Decorating the internet with @Faraquel

We enter the month of April wishing that the popular saying is wrong with that of “aguas mil” (we have had enough) and celebrating this new installment of Decorando Internet, our section of personal interviews to learn more about the interior designers, decobloggers, architects, etc.. that daily inspire us on the network with their ideas about decoration and design.

This time we share space with Raquel Veira Díaz (@Faraquel on Twitter), Physics teacher whom you will know for her great work in Decoesfera.

Although in principle science and interior design could be at odds, Raquel, always attentive, enthusiastic and ready to open new doors -perhaps because she is the restless side of every researcher-, confesses that, sometimes, physics serves as a tool for decoration.

As a science teacher and editor of one of the most well-known and influential decoration blogs, how do you reconcile both aspects?

-It’s really not as complicated as people often think. You can blog any day and any time if you like. You end up devoting part of your leisure time to it. I blog on weekends or sometimes in the evenings before bed. Besides, my work as a teacher also leaves me some free afternoons that I can dedicate to Decoesfera.

On the other hand, physics and decoration are two very different things, but there is no incompatibility in liking both. You may also like sports, music, cinema, traveling… There are even many occasions where physics serves as a tool for decoration. The mechanisms of some furniture and the functioning of many accessories are best understood with a knowledge of physics and explained from its laws.

Raquel Veira Díaz

-How did your passion for the world of decoration come about?

-I have always liked beautiful things, order at home, solutions to make small spaces more comfortable, reading decoration and interior design magazines and looking at catalogs of companies in the sector.

When blogs started to become important in Spain I had just bought my house and, precisely, I was choosing furniture to decorate it. A friend who had been blogging for some time, and who knew that I was not bad at writing, told me about blogs and the possibility of starting to publish in one of them. I must say that, at first, I was a little hesitant, but I soon decided to give it a try and I quickly got the taste for it…

-What do you like most about interior design?

-Clearly, the best thing about interior design is that it serves to improve people’s quality of life. Interior design seeks and proposes solutions to make spaces more comfortable at all levels. In a general way, it also adapts them according to personal needs. That is its greatest value, that it makes our environment pleasant for us.

decorative riddle
Raquel tests readers’ imagination with her decorative riddles in Decoesfera.

-How do you remember the beginnings of Decoesfera?

-I started writing for Decoesfera in 2009. Before that I wrote for other blogs, mostly decoration blogs like Opendeco, where I was the first editor. I also tried some other themes, such as travel or environment.

Things have changed a lot since then. At that time there were far fewer blogs and social networks were not used as they are now. It was easier to find topics to write about because there was very little published, especially in Spanish. Now there is much more competition and what is published has more repercussion, but in the end this is good, because it forces us to make an effort to keep looking for new and interesting topics and to improve the quality of the contents day by day.

-In an interview you mentioned eclecticism as your favorite style, what would you highlight about this aesthetic?

-What I like about eclecticism is the mixtures. In my opinion, you don’t have to decorate your home focusing on a single style and following all its guidelines, but you can mix different things from different styles, as long as you like them and you do it in a balanced and coherent way.

-To what extent do the homes of those who live there speak?

-It is normal for a home to say a lot about its inhabitants. Although one cannot always have the house as one would like, due to budget issues, as far as possible we all try to distribute, furnish and decorate our house to our taste and according to our needs.

Whether in the colors chosen, in the style of the furniture or in the small details, there is information about the inhabitants of the house. Especially when they have been living there for some time and have already adapted it to their character and way of life.

Raquel Veira Díaz

-As you know, we are passionate about chill out, what aspect of this style would you highlight?

-Chill out is undoubtedly a perfect style for relaxing spaces. If what we are looking for is to furnish and decorate a place to rest, it is excellent. I especially like it outdoors, on terraces, patios or gardens, both at home and in public establishments, the feeling of relaxation it offers is great.

-What are your plans for the future?

Due to life circumstances, I decided some time ago that I prefer not to make long-term plans. What I like is to enjoy the present and not miss any opportunity to live it intensely. I feel fortunate to be able to work on things I love and I hope to be able to continue to do so in the future. I continue to train and learn constantly and try to give the best of myself every day.

And I also like that work leaves me free time to enjoy my family, friends and travel. So my plan for the future is to maintain a balance between my personal and professional life and be as happy as possible.