Interview with Modern Home Designer Sofia Joelsson
Interview with Modern Home Designer Sofia Joelsson
The very best modern home designers thrive at the junction of stunning products, beautiful locations, and sophisticated clientele. A finely tuned eye for quality and design is unquestionably a driving force for success in the industry; Therefore, it should come as no surprise that regardless of brand or respective product, a manufacturer’s success in the luxury exterior design market is intertwined with the partnerships created and maintained with these well-positioned influencers. Throughout 2021 we will share discussions with some of the most prominent modern interior design professionals working with Gloster to discuss their relationship with our brand. We’ll explore their motivations, inspirations, and thoughts on working with Gloster—as well as exploring pertinent industry insights and developing trends.
Sofia Joelsson is one of the most highly decorated interior designers in the state of Florida. Her projects range dramatically and impressively, spanning different locales such as coastal penthouses in Florida, sprawling estates in western New York, the cabins of private jets, and expansive private residences in New Orleans, to name a few. A Swedish native residing in America since 1998, Sofia’s passion, knowledge, and skill culminated in her meteoric rise in the interior design sphere. Barely two decades after her arrival in the US, Sofia now operates a well-established Miami Beach, Florida design firm that also offers a custom-curated selection of beautiful pieces for the home. Early on in 2021, Gloster sat down for an in-depth discussion with Sofia that touched on the origin of her design style and colour palette, her introduction to Gloster, her impressions gained from working with our brand, and how the inspirations behind a recent outdoor living design project led her to choose collections from our catalogue.
Our Conversation with Sofia Joelsson
Gloster:
Welcome Sofia!
Sofia:
Thank you so much!
Gloster:
Thank you for participating in the Gloster Blog. I would like to take a few moments to share with our blog audience some background on you and your firm. Our special guest is Swedish-born, Sofia Joelsson of Sofia Joelsson Design in Miami, where she serves as creative director. The company is a multi-published and award-winning design firm with projects spanning all over. As I looked through your website and paged through the magazines your firm has been published in. I came up with an interpretation, if you’ll allow me: I felt that your palette was calming, with unexpected surprises, which are translated through art, lighting, and a very curated collection of furniture and accessories.
Sofia:
Oh, I love that. Can I copy that?
Gloster:
Yes, you may. It’s yours.
Sofia:
That’s lovely. Thank you.
Gloster:
I enjoyed your calming and unpretentious style. I loved the airplane [project], of course. I loved all the different types of residences and penthouses. It was just so… You know; It’s classic! Five years from now—and you may not want to hear this, but five years from now, I could feel as comfortable in it as I was the day you installed it.
Sofia:
Oh, I’m happy to hear you say that because—I think growing up in Sweden, I have an innate sensibility of the lighter palettes… But I didn’t really realize how much it has actually influenced me throughout the years. But it is a kind of European sensibility that I think I’m bringing with me. And also, my design approach is that it should be very livable—I don’t want it to be commercial. I love when you go into a commercial space and it’s wild and crazy, but I don’t think you want to come home to that.
Gloster:
Brilliant and I agree. Timeless [style]. So, let’s jump into: How did you first hear about Gloster?
Sofia:
It was interesting. I thought back on it, and it really must have been since Clima in Miami started to carry you. And I [have] been doing business with them since day one, basically. I don’t know if you know, but this year in June I’m celebrating 20 years with my design firm!
Gloster:
Wow, congratulations!
Sofia:
Yeah. I started it in June 2001, so it’s crazy how time flies. And I’m still as passionate about it today as I was then—maybe a little bit wiser. [laughter] And that’s why I’m actually at a much smaller scale today than I used to be throughout all these years, because I really enjoy the actual design process and the selections the most. I don’t enjoy so much the management and bother about the people. So, that’s what I do now again, and I’m very happy. But Clima was definitely the one that introduced me to Gloster. I was always attracted… you know, your pieces are stunning! And I have really seen you evolve as well, which is super exciting. And this new collection, I mean, it’s incredible.
Gloster:
The Gloster pieces you selected for the project—what attracted you to them? Dune, Sway, Gem, Grid, and Bells tables, and Carver tables, I mean, you really covered it all!
