Interviews with Zarysy Jan Sekuła

Top Of The Lake is a perfect example of my design philosophy and values. The interior is shaped by a really strong composition of perfectly intersecting blocks, structures, textiles and colors. Dark tones greatly contrast with wood veneers giving a super cozy vibe. While the trends promote bright and white dominated interiors, I’m showing that dark toned spaces can be wonderfully soft and cozy and build an outstanding atmosphere. The proximity of a lake, super-thin frame windows and a rich palette of materials created a bond between the house and nature outside. All of this in a very modern and fresh form with mid-century references giving a bit of twist. The essence of the design are the dividers, not solid walls, but floor, wall and ceiling shapes - they separate spaces, but at the same time connect them to create one consistent design.
This connection between shapes is extremely important. Its details deserve a really close look. This type of design – which highlights the consistency between all the surfaces of the house – demands an unusual precision in both design and build execution. The connection between furniture, steel, floors etc. is just like an art piece. Especially if we consider the scale of the house and the fact that sometimes one piece of furniture goes through several spaces. It’s not an easy, straightforward design. It deserves a close up look, focus on details, inter-piece connections and references. It’s like a big piece of complicated furniture itself.

I think its purpose has been fulfilled, it houses a happy family.
For me as a designer it will be a beautiful sample of my skills and style.

It was about two months to design this house interior, then another 1,5 months to convert the 3d concept to construction plans.

Well whenever you have to deal with a private investor the most important thing is to satisfy their needs. Usually my concept needs to fit investors' vision. In this instance I have a huge luck to meet people who have a tremendous trust in my taste and gave me free rein. There are always a lot of inspirations moving around in my head and they just pop-up in the design process. Usually I avoid one leading theme to be dominant because the mix of the ideas and styles is the most satisfying for me.

Well this question rather doesn't fit the “interior design” category, but not necessarily. My designs usually rely heavily on custom designed furniture. Although built in pieces are interior dependent, there are also a lot of free standing furniture being designed to fit a particular project. Those are dining tables, coffee tables, cupboards, side tables, beds, desks, lightning pieces and sometimes sofas. Those are, for now, project dependent and can be built only based on interior design construction plans, but in the long term I don't dismiss the idea of starting my own furniture brand.

Well I feel that interior design is the perfect middle point between art and engineering, and this really fits my personal skills. Art itself is way too indefinite and architecture is filled with bureaucracy. Hence the interior design is a perfect compromise between those two.

Yes, many of them, but I’m not into any particular one. For me it’s usually hard to find anyone whose works continuously fit my taste. Portals like Pinterest are most inspirational for me, there I can find works of so many designers from all over the world and gather just a bunch of single pictures which contains the whole “feeling” I’m looking for. This is how my design got influenced.

Well I would say that everyone. This may sound like a cheap comercial, but if you need a modern, unique and cozy home I can help! As I mentioned before - the quality of life is highly dependent on the quality of our surroundings, in the post-covid era of the home office our homes become an even more important factor in our well being. In my pure belief, every place can be a design marvel, it’s just a matter of will.

First of all - the attention to details. Second - the design methodology. Third - the warmth. Many modern interior designers focus on particular parts of the space, this wall or that wall or this or that view. Interior is a 3d space so we shouldn't look at it like in 2d space. Its 3d properties gives us, the designers, huge opportunities to build, reshape and recreate the space in a new shape. This lets us fix the space issues, highlight the most important parts and hide the less desired ones. This is exactly my workflow. I'm using colors, textures and fabrics to reshape the house, fix its downsides and reveal the beauty side of it.
The detailing job in between connections of materials, finishes and elements is crucial, I’m putting a lot of energy to make every connection and conversion seamless and smooth. Just like perfectly fitted elements in a car dashboard. Last but not least is the personal style, warm and cozy, yet intriguing and eye-catching. I want to create spaces which are like artworks, functional but also perfectly designed and crafted. I think the combination of those three sets my design aparts from the rest.

