LUX Autumn 2018

LUXLIFE MAGAZINE | 43 Autumn 2018 Indeed, Soraida’s background in fine art and sculpture are perhaps most evident in her work, utilising space in ways that are seldom seen, with a control over form and function that few have mastered. She balances colour and light in delicate ways, creating an equilibrium within the room that elevates the overall design. Soraida continues, taking a moment to build on her approach to every project. “At the end of the day, RA is passionate about exploring the expression of our lives through created environments. Each project is an opportunity to see inside the windows of each client’s own version of the created space. This focus, ultimately, puts the client at the centre of their own design with RA as a collaborator.” Collaboration truly plays a key role when Related Arts takes on a new project, as Soraida explains: “Good communication throughout the entire project is crucial to the success and satisfaction of a project. “No news is good news” is an expression often heard in the industry however, as it relates to communication, it is probably the worst possible style to employ. Clients are excited and eager with anticipation to watch the drama of their project unfold, to the same degree they passionately disappointed by delays or mishaps. Either way, the majority of my clients prefer to know what is happening on their project, rather than feel like they are being left in the dark or are abruptly hit with issues that they had no prior knowledge of.” The conversation soon turns to the design industry as a whole, and the qualities Soraida believes makes excellent designers. “Beauty, harmony and liveability is achieved by applying timeless and fundamental elements of design. For example, empty space is just as important as the objects that fill the room. Size matters and quality matters. In the end, just as it is true between people, relationships create balance, in the case of a room it’s the scale relationship, the distance between people and objects, objects and people, colours to light - the list of relationships is endless. You know you have a successful design when these relationships string together the feeling, mood and look of your original intention. Knowing how to steer clients toward design choices that fit their personal tastes and needs while intuitively bolstering design principles makes for excellent design and designers.” Here, once again, her artistic background comes to the forefront, informing her creative decisions, and speaking as a testament to her profound ability to create liveable pieces of art, personalised intrinsically to each client. As we come to the close of the interview, Soraida speaks about the future of Related Arts, and her plans to incorporate an environmentally-friendly approach to her work. “I am very interested in how to incorporate environmentally friendly manufacturing material and processes for interior design products and services. A large part of being environmentally friendly is understanding the life cycle of products from the production to distribution to disposal. Related Arts as a company is in the gestation stages of building community- oriented products that have a circular life cycle to make the landfills that last option or not an option at all. We are very excited about the possibilities of having a positive impact on the world of interior design.” Contact: Soraida Bedoya Company: Related Arts Interior Designs Address: Bridgehampton, New York, 11932, USA Telephone: 001 917 549 5006 Web Address: www.relatedarts.com