Raven & Lack have been shortlisted for Interior Design Scheme – London Award & Residential £1-2.5 Million (Project by Value) Award in The International Design & Architecture Awards 2020. Read more about Creative Directors/Co-Founders, Rae Underhill & Adriel Lack below:
Name: Rae Underhill & Adriel Lack
Company: Raven & Lack
Position within company: Creative Directors & Co Founders
Website: www.ravenandlack.com
Tell us a little about your background in design:
Raven & Lack represents the collective partnership of London based Interior Designers Rae Underhill & Adriel Lack. Both Rae and Adriel have Interior Design degrees and first worked together at an award-winning Architectural practice in Australia.
The brand Raven & Lack is representative of this unique friendship, their ongoing desire to collaborate and shared creative vision. With over 30 years of combined industry experience creating luxury properties around the world, Rae and Adriel have built up an impressive portfolio of work and developed an innate understanding of the super prime international market.
We have supported each other over the years and helped each other to reach goals and build our dream jobs creatively and managerially heading up teams at two of London’s most coveted and well-respected design practices
How would you describe your personal design style?
Adriel’s style is stylish and artistic yet highly refined and tailored, with a focus on the minute details… Rae’s style compliments her greatly, loving powerful statements, flourishes of colour, with a passion for textiles and wild art selections.
Where does your design inspiration come from?
Our inspiration comes from our shared passion for travel and our innate love of art, design, and all things interiors. We operate as a collective, both within the Raven & Lack team and together with external consultants, a track record proven in our extensive network of international manufacturers and suppliers. We believe that it is this teamwork that creates our enigmatic chemistry, promotes innovative, dynamic resolutions and ultimately leads to successful and highly creative design outcomes.
In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?
In the luxury market there is a strong movement away from the dark shiny oppressive interiors of the past towards a much more feminine, fresh, and engaging style of design. Our mantra is the old Coco Chanel quote “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.”; And with the current state of affairs with our clients living and working from their homes all over the world it could not be more relevant. Our projects encapsulate this feeling of lightness and comfort with an overlay of function and utility in everything we do.
Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in 2020 and beyond.
- The idea of creating spaces for living and working that feel like a sanctuary
- Function and utility, ensuring spaces work for the clients in terms of how they truly like to live, no matter what the size of the property
- Spaces that encourage the ideals of health & wellbeing, whether it is a divine spa space and massage facilities OR smart storage to house home gym items within the light bright living areas of an apartment
- Smart pops of colour!! The days of ‘greige’ are gone…. Living in London we need contrast against the skyline, so we love to work with colour.
- Natural materials – using natural materials and amazing textures will ground even the most high-spec apartment.
If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to design schemes, what would it be?
Be bold! Make a statement! And if you don’t like it, change it.
How important are The International Design & Architecture Awards?
The International Design & Architecture Awards are incredibly important to the industry. We need these leaders to bring the industry together, celebrating the hard work and dedication it takes to deliver the best in design, especially at a time like the present. The exposure to such amazing international projects means the bar is raised for everyone!!
What projects are you currently working on?
17 000 sq ft penthouse apartment, London – Interior Architecture / FF&E for Developer
5 000 sq ft private residence, London – IA
3 600 sq ft private apartment, London – IA / FF&E
1 600 sq ft apartment, London – FF&E
10 0000 sq ft private residence, Ibiza – IA / FF&E
What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?
To bunker down, work as hard as possible, and see what happens!
Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:
Your most treasured possession?
RAE – my son Rocco Baby
ADRIEL – my art collection
Your favourite holiday destination?
We both love, love, love Tulum, Mexico!
Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar?
Hotel Costes, Paris / 11 Howard, New York
Nomade Hotel & Arca Restaurant, Tulum
Amazonico, London.
Your favourite book, film & song?
RAE – I love all books, my house is full to the rafters, currently reading books on wine and planning destination wine holidays.
ADRIEL – I am the same, I am currently working my way through the ‘AD at 100 – A Century of Style’ and the Taschen ‘Art Series Collection’ – from Basquiat to Yves Klein and Rothko, I love them all and have a huge collection of this particular series.
Your favourite food and drink?
RAE – Ceviche on the beach in Tulum and my favourite drink is champagne
ADRIEL – Sushi and Sashimi always and I also love a classic dry martini.
Your favourite way to spend an afternoon?
RAE – Playing with my son
ADRIEL – At a gallery or exhibition
If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?
RAE – A dim sum food blogger, travelling the world eating super high-end Chinese food …
ADRIEL – I have a secret passion for advertising… must be from watching too much Mad Men!
Anything else interesting?
With an undeniable love for travel and all things design, we pride ourselves on constant innovation, forecasting trends and delivering for our clients the highest level of design with a commercial awareness that is proven to add value within a highly competitive international market.
Raven & Lack have been shortlisted for Interior Design Scheme – London Award & Residential £1-2.5 Million (Project by Value) Award in The International Design & Architecture Awards 2020.
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