Research Post Two

Ilse Crawford is a British interior designer as well as the founder of Studioilse. According to Designboom (2020), she focuses on the real needs of people and lives, so it will help clients feel relaxed and they can use it for daily life, rather than chasing trends. She frequently uses natural materials such as velvet, wood and brass, and combines them with neutral tones such as beige and light gray. There is a fact that she often uses furniture and lighting to devide different areas within a space. Furthermore, her interiors evoke a sense of tranquility, warmth, and friendliness, which always provide users with comfort and functionality. 

Ilse Crawford designed the Designer’s Studio for Maison & Objet 2016 as a multifunctional space where visitors could relax, meet, and work. According to Designboom (2016), instead of building walls to divide the area, she opted for a layout and arrangement of furniture and lighting to create distinct functional zones for quiet conversation, group work, relaxation, and intimate gatherings. She placed a long table in the center, while benches, sofas, standing tables, and portable seating were used by her as tools to divide smaller areas. It allows people able to move and use flexibly. Moreover, she also created a quieter reception area with sofas and large plants behind the entrance to create a more relaxing atmosphere. According to Studioilse (2021), her goal in creating this studio was to design a space that encourage interaction and communication between people, and make people feel happier.

With this project, I am really impressed by how she arranged the tables and chairs to divide the spaces and areas with different functions. I am also quite impressed by her hand-drawn sketches.

For my project, I will also use tables and chairs to divide the areas in the Green Room Cafe. For the seating area, I will only use low chairs. Therefore, people can sit and chat with each other and enjoy the view outside thanks to the large glass windows. The central area will be for staff to work while drinking coffee. I will use high tables and chairs with partitions to help people concentrate better. Additionally, I will place regular tables and chairs near the entrance. This will be quite convenient for groups of people, who want to buy drinks or tour the theatre.

For the Stage Door Bar area, I will utilize the bar counter as a table for clients, who want to drink wine or cocktails. Furthermore, I will design a small stage and tiered seating next to it. I want to design those chairs because they are for people to sit and listen to music and chat. We will also arrange round tables near the hallways and a lit far away from the small stage. Because people also come in groups, I will design round tables with five chairs so everyone can gather, talk, and discuss the theatre's performances.

Reference: 

VOLA on design: ilse crawford humanizes interior and furnishing design. (2020). designboom.com. Available at: https://www.designboom.com/design/vola-on-design-wellness-and-wellbeing-ilse-crawford-01-24-2020/. Accessed 10 May 2026.

            “Maison et Objet Designer’s Studio - STUDIOILSE.” STUDIOILSE, 28 Apr. 2021, www.studioilse.com/projects/maison-objet-designers-studio/. Accessed 6 May 2026.

            Juliana (2016). interview with ilse crawford, maison et objet’s designer of the year 2016. [online] designboom | architecture & design magazine. Available at: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/ilse-crawford-interview-designer-of-the-year-maison-et-objet-2016-09-07-2016/. Accessed 10 May 2026.