May 15, 2022
DESIGN TALK WITH STEPHANIE THATENHORST
May 15, 2022DESIGN TALK WITH STEPHANIE THATENHORST AND BENJAMIN CAJA, ACAPULCO DESIGN
You can attend the style school with her, commission an interior concept or add momentum to your own facility with a signature piece "selected by stephanie thatenhorst". The Munich interior designer Stephanie Thatenhorst expresses her eclectic style in a variety of interior design projects. The passion for strong colors and extravagant shapes is not only visible in the Munich showroom, but also in the company's own online shop: There Stephanie offers a selection of design pieces that she has carefully curated and which add expressive accents. This also includes the iconic furniture from Acapulco Design - they make Stephanie's interior heart beat faster.
Shortly before the launch of its new low table and the OAXACA Acapulco Chair, the PR agency hicklvesting met with Acapulco design makers Benjamin Caja and Stephanie Thatenhorst to talk about design, the original Acapulco Chair, as well as favorite eras and bold color highlights.
Hicklvesting: Stephanie, why do Acapulco Design products fit so well into your portfolio?
Stephanie: Acapulco Design transports pure Mexican attitude to life! Who doesn't dream of sipping a cocktail next to Jackie Kennedy in the Acapulco Chair? The furniture is eclectic in its own way and suits us so well in its individuality. How wonderful are these vibrant colors too! In the new design of the Acapulco OAXACA Chair I can see how Benjamin creates color dynamics. The model just oozes with Latin temperament.
Hicklvesting: One thing they have in common is the preference for mid-century design, right?
Stephanie: The midcentury is my absolute favorite design epoch, which I love to use in projects. It gets exciting when I put them in a new context and combine them with contemporary stylistic means. I love products in which a certain style epoch is recognizable and yet they fit into the here and now. Benjamin is also expanding his portfolio in this way. With the new Low Table, the terrazzo stone ensures liveliness: its predecessor, the Ring Table, is already extremely expressive, you recognize the iconic design and are still surprised: Two great new designs with a clear midcentury reference and reference to the original Acapulco Chair. I also think it's great that Benjamin places the design in a regional context, since the Ring Table is produced entirely in Bavaria.
Hicklvesting: Acapulco Design also seems young and contemporary, not least because of the colors...
Benjamin: The brand has its own urban character and can be "rough" and "street". It also stands for expressive colors, as shown to advantage in the citrus yellow Ring Table. I get consistently positive feedback for the model, but only a few dare to have a yellow dining table in the living room and prefer to use a restrained walnut veneer.
Stephanie: A color highlight is creating excitement in the interior! It's often the bold color combinations that set the decisive accents in my projects. From soft to rich tones, I have an easy game with the color palette from Acapulco Design.
Hicklvesting: …speaking of accents, Stephanie, how do you present the Acapulco Design products?
Stephanie: The pieces can be used in many different ways. In a rural setting I can create a kind of stylistic break with it. A pinch of Mexico also works in the clean, linear interior with exposed concrete or the beautiful old building - it enlivens every interior! I love the play of opposites and look forward to putting the pieces in completely unexpected contexts. With the new low table, there is now another area of application, it complements seating arrangements and free-standing armchairs.
Benjamin: ...both indoors and outdoors - wherever you gather with friends for a social gathering, in the spirit of the Mexican way of life in the spirit of the Acapulco Chair.
Hicklvesting: Stephanie, what criteria do you use to make your product selections?
Stephanie: That has a lot to do with gut feeling. Basically, not only design and color but also materials have to inspire me. Terrazzo with its long history is very special. Due to the color combinations and grains, it sometimes appears elegant and reduced, sometimes playful. As a result, products such as the low table can either be used as eye-catchers in the room or harmoniously combined with colors from the surrounding area.
Hicklvesting: Stephanie, a visit to your showroom is incredibly inspiring. Where does your inspiration for projects and creations come from?
Stephanie: I find a lot of inspiration when I travel. Discovering other countries and cultures is incredibly enriching. Being different fascinates me enormously, and conversations sometimes lead to electrifying new discoveries that only happen when you step out of your own cosmos.