FOR FREE SPIRITS
WE ARE SPACE WHISPERERS.
ALWAYS IN SEARCH OF THE SPECIAL AND UNIQUE, WE RUN STUDIO VILS TOGETHER – A MULTIDISCIPLINARY DESIGN AND CREATIVE CONSULTANCY. OUR HOLISTIC APPROACH COMBINES INTUITION WITH SCIENCE, TOUCHING BOTH MIND AND HEART.
WE ARE AN UNLIKELY DUO THAT SEES DIFFERENCE AS STRENGTH – TRANSFORMING IT INTO BOLD, PRECISE, AND PROFOUND INTERIOR CONCEPTS WITH CULTURAL DEPTH.
you work as a duo. what does each of you bring to the table?
vladimir: i like to see things in their physical reality: materials, constructions, how something feels or how it ages – that’s what interests me. i come from construction; for me, everything has to function. but at the same time, it should also tell a story.
leila: i approach things more through atmosphere, stories, cultural theory, cultural references: for me, it’s about which visions spaces should make visible. how do they shape us, what emotions do they evoke? i ask questions that open up space for different ways of thinking. our conversations are very direct, but always respectful. together, we balance intuition and knowledge.
vladimir: i believe our work thrives on the fact that we are constantly translating – she more emotionally, i more spatially and structurally. in the end, something emerges that combines both.
what are the biggest advantages and disadvantages of working as a couple?
vladimir: advantage: you know each other. disadvantage: you know each other. (both laugh)
leila: the biggest advantage: short paths! (both laugh). disadvantages don’t really exist, because we complement each other perfectly. for me, work is never “work,” but something beautiful and inspiring that always energizes me. of course, that also inevitably means that i find it hard to switch off.
do you work together on all projects from start to finish, or does each of you have specific focus areas?
vladimir: i take care of the more technical and construction-related side of the projects and the project management. i like to organize and structure things, and that’s where i can play to my strengths.
leila: luckily, i can bring my strengths to other areas: i love working conceptually and am responsible for concept development, workshops, client meetings, and presentations. we usually both take part in the creative ideation process, because in the end, both of us need to be satisfied with the result.
how did you become designers?
leila: well, i think i was always a designer. at ten, i loved being on the construction site of our weekend house – at the same time, i would draw floor plans on graph paper. my first “real” projects were cassette covers and small illustrations, with which i earned pocket money.
still, i first took another path: cultural studies, literature, philosophy, history. i earned my doctorate, researched and wrote, driven by the question of how meaning is created. language was my tool, theory my space. but the visual never let go of me: i worked in printmaking, painting, and sculpture, and exhibited my work. during that time, i often ended up planning kitchens or furnishing apartments for friends.
and then there was that one magical moment when everything that had long existed side by side suddenly came together into a coherent whole. design became my language – one that tells stories. only through my design education did i realize how valuable my cultural studies perspective is for the creative process.
vladimir: my path was more straightforward. my father was an architect and professor, so spatial thinking and building had always been part of my life. after my architecture studies, i spent years planning, building, and implementing projects. function and form were at the center: spaces had to be solid, logical. and yet there was always the demand that a space must also move you. when i reconnected with leila, other dimensions came into play: color, light, sensuality – the beauty that doesn’t need explanation. she showed me that between the lines there is a language that can be deeply felt. today i know: good architecture is the body of a space – but interior design is its heart and soul.
when does a project begin for you – with the first plan or with an idea?
leila: mostly with an image in my head. or with a feeling: a light mood, a material, a place. i literally put that feeling on the table.
vladimir: for me, it usually starts with a brief pause, often in conversation with leila, right in the middle of everyday life. i ask myself: what is this place missing? what would make it relevant? then we start wrestling with it – but that initial friction is necessary. out of that, something often arises that neither of us would have thought of alone.
what does a typical project process look like for you?
leila: we always start with an in-depth conversation, and for companies and larger projects also with workshops. with us, there’s no questionnaire, no fixed scheme. we want to understand the people and their lives.
vladimir: only then does the idea emerge. we work very closely with the place, the budget, and the real conditions – but also with a clear standard. we plan, prepare tenders, accompany the implementation – and are involved down to the last detail. what we build should still feel coherent in two decades.
what does trust mean in your work?
leila: our clients have little time, but a clear desire for authenticity. they give us the freedom to create something that truly suits them – even if they cannot put it into words themselves.
vladimir: it means that we are allowed to do our work – in the best sense. that someone says: “i don’t know exactly what i want, but i trust you to understand it.” and then we look very closely. the most beautiful moment is when, in the end, a space evokes something that the client themselves had not been able to express. that is never coincidence.
gibt es rituale, die euch durch den designprozess tragen?
