ICONIC Australian furniture and homewares mecca, GlobeWest, offers up diverse collections of inspired and unique pieces, year after year. With such an enormous range to choose from, interior designers and stylists, ourselves included, pour over each collection with gusto! It seems GlobeWest has the perfect piece for almost any room!
We were thrilled to chat to Head of Creative, Keti Lytras savouring her take on trends, personal favourites and what goes into designing and curating such a broad, yet always flawless, range of highly coveted pieces!
Tell us about your early years, and where you got your start?
I studied Printmaking at the Victorian College of the Arts while working part-time for a textile design company that specialised in Woven textiles and homewares.
I then went on to complete a 2nd Bachelor of Arts in Textile Design at RMIT and following that worked in trend forecasting.
Since then, I've always worked in design, buying and trend forecasting whether it be in fashion, homewares or interiors.
Keti Lytras, Head of Creative at GlobeWest
What does your role, Head of Creative, at Globewest look like?
This is my 6th year at Globewest furniture. I report to our Co-Founder Stephen Mendel and am part of a talented team including Industrial Designers, Product Managers and Planning/Procurement.
My primary responsibility is to oversee the creative direction of our collections. We focus on understanding the ever-evolving lifestyle factors that are influencing the way we live, and I look to a multitude of sources for inspiration before developing themes and directions which form the basis for our range development.
The challenge is never finding inspiration – it's everywhere! The hard bit is in filtering the plethora of sources through a Globewest lens to create product that is innovative, beautiful, and crafted to be timeless – loved forever! Our customers (like you) are very creative and discerning, so it keeps us on our toes!
I also work closely with freelance photographers, stylists, and our Marketing team, to produce our visual assets, including in-situ photography and videography. I love both aspects of my job and feel lucky to have that variety.
Sofa, coffee table and armchair all from GlobeWest. Styled by Cooper Robinson.
Photography by Northside Studio.
Travelling for work seems like the ultimate luxury, but the reality is often military planning and a lot of hard work! How do you prepare and plan for your trips?
Travel is so important for so many reasons – for inspiration, for managing production, for relationships with our makers around the world, but you're right, its far less glamourous than people think.
Having said that I've always travelled a lot for work, and I'm used to it. On average I'm away for at least a couple of months a year, so I have become quite regimented I must admit! It's so much easier to plan everything beforehand so you can just focus on what needs doing – as opposed to when you're halfway around the world and jet-lagged! I triple check all our itineraries too, when you've made a mistake once, you never do it again!
And I have a bag that's always ready to go, I only need to pack my clothes, and I'm done!
All furniture from GlobeWest. Styling by Cooper Robinson.
Photography by Northside Studio.
The Globewest 2020 Collection is stunning! Of the six new design directions, which is your personal favourite, and why?
That's so hard to answer; I change my mind all the time!
New Country is probably my favourite right now; there's a warmth to it that resonates, especially at this chaotic time in everyone lives. Key products have a simplicity and honesty that's very calming. Natural materials and finishes age so beautifully, and the earthy colours bring everything together.
But I also love Modern Mediterranean, the warm coloured marbles and sculptural shaping reminds me of the Greek Islands and who wouldn't want to be there right now!
How have interior design trends evolved over the last few years?
How we feel in a space has started to gain more emphasis on decision making. We have become increasingly aware that the spaces we live and work in affect us physically and emotionally too.
Colour, texture and the scale of a piece and the way a room is layered can all affect your senses in different ways – from feeling enlivened to more secure and comforted.
Right now, in this COVID 19 climate, elevated anxieties are driving the appeal of comforting, cocooning shapes and softer colours which have a calming effect, but as we come out of this, I hope to see optimism drive new and exciting aesthetics.
Over the last few years, people have become more expressive of their individuality in their homes – there has definitely been a shift to a more confident use of colour. Design trends live because they bring alive what's inspiring and vital to us at the time. There is so much choice now, and it really comes down to what's important to the individual.
All furniture from GlobeWest. Styling by Cooper Robinson.
Does fashion play a part in interior design?
Quality furniture is a high involvement decision and usually an investment for most people, but I've heard from several designers that they will ask their clients to show them their favourite pieces of clothing to understand their aesthetic.
It makes sense that what we are attracted to in our clothing filters through to our homes, especially in terms of colour and texture. Just as in fashion we can be playful or minimal, classic or eclectic so to can we can be in our interiors.
Velvet occasional chairs from GlobeWest. Styling by Cooper Robinson.
Photography by Dan Schache.
When designing furniture collections, how do you strike the right balance between aesthetic beauty and functionality?
Great design should always have purpose!
For us, it's a fine balance, and that's why it's essential to sample and review designs again and again. We may fall in love with a material- a new marble we've found for instance and know it would look awesome in a new shape. But the material may not lend itself to that construction.
When discussing designs and products, our team always asks the question: 1- how would we use it? And 2- would we be proud to have it in our own home? It's an integral part of the range refinement process.
All items and image from GlobeWest.
We are continually falling-in-love with new furniture pieces. It's an occupational hazard! With so much inspiration and product on hand, how do you style your own home?
I moved into a new house last year and did a huge cleanse before I settled in! So, it's been quite nice starting with a blank canvas again and having access to the incredible Globewest range! My interior is quite pared back and neutral in terms of colour; I need my eyes to rest a bit when I get home. But I have lots of texture, natural woods, travertine and marble pieces, linen upholstery and hand-woven throws. I like my space to feel very homely, and I always have fresh flowers, lots of plants and piles of books around. I also now have an open fireplace which is the biggest treat in winter!
Which two pieces do you have your eye on at the moment? I love our new Amara round leg coffee table in brown vein marble. That's next on my list! And the Cove seamed sofa from our latest Volume 02 capsule – it's so comfy, and the linen is beautiful.
Amara Round Leg Marble Coffee Table in Brown Vein by GlobeWest.
Cove Seamed Sofa in Shell Linen by GlobeWest.
What do we have to look forward to from Globewest in the future?
We are busy finalising designs for Collections 2021 now – I can't tell you too much just yet, but I can say there has been even greater importance on tactility and comfort in our upholstery collections. You can also expect to see fresh and exciting living and dining room silhouettes while some classical elements will bring a sense of nostalgia in buffets, TV units and bedsides.
We can't wait!
To order any GlobeWest items from Cooper Robinson click here!
GlobeWest Collections 2020 Volume 02 is out now. Discover 3 new collections and 180 new products here.
To learn more about GlobeWest’s 2020 Design Directions and for a video interview with Keti, click here.
For a copy of GlobeWests’ 32 Page Trend Forecast Subscribe via their website by clicking here.