I try and draw inspiration from everything I see, hear, smell and touch. I’m motivated by everyday life and my surroundings. My daughter inspires me in many ways. I channel a lot through music, art, design, conversations with people, walking in nature and traveling to new places. I draw from different cultures and communities to create my own unique sensibility. All of those things allow me to take in inspiration and use it in creative ways.
Silver Room
Can you talk about your practice in the light of a pandemic and sociopolitical crisis—what changed, what remains the same?
My goal is for The Silver Room to remain a beacon of hope, especially during these times. It’s important for the community to see us creating space and exuding positivity now more than ever. We reopened with a redesign of the space that offered a fresh look and feel. This serves as an inspiration from a design context but also a spiritual one. In light of everything that has happened over the past six months, we wanted to remain a resource for positivity in knowing that we will get through tough times. We’ve adapted to the virtual world of engaging and connecting with others. We’re doing what we can to mimic the in-person experience in a virtual space.
Where do you see the future of design?
The future of design will require a lot of thought about designing adaptive spaces. More designs will accommodate new standards that we are all currently trying to navigate. The more we are forced to move toward a virtual world the more in-person experience will be valued once we can gather again.
Greek-born Vasia Rigou is a seasoned journalist, editor and multimedia content producer largely on the subjects of visual art, culture, architecture and design. She currently serves as an Editor at Newcity, Chicago’s leading culture publication, as Writer and Copy Editor at the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) HQ, and regularly contributes to international architecture and design magazines OnOffice and ICON. She has experience creating content for brands and building conference speeches and influential TEDx talks. Simply put: she’s fascinated by finding out the great stories behind the people, places and objects that surround us, and by sharing those stories with the world. When she’s not writing about art or looking at art—wine in hand—she makes lists for pretty much everything, drinks immense amounts of coffee and takes cross-country road trips every chance she gets.