Sofia:
I did! [laughter] … I was looking to bring in some wood detail, a classic element, but yet, the family is all about comfort. So, when I saw these pieces…I love how you set up the different color aspects that you can pick and choose between. I was actually surprised that my client went with [brick-coloured frame], and I just picked up on that and went neutral, but with the [brick] palette, and was able to really have fun with your fabrics and your textures. And the comfort level is just…really, its like a cloud—those club chairs. Fun fact—the wife of the owner, she said, “Sofia, you have brought me back to my childhood, sitting on my porch with Grandma in the rocking chairs.” I mean, isn’t that just beautiful?
Gloster:
Yes, yes. Very much….So, it’s interesting that the Dune collection, and Grid, and many of the other pieces are designed by two European designers, Sebastian Herkner and Henrik Pedersen. See? It’s the European connection!
Left to Right: Dune and Grid.
Sofia:
Amazing, yeah. I looked them up actually!
Gloster:
What was the inspiration to pull all this together? The residence is on Biscayne Bay in Miami, correct?
Sofia:
Yes, it’s on Palm Island. So, you’re basically surrounded by water. And it’s the next island over, Star Island, towards the inland. And they have the most beautiful sunset views. And then, you see the entire skyline of downtown Miami—so it’s really spectacular. And the home itself is very regal and classic, while the home exterior we did is very updated and modern. So now, we’re actually moving inside of the house as well, and trying to tie it all together with classical, beautiful pieces, but yet, really taking it to a more modern level.
Gloster:
Wonderful—Dune, which is by Sebastian Herkner, is designed with overlapping blankets on a powder coated frame. I’m curious to understand how you selected those, given the environment of the project.
Sofia:
So, the family is all about comfort. They have four young children, and they love to hang out together. The kids usually have one or two friends with them at home, so you can imagine, it grows very quickly! And when I took them around to see all these pieces, it wasn’t even a competition in regards to comfort. It just really… I mean, it’s like a cloud, it hugs you. And the details… I just had never seen the amount of detail and layering effect. And I feel like it was interesting what you said about my design. Sometimes, they say I’m 50 shades of white, or beige. [laughter] But it’s all about the layering, and the different textures, and the different patterns. It could be in the same color, or palette, but that’s what makes it—I think, at least—designer, and thought out, and architectural.
Gloster:
I agree! I don’t think your work is beige and white. I think it has a lot of depth. With the local environment of Miami and being on Palm Island in Biscayne Bay, is there anything about [that environment] that influenced you with the layout? Because it’s quite large, the space, and the pool decks, and I even noticed you have a sunning platform, which I love, and think is a great idea. Was there anything about that, that you felt “…Oh!” when you walked into the Gloster Studio?
Sofia:
I love the symmetry, how we set up the pool and the clean lines of it. But I was actually really inspired by the softness and the curvature of the pieces. And I thought that was a good juxtaposition against the hard edges on a lot of the elements that were out there, and I just wanted to bring in that softness. And I knew, because it’s a very expansive area, that the back would be beautiful to look at. Those pieces have the curvature, and then you have the layering of some of the fabrics, or you have this see-through beautiful rattan that doesn’t block the view. So, all of that was very attractive to me.
Gloster:
You did do a lot of that with the Gloster pieces, because the architecture of the house is symmetrical and stately. An interesting contrast. Excellent. If there were any, what were the largest challenges or obstacles you encountered with this project?
Sofia:
Like everybody these days, they want things yesterday. And when I heard about your lead times…I was dancing and singing because, with clients, you have to strike when they are ready, otherwise they lose interest, and then maybe go and buy something off the floor themselves…I want to curate, and design, and have a project take its course, in terms of doing the best for the client. But here, I was able to do the best for the client and get a good lead time, so it’s like a win-win.
Gloster:
Very smart. You said earlier, the weather of course played a [role] with this project being outside, although there are covered spaces. Did the Sunbrella fabrics and flow-through cushions contribute with your overall decisions?
Sofia:
A million percent. I mean, having done projects in Florida, whether they’re in houses, or on rooftop terraces and penthouses, it is an extremely harsh climate, and the salt water will kill most pieces of furniture. Your quality is bar none—there’s basically you and Gandia Blasco that I really recommend, that withstands these harsh elements….You said that my design was a kind of timeless. I want my client to live with these designs for 10 years and not have to replace it after a season. So, yeah, that was very important.
