The popular Scandinavian brand Muuto has always impressed with its timeless aesthetic, high-quality craftsmanship, forward-looking designs and plenty of creativity. Above all, it's the carefully considered colour palettes that win us over again and again and give the brand its particular appeal. Reason enough for us to visit Muuto's art director, Selma Lamai, and take a look behind the scenes of this exciting brand. We visited Selma in her flat in Frederiksberg in Denmark and talked to her about creative processes at Muuto, the meaning of colour, working from home and authentic interiors.
Selma, to start with, tell us a little about your career. How long have you been working at Muuto? And what did you do before?
I've been working at Muuto since 2014. Before that, I worked as a freelance art director for magazines and on book projects. I also had my own online shop, where I sold printed silk scarves and graphics.
And what does the work of an art director at Muuto involve? What are your responsibilities, and which of them do you enjoy most?
My main responsibility is creating and shaping Muuto's visual language. Together with the product development team, I also take care of staging our beautiful furniture, designed by leading contemporary designers. That's why I'm always on the lookout for interesting, exciting places, artworks and materials we can use to present our product portfolio attractively – in catalogues, lifestyle images or in one of our showrooms and flagship stores around the world.
What best describes Muuto's brand identity?
For me, Muuto is defined by new perspectives, attention to detail and good craftsmanship. As a team, we express that through our digital and analogue channels. We always strive to be curious and perfectionist when it comes to details, and we're always passionate about what we do. As soon as we find an interesting sustainable material for bags for our flagship stores, for example, discover new ways of using our typeface or create a new colour combination, there's no stopping us.
Speaking of colour combinations: Muuto is especially inspiring when it comes to colour palettes. How do you develop your colour concepts?
Working with colour is an essential part of Muuto's visual identity. My interest in colours and ways of combining them is always there. A beautiful shade can turn up in an old brick wall, in spring flowers or on packaging at a kiosk.
All these impressions are stored and developed in our inspiration portfolio, in our catalogues and lifestyle images. Once a year, we hold a large interdisciplinary colour workshop, where our teams – from graphics and interior design to our design team – explore the topic of colour, question our colour profile and develop it further.
What effect do colours have on you personally? Do you use them deliberately at home?
I've often experienced first-hand how much colours influence our well-being. Muuto's colour palette is never about what's trendy or fashionable at the moment, but about identifying the colours that complement our designs and give them a lasting yet modern character. That's why the coloured Muuto designs fit so well into my flat.
What matters most to you when furnishing your home? What else will we find at your place – besides all the great Muuto designs?
Something exciting happens when you mix old classics with forward-looking designs. At home, I have a mix of heirlooms, with Mogens Koch's classic Oregon pine bookcases next to Cecilie Manz's Workshop Table. The two designs work together beautifully.
I like furniture that can be passed down through generations. At the same time, I value great quality and clean lines - and designs don't have to be too serious either. In our living room we have a painting that we found on a bulky-waste collection pile, and I love our light blue Kink vase, which adds a playful accent. That creates a good balance.
You probably spent a lot of time working from home last year too, didn't you? How and where did you set up your workspace?
I like switching between digital and analogue work. Much of my work happens at the computer, but when you're stuck in a process, ideas can emerge while you're working creatively with your hands – cutting out some prints or painting a background, for example.
When I need an extra dose of inspiration during a working day at home, I tend to rummage through my collection of old and new books, magazines and other publications to get the ideas flowing again. I've also found that I like to change my workspace over the course of the day and follow the light. For some tasks, like putting colours together, it's nice to have direct daylight coming in through the skylight. For others, like editing images on screen, a cave-like feel is practical.
Can you tell us what we can look forward to next from Muuto? Is there perhaps a sneak peek of the new collection, or a big project you're working on right now?
One thing I'm really looking forward to is Muuto supporting the Ukurant 2021 exhibition for 3daysofdesign. Born of the ambition to create a platform for today's emerging design talent, Ukurant aims to uncover experimental design objects that challenge our perception of form, function, materiality and technology. As an open exhibition for designers from all over the world, Ukurant wants to enable and promote new perspectives on design across a wide range of disciplines, such as furniture, lighting, textiles, ceramics, glass and more.
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Thank you, Selma, for the fascinating insight into your working world and your home!