Top of the lake - this one is really simple - the house is built on the small hill over the lake. The title also resembles the one from a TV show - so everyone can find their own interpretation.

I begin with measurements of the house, then I’m using Autodesk Autocad to build a plan and design the interior layout. Layout then got imported to Autodesk 3d Studio Max, where all the designing took place. After finishing the concept I’m rendering using Corona Renderer. Renderings let the investor fully understand the concept, so they are in my opinion very important. After approval the 3d model is recreated in Autocad as a construction plan.

I think it’s a personal style. Also I’m a computer graphic hobbyist, so the presentation of the projects are top notch. This and the above mentioned personal style helped me to get where I am now. Regarding the style - it's in some sense minimalistic, but not empty and cold but rather warm and inviting. I love the colors so every project has its leading tones. Also I’m a huge fan of mixing the styles, our architectural heritage is enormous and so we should draw as much as we can.

Yes, there are people responsible for MEP and HVAC, construction workers, the architect, but the most important one is carpenter, he is responsible for fixed and free standing furniture including steel and fabric elements. Most of the decisions and details have to be talked through with the carpenter team. They are also responsible for some technical solutions which are crucial for design.

I think it’s huge, mainly to build it. From the measurements, through 3d modeling, rendering, preparing construction plans to building it using CNC machines and other techniques. It’s all based on technology, without it we won't be able to make it possible.

No, not at all. The only research needed for this design is technical research including stuff like hanging stairs or a hanging tree house in the child room. Or more detailed stuff as research on TV hiding equipment, leds or HVAC solutions.

House layout wasn’t perfect, so I made some functional and aesthetic corrections. Most of the changes focus on bringing more air, making rooms more spacious or e.g.. to showcase the staircase.
The entrance hall is like a house introduction. It should be exciting and welcoming, but also simple enough to be instantly familiar. The excitement was guaranteed with exposed stairs and a glass door showing the boutique style garage. The redesigned layout gives me wide opportunities, but it also brings a challenge – how to avoid chaos and harmonize the space. Garage finished in dark tones has a perfect separation from the hall, the low key tone also enhances the custom lighting on the ceiling. The stairs as the main focal point were also highlighted by the terrazzo floor. Their construction has been a unique task – the multiplicity of solid oak poles arrayed in mathematical perfection create a smooth, minimal design with a solid and steady construction.
The house has a really small and crowded kitchen and dining area. Both spaces have to be rotated by 90 degrees. Rearranged space for kitchen and dining created a small coffee lounge, a deep green plank ceiling highlights this whole area. While the ceiling integrates spaces, the floor distinguishes them by function. Zigzag shaped textile louvers between kitchen and dining hides construction pillar, yet with rotating abilities they serve as open/close divider.
Daughter room is quite spacious, but the downside was the main window sill of 120cm height which is way too high for a child. Properties of this space have been an inspiration to create a three level structure like a tree house. Ground level serves as study, second floor with storage nooks under poufs serves as a playground. Finally on the third floor we have a little bedroom with a night sky ceiling. The intention was to create an unusual environment to match children's creativity and accommodate a 3 year old kid as well as 18 y.o. teenager.
Construction has also been challenging - the stairs have been built but extremely talented craftsmen, they are completely floating design, nothing touches the ground. Daughters' hanging bed in tree house style was also very demanding in terms of construction. I want it to be thin and optically light which only makes the task harder. We figured out that the small ladder could serve as a construction element with the help of roof beams and thick walls behind it. We make it possible. Near the coffee corner in the kitchen we have a liquor glass case with curved glass. This one was also a headache, mostly because it’s really hard to find glassworks which can make elements this small in size.

Well, this was one of my favorite projects, when it was built and I saw how much work the inversors put in to make it look exactly like the renderings I knew I had to find a top notch photographer and take a photoshoot. I really think this interior deserves some attention, I hope competitions like this one can greatly help to access a world wide audience.

