe me or not, he is a true handyman. Thus, you can look forward to some helpful tips on how to give your furniture a customised touch, the newest trends in Interior Design (like from the Maison et Objet), and he especially likes to teach. What’s a rendering? Why is it important to do a 3D-presentation of your future space beforehand? How do you arrange your perfect room? There are plenty of ideas in his head. If I know one thing for sure, you won’t get bored.”
We’re very pleased to welcome Gregor, Otto and their team on board DYH! Stay tuned for much more with Otto von Berlin from Otto’s Corner on DesignSpice!
Picture source: Featured image and all interior images by David Nassim of fizzfoto.eu; Otto close-up by Urs Kuckertz Photography
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