An interview with Inner Design

At Inner Design, nature and well-being are at the core of every creation. This Belgian brand, co-founded by Quentin Taymans, crafts innovative furnishings that bring a sense of calm and connection to modern interiors. Their Shanti® relaxation chairs, made with sustainable and natural materials, pair beautifully with the organic surfaces from Organoid, which add a sensory layer of nature-inspired textures and scents to any space.

To delve deeper into the story behind Inner Design and their vision, we talked with Quentin, co-founder of the brand. He shared insights about their journey, inspirations, and the harmonious collaboration with Organoid.

Here's what he had to say:

Hello Quentin, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your brand Inner Design?

Hello Charlotte, my name is Quentin, I am the cofounder of Inner Design, a Belgian company dedicated to creating innovative, contemporary furnishings that enhance the well-being of the occupants and users. I am a civil engineer with a passion for design, art, and self-development. I have accumulated 10 years’ experience of managing complex real estate projects in Belgium and Paris.

While completing a complementary master’s degree in real estate development, I had a unique chance to explore the American market on a trip to New York City. 
We visited a range of inspiring spaces, including the new Hermès headquarters. There, I discovered a cocoon chair that deeply resonated with me, igniting the inspiration to bring a similar concept to Europe.

A few months later, I travelled to an ashram in India, seeking to enrich my reflections and cultivate new inspirations. The experience was transformative, offering me a new level of clarity, a deep sense of peace and a reconnection to nature that I wanted to share with others. At New Delhi Airport on my way back to Brussels, it all came together: I envisioned a nature-inspired product that would give people a way to step back from daily demands, disconnect from the endless flow of notifications, and reconnect with themselves and nature. Inner Design and the first product Shanti ® was born, a sanctuary of calm and clarity that we today all need.

Let's start by talking about the HIX Hotel Design Show.
How was your experience participating in the event and what stood out the most for you?

Since founding Inner Design, we’ve had the privilege of participating in several prestigious trade fairs, including 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen, Design Nation in Kortrijk, and HIX in London. Our first product, Shanti®, is a relaxation chair thoughtfully designed to create a private sanctuary for recharging and rejuvenation. This exceptional piece of furniture beautifully blends contemporary design with a focus on well-being. The chair provides an intimate space to enjoy quality moments, whether reading, listening to music, breastfeeding or meditating, making it ideal for a variety of public and private settings.

My business partner, Diego, has lived in London for 10 years and has extensive experience in the luxury hotel industry. He has held commercial roles, including with Design Hotels™, representing uniquely designed hotels across the globe. This dual connection between Brussels and London gives Inner Design a unique perspective and strategic positioning. Moreover, understanding that travelers increasingly value personal space and the comfort of a distinctive, warm, and authentic environment, Shanti® has been designed to address these specific needs. This has naturally led to a strong interest in the hospitality market.

With this in mind, participating in HIX London, an event that gathers the hotel industry’s leading players, including interior design firms managing projects worldwide, felt essential. It provided us with a unique opportunity to present our innovative project while highlighting our strong ties to London. We were deeply encouraged by the enthusiasm our vision inspired and the caliber of connections we made. Additionally, we found the event’s presentations particularly insightful, especially one titled “Relaxation Rebooth: Designing for Both Sanctuary and Stimulation”, which perfectly resonated with our concept and philosophy.

I understand that Inner Design showcased a particularly unique booth featuring Organoid Organic Wallpaper.
Could you walk us through how you decided to incorporate this material into your booth’s design?

Since launching Inner Design, I’ve had the opportunity to visit a number of trade fairs where I’ve connected with creators and designers who share our mission of crafting contemporary spaces and furnishings that enhances the well-being of its users. During Antwerp Design Week in May 2024, I had the pleasure of discovering Organoid and was instantly captivated by their product. It evoked wonderful childhood memories of family holidays in Switzerland. Organoid’s wallpaper, made from cut herbs and flowers adhered to a natural matrix, exudes a natural scent and evokes a profound sense of connection to nature from the very first touch.

While preparing our stand for HIX London, we sought a natural and elegant solution to cover the walls of our booth. Organoid immediately came to mind; it aligns perfectly with our ethos and beautifully complements what we offer.

Now, let’s dive into the synergy between the Organoid Organic Wallpaper and your Inner Design chairs. How do these two elements work together to create a cohesive experience for the viewer? The world of Organoid Natural Surfaces and Inner Design harmonize seamlessly, offering distinct yet complementary products that collectively shape cohesive, inspiring spaces. On one side, there are the Shanti® chairs, designed to help individuals disconnect from the external world and reconnect with their inner selves, promoting enhanced well-being. Crafted in Belgium with exceptional attention to detail, the chairs feature noble, natural, and sustainable materials, blending customizable textiles with a distinctive design. On the other side, Organoid Organic Wallpaper, made from 100% natural materials, contributes to the creation of unique, immersive environments. It underscores the shared mission of both brands: bringing nature and well-being to the forefront of design. In the creation of our stand, the synergy between these two brands became indispensable. The pairing of Shanti® and Organoid not only enhanced their individual identities but also collectively delivered a result that transcended their singularities. This unique outcome highlights the richness and success of a meaningful collaboration built on shared values and a unified vision.

Do you feel that the choice of materials for both the wallpaper and the chairs speaks to the broader trends in design, particularly with the growing interest in sustainability and well-being?

Global warming and its increasingly evident consequences for human life have driven policymakers to make bold decisions to reduce our environmental impact. These efforts are notably guided by the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ESG criteria—environmental, social, and governance frameworks. Across all industries, concrete actions are being implemented to enhance sustainability and promote the well-being of all living beings.

Both Inner Design and Organoid are well-positioned within this evolving market, offering solutions that align seamlessly with this growing trend. Our innovative brands provide bold, forward-thinking alternatives for elegantly transforming private and public interiors, with one emphasizing sustainability and the other prioritizing well-being. Through our collaboration, our two brands amplify each other’s strengths, resulting in a coherent, unified outcome that reflects our shared commitment to creating spaces that honor nature, design, and humanity.

What do you hope visitors took away from seeing your booth at the HIX Hotel Design Show?

We hope to have inspired awareness among the many people we’ve met through our pioneering approach, which emphasizes collaboration between like-minded innovators dedicated to creating products and environments rooted in nature, sustainability, and well-being.

It sounds like Inner Design truly created something special at the HIX Hotel Design Show. We can’t wait to see what’s next for you! Where can people who are interested in the Inner Design Chairs find you?

We're thrilled to continue this exciting journey of meaningful encounters and inspiring discoveries. We are equally enthusiastic about fostering the partnerships that strengthen our commitment to creating innovative, nature-centered designs. Based in Brussels and London, where our chairs are on display, we would be delighted to meet you in person!

We look forward to welcoming you at the Maison & Objet show in Paris between the 16th & 20th of January 2025. For details about our participation in other fairs, please visit our website!
We look forward to meeting you!

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Curious about Organoid? Read all about it here.