Interior designer Tessa Alindogan walks Lifestyle Asia through her creative process while providing insights on the current landscape and future of her profession.
Our surroundings shape and influence us in a myriad of ways, which is precisely why interior design remains an integral part of every facet of daily life, across all industries. Whether it’s a brick and mortar store, hotel, private home, or even a stately presidential guest house, the configuration of these spaces can change the way inhabitants or visitors perceive and interact with their surroundings. Interior designers like Tessa Alindogan play a pivotal role in ensuring that these environments look and feel the way their owners want them to.
But what exactly does it take to masterfully transform spaces into welcoming, practical, and visually-appealing places of refuge that exude personality? In an interview with Lifestyle Asia, Tessa enlightens us with the ins and outs of her design process, and provides insights on current and future trends within the industry.
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A Design Calling
Tessa’s journey in the industry began later in life, though she cultivated an interest in interior design as early as her high school years. “I would find myself constantly arranging and rearranging furniture in our family home, trying out furniture compositions and mixing decor and other home accessories,” she explains. “I would also look forward to our family trips abroad where I would be exposed to different cultures, museum visits and beautifully designed hotels, restaurants, retail shops and other establishments.”
She later pursued a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, then a Master’s Degree in Education, both from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California. Afterwards, she returned to her home country and took up her first job at the Design Center of the Philippines. It was then when she discovered her passion for interior design, after practicing it with her good friend Tessa Prieto for half a decade.
“I enjoyed it so much and found satisfaction in this field, so I decided to pursue interior design. The inner urge to be creative and to study this discipline formally further propelled me to pursue this dream,” Tessa shares. “I then went to Inchbald School of Design in London, UK and graduated second in my class. After London, I set up my very own interior design practice, Adesign.”
The Dream Team
Composed of her and her partners, furniture designer Anton Barretto and creative director Arthur Tselishchev, Adesign has worked on all kinds of projects both private and commercial. One of their more recent ones being the design of the elegant Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Guest Room within the historical Laperal Mansion—which now serves as the official Presidential Guest House.
Currently, Tessa and her team are working on some homes with roof decks. “I find that this area allows the owners to experience a different facet in enjoying a home,” she expounds. “Thinking of how it will look and how to enhance the panoramic views is exciting.”
Timeless Spaces
Tessa’s favorite part of the job is tackling the challenge of creating and conceptualizing a residential project. “Space planning and interpreting design directions from clients to give them their dream home is an exciting process for me,” she states. “I love doing floor plans that are functional yet aesthetically pleasing, looking for fabric, wallcovering, fixtures, and other materials.” She shares that sourcing is a part of the process that she derives a great deal of inspiration from.
“It’s rewarding to see the final outcome and building relationships with our clients is also something I value,” Tessa adds.
Though the designer prefers embracing all kinds of design genres, she is a fan of mid-century modern designs. “I can’t say that it’s my signature look or style; I also appreciate the other design disciplines. I grew up in a classic and traditional home, traveling has exposed me to the modern and contemporary styles,” she elaborates. “In the years of working in interior design, the experience of creating spaces has exposed me to the many styles of design. In design, evolution is basically cyclical. What I love to do is to manage merging different styles and creating something stylish and timeless that my clients will be happy with.”
Form, Function, Expression
When it comes to designing spaces, form, function, and expression take precedence in Tessa’s practice. “Form follows function in the interior design process. The home is a private refuge and a place where one can relax and retreat,” she explains. “That is why everything has to be perfect and carefully planned—form, light, color, pattern, line, space, and texture, the seven elements of an interior design process.”
Tessa’s key takeaway from her years in the industry is that a home is both a place of use and personal expression. “Mixing design materials to create a canvas to decorate with furniture pieces that make a home cozy and comfortable, [as well as] finding elements to represent my clients personality, is what I consider the best takeaway,” she says. “It is the process of creation, with each project I learn and my design acumen evolves.”
The Now and Tomorrow of Interior Design
As for the current landscape of interior design, Tessa states that trends are constantly changing. She also noticed that, rather than sticking to trends, her clients tend to gravitate towards a particular look or feeling instead. “Whatever style they request for their homes, the majority of them always include in the brief to make the home feel like a hotel,” she explains. “The glory of a hotel is when the experience leaves a lasting emotion of comfort and calm. Transferring this experience in a home project is what draws a client to feeling at home in their own houses.”
As for the future of interior design, trends and personal observations have led Tessa to conclude that “interior design is pivotal,” with “a conscious effort now on sustainability.”
“It may seem hard to interpret, many imagine sustainable as minimalist, organic, and modern in style,” she elaborates. “It is basically an improved state of living. There are many ways to generate a sustainable home and still make it true to your design style.”
One of the things that the pandemic had made more prominent was the significance of investing in the curation and design of personal spaces. Even if many people are returning to work and traveling, they leave with the newfound realization that they need a place they can always return to, regardless of what is going on in the world. The works of talented designers like Tessa continue to stand as testament to the power of interior design, transforming homes into timeless, vibrant sanctuaries for every lifestyle.
