How did you start working in the interior design profession?
Ron Zaal: “Interfurn was founded over 35 years ago by my father. My mother also worked for the company, and after school I started working as a representative. In other words, it’s a real family business. Years later, I took over the entire company. Interfurn mainly represented furniture agencies. About 10 years ago, we acquired the company Hoes en De Winter. This company dates back to 1812 – six generations old – and as a distinctive range of exclusive fabrics. A great addition to Interfurn’s collection. We now represent a very wide range of products including furniture, fabrics and related items, art and the paint and wallpaper company Farrow & Ball, of course. Naturally, paint is available in many different colours, but Farrow & Ball is truly different in appearance. Most people think ‘colour is colour’, but that’s definitely not the case. Colour is reflection and is closely related to the texture of the paint. It’s all about how light falls on the paint.”
How would you describe your own style?
“Our style is a bit eclectic. I love quality combinations of interior products with antique elements, but with a modern flavour and always combined with art. The common factor is always quality. I believe every interior should tell a story. Not everything has to be new. For example, artworks purchased during a holiday or at a flea market in London or old objects from grandma and grandpa tell their own story inside your interior. Combined with stylish and warm designs, they will fall like a blanket around you.”
What factors are decisive when a customer chooses a fabric?
“You need to know what kind of style you want. What is my approach? Something classic, less classic, modern or a little bit in between? Once you know this, it becomes easier to select your preferred patterns. Choosing a fabric is different from choosing furniture, because the quality of the furniture is all about its design and the cushions. It is also important to know what fabric is applied. A family with children naturally demands a different fabric than an older couple.”
What are the advantages of wallpaper instead of paint and vice versa?
“Wallpaper allows you to create a real statement in your interior, you can create a true eye-catcher. You can achieve this by applying a wallpaper with bold motif on a well-visible wall. This will give you an excellent result. Naturally, paint can be used in any interior, from modern to classic. Similarly, the colour of paint can also give your interior a beautiful and unique look. With relatively little investment and effort, paint can transform your interior into something new.”
What are the advantages of being an exhibitor at ETC Design Center Europe?
“That feeling of everyone being together. Here we can offer interior architects and their customers everything they like. We can provide them with the best service possible. And that’s exactly what customer in the higher market segment are looking for. Being together at such a location as this makes us all more effective.”
How do you advise customers who visit ETC Design Center Europe?
“My task is to supply the materials, the interior designer then chooses the material he/she can use for the project. We can maybe provide some inspiration, but in the end the style is determined by the interior designer.”
