Creating ambiences. That’s really what we do

The Swedish studio Note Design were invited to Barcelona to present the Musa lamp by Vibia.

Charlotte Ackemar and Sanna Wahlin of Note Design Studio present Musa by Vibia at the RI-Culture Space by Francesc Rifé, in Barcelona.

Just having arrived in Barcelona from Stockholm, where Note Design Studio is based, Charlotte Ackemar and Sanna Wahlin gave a talk about their work, highlighting the importance for both them and their team of “Creativity consists of the search of that which is missing, in constantly realigning the thought process and expression in order to achieve that moment of lucidity when everything falls into place.” When this finally happens, then the project is complete.

Note Design is a multidisciplinary studio whose work includes product design, interior design, architecture, graphic design and art direction. To such an extent that when asked to explain their work they prefer to point out what Note Design really does is to create ambiences. Their work methodology involves multiple layers: material, texture, colour, object and the interior that accommodates it all…., and take into consideration every detail down to the most minimal. “The projects that work best,” they explain “are those that we have invested the greatest number of layers.”

According to Charlotte and Sanna at the outset of the Musa collection, “We were simply thinking about, in a very free way, what we wanted to express: a delicate lamp, elegant, feminine … that would also provide a contrast with other Vibia lamp collections with a more architectural quality about them.” When we thought about the light source we wanted to transmit the sensation of carrying light from one place to another in a more abstract way. That was why we were so enthusiastic about the portable version of Musa. Based on these premises we delved into colour, textures, materials and in parallel started looking at technical considerations together with the Vibia team.

With the Musa collection for Note Design the solution was once again focused on the ambience that a lamp is capable of generating. Its magic lies in the mix of a diffuse warm lighting given off by the hand-blown glass sphere and its reflection from the surrounding dish. Light, material and effect coming together.

During the presentation, the designers also spoke about some of their more recent interior design projects and furniture created for residential, office and restaurant use. The work clearly reveals their great sensitivity in terms of combining chromatic colour palettes, appealing to the sense of touch through the choice of materials and textures and evoking these qualities with tones and patterns. The projects themselves only come about after a long and detailed design process creating unique ambiences that are both surprising and captivating. “We always want to engage the eye with something interesting,” they point out. “We work with passion and we need clients who are themselves passionate in order to move forward with a project. Just like our experience with Vibia.”

“When designing we like to think that there are no limits and that everything is possible,” they underline. In fact, the commission from Vibia was also an open-ended one. One that elicited the creation of a warm and friendly lamp, that would provide a tactile light, that would evoke memory and refinement, adds Pere Lloch, the director of Vibia, when describing how the project started out.

After the presentation, the attendees were invited to talk to Charlotte and Sanna while enjoying a cocktail.

Many thanks to Francesc Rifé for providing the magnificent RI-CULTURE Space located right beside his interior design studio in Barcelona. And to everyone who attended this lively talk after the summer holidays.