This design was quite bold, the huge green ceiling, futuristic garage and sculptured daughter room are some of many daring decisions I made during the design process. It was exciting but also scary, because in the end the investor could say yes but also this could be a big no. Fortunately their answer was a huge yes and every project like this, where you push your boundaries and get approval gives you more and more confidence to design even more unique and surprising things.

Yup - let’s all try to switch to reusable energy, recycle our trash, be kind and make the world a better place. Design was created just for this reason - to make the world a better place. No matter if you are a designer or not, you can and should try to fulfill this mission. Peace out!

The company has more of a craftsmanship character, rather than a standard architecture office. I’m preparing only a few designs a year - as the quality of design in my opinion - should always go before the quantity. The company goal is to craft personalized spaces with great attention to details in contemporary, warm and cozy style. Essentially, to create HOME.

Well It’s probably a perfect marriage between form and function. A beautiful combination of technical and esthetic properties. While we can see art as a pure aesthetic and engineering as a pure technical, I think the design is entitled to have both. We are very lucky that someone found this word, because it’s not only an adjective, it’s also a promise. A promise of a wonderful future, a beautiful one, a future filled with exciting forms in our everyday life. It’s a promise of living in a nice flat, walking through aesthetic streets and working in a friendly environment. While art inspires us and engineering allows us to build super advanced structures everyday people rarely touch those two. This is why design is so important, because it affects everyone and everyone can experience it and most importantly - it can make our life a little bit more pleasant and enjoyable, better.

I’m usually working on residential design, sometimes on landscape design and architecture. They all have their pros and cons. Cracking a modern, almost too small, apartment layout is really rewarding, but on the other hand a spacious modern family house gives some space and place for a more experimental approach. I guess it’s equal, but the most wonderful moment in designing is when everything is done in 3d and the rendering phase starts. It’s like advancing from a sketch to an almost finished painting. It’s really rewarding and almost addicting.

The one I’m working on right now. It’s a joke of course but, there is a bit of truth in it. I’m looking at my previous works and I really like them, but the feeling is never so strong as for the last design I’m working on.

I think it’s wood - oak, ash and pine. Wood is really a natural wonder, it has one of the most beautiful patterns in the world and it’s all natural.

That’s a hard one, I think when I’m absolutely relaxed, physically and mentaly. When I know I have all the time I need. But this only happens when I have a vision about the design I’m currently working on. In the very early stages of design I imagine what feeling the interior should have, and this feeling accompanies me in the whole process. So when the ‘feeling’ is here and the ‘mood’ also, this is the time for designing!

I don’t know if I can answer the question like this. Because I rarely compromise any elements of design, I think that firstly there is a form which has to work with funcion. Next we need to work out details and technicals. All those 4 are almost equal. Of course sometimes something can be a little bit harder to build, but in exchange it is better looking.
In the other approach to this question I can say that my designs rely heavily on custom designed freestanding and built-in furniture. I design shelving systems, tables, coffee tables and sometimes poufs and sofas. In conclusion, my interior compositions are based on custom elements rather than built around a specific furniture piece.

Well, it probably won't be a shock for anyone, but quite sometime it’s just stress. When designing for a specific person, everyone has their expectations. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you can miss it. As mentioned before my designs are custom made, to design a 120m2 flat I need about two months, so every miss in client design expectations is quite harmful. Of course it’s just a half of the truth, every project end is also euphoric and self fulfilling. As well as every finished construction and happy client. So really this job is quite an emotional rollercoaster, maybe not for everyone, but surely for me.

I always say: ”no matter how good the rendering looks, the real thing will be better” and this is really true. Seeing a perfectly finished interior is really an outstanding experience. It takes a lot of work besides the project itself, it needs a talented craftsman with tremendous imagination. The final effect concludes a ton of work of many talented people and this is wonderful.

Well I think it really depends on your target. In my instance I think it’s the atmosphere of the interiors. I love cozy and warm places with a bit of fun, a twist. This is my signature and I think this is what my clients expect.

I can’t help myself and start with aesthetics. If an object is regarded as “design” in the first place it has to have the look, because if it’s not looking good, then why bother to call it “design” and figure out the function. If the visuals are good then comes function because good design has to have both.

