Meet Simona Castagna – Minosa

Do you have a go to colour palette?

No – I need to meet the client in their home surroundings and get a feel for them. Minosa’s ethos is to create individual designs tailored to a client’s specific needs. I do, however, have a go-to whites palette – there are soooo many and it’s essential to have the right option for the colour temperature throughout the home!

Do you follow trends?

Not necessarily. We design for people, not fashion. So it is a client’s brief that dictates our colour choices.

What’s your favourite colour?

Orange! From the brights to the burnt – I love them all! It is a vibrant, happy colour to me – it makes me smile.

Do you have an interesting experience that gave you colour inspiration?

Years ago we were redesigning the home of a very loving and committed family. One of their prized possessions was a vibrant impasto painting of an Italian village – a gift from the husband to his wife. I was completely smitten by the colours – white, muted greys, blues, brown and burnt siennas. I used these to create the most amazing interior colour palette for the entire home, inside and out! The client was so happy with the selections.

Are you brave with colour?

I LOVE using colour! I do have to tread creatively though most of the time as the use of colour needs to be done well – not just via a 90s era feature wall! A story behind the colour choice is a good thing – perhaps incorporating or
translating the client’s life via colour. This can be done by listening carefully and at times delving a bit!

How do you ‘sell ‘colour to your clients?

I have a conversation with our clients about colour and its role in their current living arrangements, in their art and
their furnishings. I ‘sell’ colour as an internal surprise, within their joinery. It is like a jewel that needs to shine and complement the client. I also advise them, if they are NOT intending to re-sell, that they should be bolder, less safe.
Our joinery pieces are timeless and quality-focussed – we make for people and place, not re-sale.

Your favourite project?

I have two – the family home mentioned above (2013-14) and our Kiama kitchen interior palette. I went very pastel for that one and it felt like a gelato haven. This was the second time the client had commissioned Minosa. It was their holiday home and had to have a big chill-out, unwind feel.