Design & Lifestyle Blog

 

 

It is amazing how designers get inspired. At the Maison et Objet Fair last September , Nini Andrade Silva, winner of the 2010 award for best hotel interior design, presented her first furniture collection ‘Garota do Calhau’ which means ‘Girl of the Pebbles’. As the name implies, most of her work starting from her early paintings, to her interior designs, and lately to her furniture is inspired by the nature and beauty of pebbles.

 

 

“ When I started the project for The Vine Hotel, (winning the best interior design project in Europe 2009) I felt the need to create an original outdoor piece for this space. Having created this unique piece and having been awarded a prize as the best 2010 design, it was a perfect encouragement, an invitation to create yet more pieces. My designs speak of my memories of years gone by, memories of my own history- that of Madeira Island- and of the young lads and lasses- garotos do calhau- walking barefoot on the pebbles of the sea shores sprinkled with water and salt.

“Garota do Calhao” inspired by the ever rolling pebbles of Madeira Island, this became a brand name and also the name given to a foundation whose aim is, not only to help the underprivileged, but to open the way to new opportunities for them.”

 

 

It is not right to mention Nini without showing her award winning designs among others, below you will find photos of the interiors she has worked on, a couple of her early paintings, and a few other customized furniture items made for her projects.

 

 

 

 

 

Nini Andrade Silva, is a Portuguese-born architect, artist and award-winning designer. She is the creative mind behind the Design Hotels members Fontana Park and The Vine and now adds Hotel Teatro to her impressive repertoire.
Nini earned her dual degree in interior design and painting from Lisbon’s prestigious IADE, or Instituto de Artes Visuais, Design e Marketing. Today she is their international consultant. She has drawn upon her experience working with internationally celebrated designers specializing in different countries such as USA, Denmark, South Africa, France and England to perfect her own distinctive design aesthetic that has been playfully referred to as “ninimalist” since an interviewer coined the phrase a few years ago. She says, “[the interviewer] called me ‘ninimalist’ because my name is Nini, and instead of being a minimalist, I always like to give warmth to any design concept. I like to do things with a dash of fantasy.”

 

On her website you will find amazing details of her journey around the world where her other inspirations for unique and bold use and combination of materials she has implemented in her projects.

Her contacts and details are found on the website : Nini Andrade Silva