Well, the greatest responsibility is to build a better future, easier, more beautiful, more empathetic and more aware of ourselves and of the planet we live on.

Well, as mentioned before design is a merger of aesthetics and function, in today's world a good amount of that lies in software design, in apps of our phones etc. I think that the future will bring an even broader connection between software and everyday objects. Just like Tesla did with a car, it’s not a car anymore it’s like a cellphone on wheels. So I guess the future is to extend the function of objects by software.

There is a lot of stuff on the internet, pinterest is a wonderful place to look for inspiration, but I guess that besides things we look at, there are also things that inspire us subconsciously, like the place we live etc. My style changed radically after living in a modern/art deco tenement house.

I don’t think there is a certain name for my style. My main focus is to create warm places, cozy interiors where people feel secure and comfy. It’s usually a mix of minimalism with mid century modern style and a bit of asian twist. I love to use colors and divide spaces by introducing multiple textures and finishes. Those elements can create invisible barriers between functions in the house but at the same time connect them into a one big art piece -a seamless and engaging interior composition - simple enough to be instantly familiar but also interesting enough to be worth exploring.

I live in Poland and I have never thought about this way before. I’m sure that there are things which subconsciously enter into my mind, but I’m not aware of them. I’m also not fond of any particular Polish historical heritage, although I go along really well with world architecture heritage. Everything new is based on something already done, and the past centuries has done so much that we have a giant pot of ideas to draw from. The huge advantage of living in Poland is the modern culture here, people really want to live in nice places so the interior design market is huge. Thanks to that there are materials and brands from all over the world available here. Sometimes it’s easier to get something here than it is in Italy or Great Britain. On the flip side there is a big gap between us and our neighboring European countries in the average citizen's financial situation. Which is of course reflected in the design process.

Well I think there is a simple answer - portfolio.

Sure, My main goal is not the quantity but the quality. Every project is done by me, personally. For every project concept stage I reserve 8 weeks, projects are done one by one, avoiding overlapping. In one year I work on about 6 projects. This way I can have all the time I need to fully uncover the potential of the space. It also gives me the peace of mind essential to the thoughtful design process.
Every design starts with an idea or maybe rather with a feeling. I’m trying to interpret and decode this mood, transfer it into shapes and colors, furniture and lighting. Create a composition piece by piece to fit the initial feeling. In my opinion interior design has many layers and each one needs to be perfected to get a wonderful final effect. Layout – the most obvious, a functional spine. Space dividers and shapes – it makes the space clear, easy for our eyes and mind, understandable. It can make the interior calming or exciting. Color schemes – the soul of the project, they create atmosphere, bring life. Details – the last part which let the owners to appreciate every piece of the project – wood work, steel work. To take care of every little detail, I’m designing almost every piece of furniture – dining tables, low tables etc.

First of all, be prepared for hard work and overtime. Designer has to be an artist, an engineer, a software specialist and sometimes a psychologist, so there is a lot to learn, but it’s worth it!

It’s quite a noble occupation, people admire your work, that's really wonderful. We can see how our imagination streams into things in real life, real objects and even buildings that’s beautiful. On the other hand this comes with a great responsibility, often people have huge expectations about our work which makes every project a challenge. In the long run this can be really tiring.

Never put the toilet in front of the entrance! No, no I’m joking of course, I think my golden rule is in fact golden ratio, the proportions.

Well this is such a complicated occupation that I’m not even sure there is just one most important skill. You have to be in fact an artist with a great technical understanding to build things, have great software skills to visualize and sketch your design and in the end you have to be great with people, listening and understanding them. Right now when I’m writing this I start to wonder how I manage to master all of these myself.

