A conversation with Sonia Pash from TEMZA (featuring Joy the Vizsla)
We talk with Sonia Pash - founder of London-based interior design and build studio TEMZA, which Hayche had the opportunity to collaborate with on an exclusive photoshoot, featuring our WW Armchair and her beautiful sidekick Joy the Vizsla.
TEMZA is well known for their impeccable building and refurbishment services in London, if you speak to any of their clients, they will all agree on the same thing - their customer service from concept creation, through to construction phase and furnishing is second to none. We found Sonia's answers quite inspiring and honest, and hope you enjoy this conversation and Joy's photos as much as we did!
Hayche: What inspired you to be an interior designer?
SP: My background is in Real Estate, and while I was working in this industry I had many clients looking for newly fitted out conversions and renovations, there is always a big market for this type of property. However, it was a big struggle to find anything that I could honestly recommend to my clients. The viewings were always a disappointment, as so many of the new conversions in London are fitted out with lousy materials with an already outdated design. It just didn’t make sense, I want to give people a beautiful home, that’s practical and looks great as well. I enjoy the transformation of the property, from an ugly duckling to graceful swan! It feels satisfying to be creating a place for our clients to enjoy, the value we create is very tangible.
Hayche: If they were to make a toy action figure of you, what would your accessory be?
SP: My accessory would be my sidekick, Joy the Vizsla. She’s my three years old Hungarian Vizsla puppy, also our Lead Designer at Temza. She’d wear a stylish cape and a mask, in the colour of Farrow and Ball’s new De Nimes blue. To perfectly compliment her beautiful rusty red-brown fur of course.
Hayche: To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life within the design world has taken?
SP: I guess I did take control in a way. As opposed to going down, the perhaps more typical route of working for another interior design or architectural practice before co-founding my own company - I just went straight for it. I had a strong vision of how I’d like the company to run and what makes excellent customer service and great projects, and Temza is still representing these values to me to this day.
Hayche: What would be your dream interior project?
SP: To design a doggie spa where the dogs and their owners can enjoy some quality pampering time together! Imagine the fun you could have using all the cutie doggie patterned fabrics and wallpapers (I’m looking at you Jane Churchill). According to economy.org, 2019 is the year of the “pet economy”, which might mean my dream is soon to come true!
Hayche: What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
SP: I get told often, that the way I run my business is pretty unusual. We are all family here, our team is very friendly and relaxed, and we cherish the relationships we have built with our clients. They would quite literally trust us to take their kids to school while they are on a business trip – and they always bring us a box of chocolates from abroad! We don’t like to act all stuck up; you are always welcome to pop into our office for a coffee or a chat.
Hayche: If you could go back in time and speak to your adolescent self, what advice would you give them about the design world?
SP: If I was teleported back, I would remind myself to be kinder to the planet when designing and constructing people’s homes and businesses. For too long design has been driven by pure aesthetics and artistic expressions of balance, harmony, elegance and beauty. Now the design world is really heading into the direction of eco-consciousness and trends don’t stay on the surface level but go much deeper, to tell the story of each material. Where it’s coming from and where will it go after it’s fulfilled its life in the house.
It would be great to be on the forefront of that movement and to take more of a conscious effort to convince our clients to invest into eco-friendly materials and pieces. I would also track down and support suppliers who are working along these principles right from the start of my career in design and construction. Last, but not least - I’d give myself the access to the list of upcoming 'Pantone Colours of the Year,' so I can prank all my friends that I have colour visions of the future!
Follow TEMZA on Instagram
Images courtesy of TEMZA