Gloster:
Were there any unique requests? You mentioned they have a beautiful family, and they have the friends of the children come over. Were there any other requests that you felt were extra special that you could share?
Sofia:
I think it was in regard to the layout—being able to create intimate areas within a large outdoor living space. I thought that by mixing and matching all these different collections, it had a common thread throughout, but differentiated between the different areas so that you feel that, “Now I’m in the club seating area, and now I’m in the lounge area,” and so on.
I love to spend time on the projects, and walk it, and be there at different times during the day. The light has a lot to do with the functionality [of a space], because I always ask myself, “Where am I going to want to sit in the rocking chairs and read a book? At what time of the day am I going to want to be in certain places? So, I think that was important in regard to creating the different vignettes.
Gloster:
That’s a very interesting thing that you said, where you go and spend time in the space, and get a feeling for the time of day or evening or thinking about what one could do in these particular, special spaces. My next question: How did you meet your client?
Sofia:
It’s been interesting because I really have gone by referral only for 20 years. And I’ve been lucky enough to have been published. And so, they actually are best friends with a contractor that we used for a 6000 sq. ft. full gut condo on Fisher Island. And we had a beautiful relationship, but I haven’t really done any more projects on Fisher Island. So, he called me up and he said, “You know, I have these clients. They’re our best friends. And I’m afraid to recommend anybody else because we’re best friends. But I really want to recommend you, and I think you’re going to get along great.” Sometimes, you have challenging clients. And then, sometimes you have these clients that are just whipped cream and a cherry on top. I mean, I can’t speak highly enough about them and their children—they’re so appreciative. And when the pieces are coming in, they’re like kids on Christmas. [laughter] It’s just really, really rewarding.
Gloster:
My last question: was the project successful for you because they were excited and enthusiastic about the final product?
Sofia:
Yes! They are beyond excited about it. I’m just now installing the planters, and it’s just coming together. I can’t wait to photograph it. I think, for Gloster, it’s going to be really amazing, and absolutely for my portfolio as well. And I do have to say, I had such a good experience working with everybody from Gloster… Between the updates and timeline—and I had a little difficulty getting up to DCOTA in terms of samples and everything, [Gloster] could not have been more helpful. It was really a beautiful experience. So… Pat everybody on the back! [laughter}
Gloster:
Oh, excellent! Yes, we shall. Do you get involved in the landscaping as well? Because I noticed there’s a lot of planting areas.
Sofia:
Yes, because [plants] can really make or break a space. And I always see everything as a whole vision, and the plants are extremely important. I was lucky because, in the backyard, I have very interesting, unique trees and exotic plants that I really hadn’t seen before. So, I wanted to make sure that the planting was architectural enough so that it didn’t start competing with some of the furniture pieces.
Gloster:
Did you have anything else you’d like to share about yourself or this project? Please feel free to…speak freely!
Sofia:
I just came to make sure that you knew the experience was really incredible, and that the client is very, very happy. We’re super happy. We can’t wait to have it photographed and published, hopefully.
Gloster:
Yes, I’m sure it will be.
Sofia:
I can’t wait to share that with you. And it’s just exciting working with the company. I’ve actually trimmed down the number of companies that we are working with because it’s a hard business and a lot of things can happen. And when you find a partner—and I’d like to call you a partner—it is important to us as designers, because you have our backs and make our jobs easier…. That comfort level is extremely important.
Gloster:
Yes. Gloster’s position with working with interior and exterior designers, and developing a business, and being your partner, is really the main thread of our operation globally. So, it’s very important for us too.
Sofia:
Yeah, that shows!
Gloster Team:
Sofia, thank you very, very much for your time today.
Sofia:
Thank you! It was such a pleasure.
Gloster:
And hopefully, we’ll meet each other in person one day!
Sofia:
In person, yes. These days, I absolutely look forward to it!
Inspired by our interview with Miami Beach Interior Designer Sofia Joelsson? We at Gloster would love to hear from you. Browse through everything we have to offer, locate one of our partners close to you, or come visit us at one of our proprietary Gloster Studios.