Having been engaged to draw up the general specifications for the finishes and design concepts for the interior of the new residential block at Tigné Point, which has just been put on the market, Pippa Toledo describes the process and the essential elements for a successful outcome

Planning is key to design. As a designer, it’s important to imagine myself living within an apartment before I start to design it. You have to envisage all the potential wants and desires of the people who will be living there.
A lot of work was invested into the planning stage of this project. I plan each step very carefully and work holistically, with the finished result in mind. Once the fundamentals of the design are in place, I look for new and exciting ways of spicing things up and making them unique.
If an apartment isn’t well designed from the word 'go', no amount of furniture or expensive fabrics can make it work as a good living space. With the new residential block at Tigné Point, the whole idea of using my company was to help clients get a better idea of what the apartment of their choice is going to look like. We’ve gone to quite a bit of trouble to do the layout.
After the layout, there’s the lighting, the material finishes of flooring and the bathrooms. It is important for clients to decide how they will use the space at their disposal because without a furniture layout a designer can do nothing.

Key considerations
My key considerations were to create interest through the use of contrasting textures, materials and colours, ensuring a sense of flow from room to room throughout the apartment; it is how you build up the layers, colours and textures in a room that determines what overall mood you will create.
I also paid a lot of attention to lighting because, to me, it is one of the key elements of design and I believe that good lighting creates atmosphere, enhancing the overall feel of any home. I worked to ensure that the apartments’ exterior feels visibly linked to the interior while making the most of natural light.
While it’s not possible to pinpoint exactly what a client will want, through experience I have developed tried and tested methods to keep things simple and aesthetically pleasing. Throughout the block I have opted for a feeling of space, light and a natural colour scheme which will please anybody through its simplicity.

Three choices
For each apartment there are three choices: Minimalist, Contemporary and Classical. I’ve chosen three different colour schemes and materials for the three. So, there is a nice choice. It can appeal to young, middle aged and old.
The materials I’ve chosen for flooring come in a choice of five different colours, including grey, brown and cream. I can’t imagine that everyone is going to choose the same colour, but the tile is the same quality, which we are using throughout. I think it’s a lovely choice.
Although the target client is expected to be more conservative, where I am concerned, conservative does not mean very rigid. I chose the conservative scheme to make it easier for the client. Perhaps the first show flat that we did was a bit more way-out. If clients are going to buy now, seeing something simpler will make the choice easier.
Obviously, having done work before at Tigné Point has helped because I have developed further a familiarisation with the project and feel like I know it very well.

First reaction
My first reaction to the Midi project was excitement. The position of the apartments is fantastic and they offer a lot of scope for innovative design to play against the beautiful backdrop of the Valletta Harbour and the sea.
I was also attracted to their open plan layout, which lends itself well to today’s need for space and light. Similarly, I like the fact that the terraces feel as though they are part of the interior. They serve as another living area: an extension of the living room with an unobstructed, mesmerising view. Aside from this, some places really come alive at night and Midi is one of them.
I believe in making the apartment feel established and part of its surroundings. I was inspired by Valletta’s sandy colour, in contrast with the blue of the sea. Sand is a warm, comforting and enveloping colour that creates an atmosphere, which is truly inviting and easy on the eye.
Sand mixed with complementing natural hues and bursts of other colours is a definite reflection on the neighbouring environment of the apartments. The result is simple, smart and aesthetically pleasing.

Colours and textures
The secret of using colours and textures successfully is not only finding ones that work together visually; it’s also vital to have an awareness of the energy that they create. Considering the beautiful, yet central surroundings of Tigné Point, I was attracted to hues found in nature, mood lighting and open spaces that bring the feeling of outdoors in.
I encourage timelessness in my design through good planning, a simple choice of colour and the use of natural textures. I believe that, by definition, nature is timeless, and by evoking it through my designs I can hope to ensure that they too will remain ageless.
I do feel that I have moved on from something I did, say, 10 years ago. Yet, funnily enough, I have clients who come back to me today for whom I did an apartment 10 years ago; they still love it. The style has a certain timelessness that does not date. It works; even the fabrics chosen, the materials and colour schemes.
Yet my designs move on. I improve with time – like wine.