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Timeless Design

PIRAJEAN LEES - ON TIMELESS DESIGN

February 11th 2025

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The idea of timeless design translates to the experiential elation of stepping off a busy street into an immersive, characterful space that feels like it's always been there, even if it hasn't. Our creative team uses design to create a lasting atmosphere, even in undeniably 'new' projects.

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Timeless design is about forming spaces that instantly resonate with those entering them on a fundamental, soulful level.

A well-designed space, much like a gracious host, welcomes guests, enveloping them in comfort, familiarity, and quiet intrigue. Just as a person accumulates stories and character through a life well lived, an enduring interior carries a sense of history—layered, nuanced, and instinctively inviting those within to feel naturally at ease.

Understanding interior design techniques and features within a space is not a prerequisite to enjoying a positive emotional response within timelessly designed environments. Yet, for those responsible for authoring them, there are no shortcuts in designing interiors that resonate with a feeling of belonging.

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A Pirajean Lees project doesn't begin with mood boards—and certainly not online. Our approach to generating timeless design derives from rich, tangible narratives we create and connect to every project. Getting to the heart of a space's story requires effort. It combines the client's brief and aspirations with our experience and expertise.

Like a seasoned doctor, we uncover all underlying ‘symptoms' of a design challenge before suggesting the ‘cure'. Through forensic investigation, the narrative becomes refined as thoughtful studio conversations about the project meld with found inspiration from books, drawings, and investigations through the halls of archives and museums. At this point, our imaginations come to the fore and a unique story begins.

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For example, at the Marylebone Townhouse, the tale starts with an unexpected discovery in our research process. We found out the square where the home is located was named after the mistress of a chimney sweep, the first man to lease a house there. Through our creative process, we envisioned this mistress as French, a cultured collector and appreciator of fine literature and art. Our fictional guide informed the design choices throughout the house, influencing decisions about furnishings, textures, and materials. Combining restored Georgian features with reclaimed timber from Parisian residences and carefully sourced antiques gives the impression of a home enriched by decades of thoughtful inhabitation.

Often, key parts of our narratives are found within the existing context of a building, allowing the story to remain rooted in a true sense of place. This is exemplified within Casa Lodo in Ibiza, where the history of the former fisherman’s house we were renovating served as the foundation for its transformation. The result was a residential sanctuary that seamlessly blends tradition with modernity by honoring its relationship with the land and sea.

Natural, sustainable materials were selected to complement the home’s original detailing, while the design frames views of the harbour, where boats weave in and out as they have for generations. In the kitchen, the home’s heart, hand-thrown ceramics from local artisans sit alongside vintage lighting, layering texture and objects to evoke a sense of gradual evolution. This feeling of change and the many lives lived in a building adds a sense of depth one couldn’t conjure without an overarching story, meticulous sourcing, and careful, deliberate layering.

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Since humans first gathered around fires, stories have been our way of understanding the world and each other. Our designs channel this age-old power of narrative to create spaces that resonate deeply and endure gracefully through the years. With this mindset, we can be very deliberate in choosing collaborators—craft-focused furniture makers whose pieces hold heritage and bear the hand of their maker. Vintage additions become essential in our work, which we source through dealers with access to furnishings that have already enjoyed many well-lived lives. With this extensive palette of meaningful material, we can comprehensively create the correct layers - timelessly designed sets for living, gathering, and making new memories.

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