Here is the last part of the interview with Ninon Petras studio. You will discover how she adapted her interior for remote work and well-being. She also reveals the latest arrangement of her apartment with each of its steps.
What is your storage system? Do you have a way to organize yourself to combine remote work and well-being?
The storage system is adapted according to each room. We sort by color in the closet. I find it much easier and more aesthetic. We find more easily what we want to wear. I also try to sort by type of item. Each item must have a designated place. That way, we always know where to store it and where to find it.
It’s an apartment that isn’t very big. We tried to optimize everything. We have dedicated places to store things we don’t use. For example, we have a bed on the terrace. Underneath it, we have storage with things we don’t use often.
What are the hardest items for you to store in your daily remote work life?
Oversized items in the kitchen are the hardest things to store. In my latest video, I’m talking about how to have a more functional kitchen. You have to define the uses of each room. Then, we try to arrange according to our lifestyle and the items we own. If I don’t have space to store huge dishes, then I don’t buy them. I imposed a golden rule on myself: When I add an item to my apartment, one goes out. If I buy a piece of clothing, I get rid of another. I apply the same rule to decoration. I think we reach a certain balance this way.
How do you adapt your home for remote work?
The house must match our lifestyle. It helps to feel good at home. Try working in a completely tidy room and then in a messy one. Your productivity and creativity won’t be the same. Tidying up is important to feel good daily and have a clear mind. We took this into account when arranging the apartment: combining remote work and well-being. My partner was already working remotely before. He often works in the living room. So we tried to optimize the living room with a table that is large enough.
How to optimize?
We also placed stools in the kitchen to create a second workspace. Sometimes I work remotely. I also have a spot in the bedroom where we can have a kind of modular desk when needed. Trying to optimize your space for work is important to have more privacy. Currently, we live in a house that must serve as a home, a collective living area, but also a workspace and a place for professional fulfillment. It’s becoming much more complicated to arrange.
But I think it’s important to take all this into consideration and try to create small corners adapted to each moment of the day. We can find a lot of innovations in design. We often see room dividers, modular desks that can be moved and transformed into large tables, etc. There’s a lot of innovation in this area. There are things to take. It’s interesting, The industry is evolving on this point. It adapts to new uses and the new needs of consumers.
In a student residence or housing, try to choose furniture and objects that have multiple functions. Also, they shouldn’t be too big. Opt for pieces where you can work, eat, and host friends. The design industries are increasingly focusing on functionality and modularity of furniture.
What do you think is important when it comes to decoration?
What’s important is to adopt decoration according to your style and instinct. Don’t always follow trends or other people’s opinions. It’s important to have decoration that suits you, that brings you joy, and where you feel comfortable. Lifestyle is one of the only environments we can control 100%. Whether you rent or own, it’s your home. Don’t make decoration choices to impress others or follow trends. Make choices that match your desires, tastes, and how you use the space.
In your opinion, what is the one thing to avoid when it comes to storage?
I see so many visuals on social media that are Pinterest trading. But in the end, they lack personality. We end up with the same pieces and furniture as the neighbor. It's the biggest faux pas.
See this post on Instagram
What advice would you give to someone with limited resources to organize their home?
Take your time. I recommend second-hand. The ideal is to prioritize your purchases. It’s important to spend money first on the furniture we sleep, sit, and work on. Then, choose the functional items: the kitchen and bathrooms. And finally, if there’s budget left, you can invest in decoration. The most important thing is to feel comfortable and sleep well. It’s important to be comfortable on the sofa and to have an environment where we are happy to be, even before decorating it. Decoration is not the priority.
I saw on your YouTube channel that you scheduled a makeover video of your terrace. Can you tell me about it? What do you plan to do?
For the record: the makeover of my terrace is the first video I posted on YouTube in October. It was very popular and continues to be watched. The arrival of warmer days made me want to beautify the terrace. I explain the choices I made last year. I illustrate how I optimized this space. Before, I hadn’t necessarily chosen plants suited to the terrace.
This year, I invested in plants that can live outdoors. I also explain that the terrace wasn’t well designed for winter. It was time to show the DIYs (Do it yourself) projects I completed this year. You can find some in the video. We hardly invested any money in the terrace. It’s all reclaimed. The bed belonged to my grandmother. I took the floor from my parents’ house. They were moving at the same time. I also used some finds. I started with the bed and tried to find elements that matched the bed by adding something extra to it. It was through my discoveries that I started designing boards.
And on rainy days?
On rainy days, we put on a faux leather tarp that I bought at a fabric store. It’s waterproof. We try to be careful about the types of plants we choose. We don’t buy things that are too light and could blow away. We didn’t want to design a terrace that would only be used for 3 months and which would have been unusable for the rest of the year. We really took that aspect into consideration. We invested in waterproof cushions and natural materials that withstand the weather like wood or rattan straw.
Feel free to check out our latest article: Ekhi Busquet
Interview conducted by Imane Charkaoui
Layout by Coralie Mottu
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