First of all there is Autodesk Autocad - a virtual drawing board. It’s essential for every technical plan. Next there is a royal duo - Autodesk 3ds Max and Corona renderer, 3ds max is really complicated but when mastered it’s a tool like no other. In this duo I build a 3d model and then prepare renderings. The 3d model is then redrawn in Autocad in 1:1, so every tiny detail in design is preserved on plans. Thanks to all the fine detailing in 3d the construction plans and final product will be exactly the same. I also use Photoshop from time to time. There are also really important templates like NCS Color palette, Corian palette, stones, carpets etc. This template helps to match materials and to reflect them in 3d.

For interior design it’s between 6-10 weeks for a concept stage. In my instance the concept stage is a really rich and detailed final project. After client approval I need another 6 weeks to prepare construction plans.

Heh, it’s “where to buy this … (furniture piece)” and it’s usually about furniture designed by me for a specific interior.

Before starting my own studio I worked in another office, but I got my own clients after hours. There is no other way to gain real world experience than starting designing on your own.

I prefer not to mention any names, but there are people from all occupations and locations.

I think it’s an early concept stage, when the interior is getting inicialy shaped, but this is also the most stressful stage, because it’s really hard to decide sometime which design road to follow

I like to think that what I do is really special, that there are not that many designers who can bring the same interior vibe as I do. I hope to gain some more recognition and find similar minded people who will let me build their beautiful dream houses. If this won't work, then I’ll go for a bartender job at Key West or start my own food truck!

I’m a solo designer, I like to have things under control, so this suits me the most. It’s a challenge to do all by myself, but I want my design to be special and made with true care. I like to say that this is not a regular architectural office, but more like a craftsmanship interior design. For construction plans I work with my dear draftsman, who converts 3d into 2d plans.

Yes of course, unfortunately I don't think my words would be worth anything compared to images. If anyone would like to see what’s up please visit my website, instagram or send me an email.

Please feel free to speak to me, my website is www.zarysy.pl and my mail is biuro@zarysy.pl, on my website there are links to facebook and instagram.

Here is my epilogue:

There is a very intense trend in modern interior architecture to reuse unique places like a factory loft, an old barn, a stone hut, an abandoned church or many others. Those are unquestionably marvelous, but in my opinion far more challenging is to create a design from the basics. Most of us won’t be able to afford or find such a unique place, which needs only a restoration and featuring the original roof. One valuable piece of furniture or an unique art piece is usually all that's needed to create a “wow” effect. The interior design of standard apartments or catalog houses is the complete opposite and ironically this is where most of the population lives.
Bringing this unusual, wow design to everyday people, living in everyday houses – this is what my design is all about.
In my opinion every home has the potential to become a unique, surprising, and exciting story. Just like a painter uses spots of colors to create a perfect composition, I’m using different finishes of walls, floors and fixed furniture pieces to reshape the interior.
All the above is possible because of one outstanding aspect of my workflow - time I’m investing in each and every project.
World is spinning very fast, everyone needs everything instantly, companies can produce designs like a factory. Head architects do as much as a project draft and then someone else continues the work. Separating the project management and haste can cause poor design quality, poor presentation and poor construction results. This problem is very visible in Polish interior design and I hear this quite often when clients switch the architect.
In ZARYSY it’s the opposite. My main goal is not the quantity but the quality. As I mentioned before - every project is done by me, personally. For every project concept stage I reserve 8 weeks, projects are done one by one, avoiding overlapping. In one year I work on about 6 projects. This way I can have all the time I need to fully uncover the potential of the space. It also gives me the peace of mind essential to the thoughtful design process.
Every design starts with an idea or maybe rather with a feeling. I’m trying to interpret and decode this mood, transfer it into shapes and colors, furniture and lighting. Create a composition piece by piece to fit the initial feeling. In my opinion interior design has many layers and each one needs to be perfected to get a wonderful final effect. Layout – the most obvious, a functional spine. Space dividers and shapes – it makes the space clear, easy for our eyes and mind, understandable. It can make the interior calming or exciting. Color schemes – the soul of the project, they create atmosphere, bring life. Details – the last part which let the owners to appreciate every piece of the project – wood work, steel work. To take care of every little detail, I’m designing almost every piece of furniture – dining tables, low tables etc.