MEET LISA THÖRNQVIST AND MADELEINE BUREFALK
Leaving behind the frosty winters of Stockholm, Lisa Thörnqvist and Madeleine Burefalk discovered a new home in sunny Spain and founded Calma Interior – a bespoke design and renovation company based on the Costa del Sol.
Where are you both from?
Both of us are from Stockholm, Sweden. If you are from the area, you can recognize on our “söder” (south of Stockholm) accent.
What brought you to Spain then?
The warm climate, firstly, because we couldn't stand the long and dark winters in Sweden. We thrive in the long light days, being able to be outside, having green nature all year around. Everything becomes a little bit easier, when you don't have to think about what weather it will be tomorrow. We can have lunches and dinners on the beach whenever we like. The lifestyle here is more relaxed and open because of the nice climate.
Tell us a bit about Calma Interior, the services you offer and how you got started.
We met when we moved here, and realized we have been working together in the past at H&M head office. Both of us had the dream of starting our own business with interior design. We saw a gap in the market for a company that combines design and renovation as a complete package. We got connected with plenty of skilled craftsmen and got started. We make bespoke Interior design, which means that we do unique concepts for each of our clients, and we go above and beyond, bringing original ideas to life in every space we create. We design and build houses from scratch, together with architects, or if you only want a new kitchen, we can do that too. Our main service, that many clients require, is to manage bigger renovations together with an Interior Design Concept. That allows us to adjust the base of the house to optimize the design. We do a lot of tailor made and built-in furniture, we choose the material and colours for all surfaces, interior and exterior, so the look is cohesive throughout the house.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
As soon as we walk into a new house, we get a ton of ideas. Seeing the potential of what it can become is always very exciting. Travelling and having new experiences gives us a lot of inspiration and fresh ideas. There are so many amazing places to visit around our area, such as Granada, Sevilla, Malaga etc. and we love taking inspiration from the traditional Spanish style.
What is your favorite place in Costa del Sol, and why?
Nerja is very close to our heart since it is our home. It is a small town, right by the sea. The old town houses are very pretty and there are not too many big hotels blocking the coast. We have plenty of restaurants, perfect climate and beautiful mountains surrounding it. When we have been to Malaga or Marbella for the day, it is always nice to come home to the calmness in Nerja. It is more green than many other pueblos along the coast, and we got everything we needed in a small area.
What is (or maybe was) your dream project?
We always want to do different things and challenge ourselves. It is very exciting when we can make a big change. We already have a few dream projects, like designing and renovating a beautiful B&B in the countryside. Another project, is truly a dream come true, where we do a complete restoration and unique design for a historical building in Málaga in 5 floors. Our dream now is to continue with the full service design concept of houses to extend and elevate the interior to its fullest.
According to you, what is the most interesting interior design style?
We love the Mediterranean style, and we often find our inspiration from an architectural point of view. To achieve that we choose high quality material from nature, such as wood, stone, metal, clay products. Handmade and antique objects are often entwined with the clean and fresh look. Unique moments appear when we think outside the box and aim for the perfect imperfect. It should feel unique and bring something new-That is the most interesting to us.
Has your clientele changed in the past few years and if so, how?
At first, we had mostly Swedish clients, but now we have other nationalities as well, like Spanish, British, Danish, Swiss and Dutch. We cater to private clients and professional developers. Our typical client, however, is someone who wants to remodel their holiday home, here in Spain, while living in another country. They trust our style and sense of quality, so they can relax and know everything is handled, and the result will have high standards. We love our clients, and we make many new friends along the way.
Do you see any new trends for next year?
Yes! More people want a unique look, and they dare to let their personal style shine. Also, we see a lot of reuse and clever ways to take care of old things and by doing so, we take care of the planet's limited resources. Look inside yourself instead of copying what everyone else does.