Martin Brudnizki has Hello Cindy! London Calling
In the beautiful London evening light, Martin Brudnizki joined Interior Design Editor in Chief Cindy Allen (@thecindygram) for today’s episode of Hello Cindy! Born in Sweden, and operating mostly out of London and New York, Brudnizki’s work and design studio has gained a global following. “It was supposed to be the roaring 20s,” Brudnizki said at the start of their conversation, referring to our pre-lockdown sentiment for the new decade. “I do believe in human nature and I do believe we will learn a lot of lessons from [this moment],” he said, noting that he feels lucky to have his health and security. He also reminded Allen, along with viewers, to “wash your hands,” now and always.
Regarding his studio work, Brudnizki says: “I take on projects that I get excited about.” Many of his clients are in hospitality, an industry that has been deeply impacted by travel restrictions and social distancing due to the pandemic. The projects his London studio is working on are continuing, though, as are around 70 percent of his New York office’s projects. “People know we’re going to get through this,” he said, especially considering ventures like hotels can take years and years to complete. Stand-alone restaurants, unfortunately, have been hit hard and many of those projects have been put on hold. “I can’t wait to sit at a table with a linen starch table cloth,” Brudnizki joked and Allen chuckled in agreement.
Allen then showed several examples of Brudnizki’s diverse project portfolio on screen, including a bar in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour.
“I like mixing colors together… to create a fullness that fills a space with beauty and that’s what’s most important,” he said. One way he entices new clients is by showing them past projects and asking them how they feel when they see each one. “All my projects start with a feeling,” he added. The next project—Matteo’s, an Italian restaurant in Annabel’s London—is inspired by the old Annabel’s, with dramatic hues, mirrored ceilings, and original artwork, plus “tassels and fringes galore” for a luxe yet immersive experience. Many of his projects are “cocoons of color,” as Allen pointed out, to which Brudnizki, speaking to his signature saturation style, said: “You can put any color together as long as they are balanced tonally.”
In parting, Brudnizki encouraged viewers to dream and “try to live your fantasy.” Even when there are rainy days in London, and there are many, Brudnizki still admires the brightness and light in his apartment, just as there is still brightness and light in our days now. “I wake up every morning with a new outlook,” he said, echoing the well-known British sentiment: Keep calm and carry on.
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