Decorating the Internet with Kat Ibañez

After a short Christmas break, we resume an exciting project that we started last summer: ‘Decorando internet’, a 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 welcome 2013 with the lovely interior designer, interior stylist and antique dealer Kat Ibañez (@KatDecoVintage on Twitter), author of the blog El Jardín de los Muffins (@JardinDeMuffins), specializing in vintage decor. Always in search of the perfect vintage piece for her projects -as she describes herself- Kat is in love with this aesthetic, history and the past. Optimistic, creative and with a restless spirit, she talks about her passion for antiques and vintage decoration trends, a style in which love at first sight is frequent and lasts a lifetime.

The Muffin Garden
El Jardín de los Muffins, Kat Ibañez’s blog.

-In 2009 El Jardín de los Muffins was born, how did the idea come about? What has been your trajectory as an interior designer?

-The blog was born to transmit a passion, as well as a profession. Curiously enough, my professional career has been parallel to a growing interest in vintage style. When I was studying, many people were horrified when I told them about the multiple possibilities of the furniture they had inherited and that they should not throw it away, but on the contrary: make it the protagonist of their rooms… Let’s say that was one of the reasons that pushed me to study at an English design school. His respect and the way he delves into all decorative styles won me over.

-On your blog we can see lovely examples of vintage decoration, what trends will this style follow in 2013?
-In recent years we have seen how it has gone through stages where the style had to be very marked and become evident and identifiable from the outset, to a less purist, but highly creative mix of furniture and objects that may not coincide in time or origin, but combined with creativity and knowledge (not everything goes, although it may seem otherwise) are fantastic. I think this trend is here to stay in 2013.

Styling in vintage decoration by Kat Ibañez.
Styling in vintage decoration by Kat Ibañez.

-How has your training as an antique dealer influenced your interior design projects?
-From the very beginning, it was clear to me that this was an asset on which I wanted to bet heavily. Look at the aesthetic side, as well as history and the past. Many people who want to decorate their home or business in this style are mainly looking for an interior design with which to differentiate themselves, but we cannot forget that, in turn, they are acquiring pieces that over the years will gain in value, since vintage is still a part of antiques, but more current and sometimes more affordable.

-In your blog you comment that you are always looking for the perfect vintage piece for your projects, what must that piece have to arouse your interest?
-It can be summed up in two words: personality and warmth. There are pieces that as soon as you see them it is clear that they have found you and not the other way around… I always like to say that love at first sight is a constant in this field and, when you fall in love, you wish with all your strength that the piece in question meets the requirements in terms of sizes and features for the project you are doing… And, curiously enough, it usually does!

Styling in vintage decoration by Kat Ibañez.
Styling in vintage decoration by Kat Ibañez.

-What advice would you give to someone interested in adding a vintage touch to their home?
-A good starting point would be to focus on that object of family inheritance, which we hold dear, so that it dictates to us how the future decoration of a room could be.

-Of the flea markets, brocantes, vintage stores and auctions you usually visit, which one has surprised you especially? any anecdote you remember during your visits?
-I’ll be honest with you: I’m usually the ‘oddball’ in auctions and brocantes, haha… Let’s say that, because of the average age in many of these places, most of the public has lived next to many of the pieces and furniture that I acquire and they play with a little advantage hehe… For its combination of land with wonderful landscapes and brocantes hidden in almost magical places, I stay without hesitation with the Empordà.

Styling in vintage decoration by Kat Ibañez.
Styling in vintage decoration by Kat Ibañez.

-Has the crisis affected the demand for vintage pieces in Spain for interior decoration?
-How many times have we read that in times of crisis it is time for new opportunities and reinvent ourselves… And even being very difficult times in the world of interior design, I think that looking on the bright side, the crisis has made us all aware that we want durable pieces that give us a plus in our homes. Here the vintage and, of course, the quality furniture made in Spain like yours, has a lot to say…

-When you take on a new interior design project, what are your maxims?
-The crisis has been hitting hard for a long time now and has made diversification in terms of work the bread and butter of the day. What I always try to do is to stay in my field, but touching all the possible keys (styling in decoration, collaborations with other professionals, search for special pieces, interior design events…) My maxim is always the same: to bring warmth and well-being by creating environments to be lived in a cozy way, so necessary in the current times we live in.

Styling in vintage decoration by Kat Ibañez.
Styling in vintage decoration by Kat Ibañez.

-As you know, our specialty is chill out decoration, what aspect of this style would you highlight?
-For me, chill out decoration is directly linked to the sensations it transmits. Essential pieces of furniture designed for us to disconnect and that, just by looking at their design, inspire moments of relaxation, for example, next to a good book. Dear Fiaka colleagues, I think that by visiting your selection of furniture the question answers itself…

-What are your future challenges?
-For some months now I have been embarking on a project that I am very excited about and that, if all goes well, I hope to unveil in the spring. Thank you very much friends of Fiaka for your trust and support. Professionals of good design like you make all of us who are in this exciting world of decoration move forward day by day.

Styling in vintage decoration by Kat Ibañez.
Styling in vintage decoration by Kat Ibañez.
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