vladimir: we talk a lot. then we fall silent again. and then, at some point, you notice: something is in the air. i often make decisions while moving – when walking or traveling. new settings, other people, and perspectives are crucial for me. a shift in perspective on the familiar. for me, it’s important to step away from everyday life again and again in order to truly see clearly.
leila: i read a lot, also from other disciplines. that keeps my mind awake and open to the new. and: i often change my workplace – couch, library, café, or co-working space. the city is like a third conversation partner – full of contrasts and places of calm at the same time.
what do you want to leave behind with your spaces?
leila: spaces that are not interchangeable. a sense of authenticity that moves and excites. our designs should show depth, inspire, and tell more about our clients than they themselves had imagined. and of course: they should become places one loves.
vladimir: a space should not double the complexity of life, but rather order it – subtly, almost casually. good design structures thought, influences feeling, guides movement without being visible. if someone feels intuitively at ease in a space – then we’ve done our work well.
it took a friend to ask us the right questions. andrea camic, herself a creative and part of the design duo rukom, which designs minimalist-urban, vegan bags, wanted to know how we, as such different personalities, work together. she invited us to a conversation and asked questions we had long wanted to ask ourselves.
this is how this dialogue emerged – about intuition, rituals, creativity, and the search for the extraordinary.
[reading time: 5 min.]
WE ARE SPACE WHISPERERS.
ALWAYS IN SEARCH OF THE SPECIAL AND THE UNIQUE, WE RUN STUDIO VILS TOGETHER – THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO WITH A BOUTIQUE APPROACH.
WE HAVE A PASSION FOR DISTINCTIVE, MAGICAL INTERIORS. THAT’S WHY EVERY SINGLE DAY WE DO WHAT WE LOVE MOST: WE DESIGN AUTHENTIC SPACES. WHAT BEGINS WITH CURIOSITY AND THE JOY OF PLAY IS EXAMINED THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED METHODS AND NEUROAESTHETICS FOR ITS PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT. THIS IS PRECISELY WHY OUR HOLISTIC DESIGN APPROACH REACHES BOTH MIND AND HEART.
FOR OVER THREE DECADES WE HAVE BEEN IN DIALOGUE – AS NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, PARTNERS. WE LISTEN TO THE SAME RECORDS, LOVE ART, COLLECT CATALOGUES AND BOOKS, COMPARE COLOR TONES AND WOOD SAMPLES. WE TAKE WALKS, SKETCH, PLACE MATERIALS SIDE BY SIDE AND LET THE STRONGEST IDEA TAKE THE LEAD.
AS AN UNLIKELY DUO, WE CHERISH WHAT WE SHARE BUT ALSO EMBRACE OUR DIFFERENCES AS STRENGTH. OUT OF THIS EMERGE BOLD AND PROFOUND CONCEPTS WITH CULTURAL DEPTH, PERFECTLY REFLECTING OUR BACKGROUNDS IN ARCHITECTURE, CULTURAL STUDIES, ART, AND INTERIOR DESIGN.
"design is our language – revealing what lies between the lines."
SELECT &
ARRANGE
we are two voices who prefer creating to talking about ourselves – which is why it took a friend to ask us the right questions. andrea camic, herself a creative and part of the design duo rukom, which designs urban-minimalist, vegan bags, wanted to know how we, as such different personalities, work together. she invited us to a conversation and asked questions that often arise in our projects – and that we had long wanted to ask ourselves.
this is how a dialogue emerged about intuition, science, and the search for the extraordinary.
you work as a duo. what does each of you bring to the table?
vladimir: i like to see things in their physical reality – materials, constructions, how something feels in the hand or how it ages, that’s what interests me. i come from construction, i want everything to always function – and at the same time tell a story.
leila: i approach things more through atmosphere, through stories. or theory! (laughs) my background is in cultural studies – for me, it’s about what visions spaces should make visible. i am always thinking about how spaces shape us and what emotions they evoke. i ask questions that open up room for different ways of thinking. our conversations are very direct, but always respectful. together, we balance intuition and knowledge.
vladimir: i believe our work lives from the fact that we are constantly translating – leila more emotionally, me more spatially-structurally. in the end, something emerges that holds both together.
what are the biggest advantages and disadvantages of working as a couple?
vladimir: advantage: you know each other. disadvantage: you know each other. (both laugh)
read more here
we are two voices who prefer creating to talking about ourselves – which is why it took a friend to ask us the right questions. andrea camic, herself a creative and part of the design duo rukom, which designs urban-minimalist, vegan bags, wanted to know how we, as such different personalities, work together. she invited us to a conversation and asked questions that often arise in our projects – and that we had long wanted to ask ourselves.
this is how a dialogue emerged about intuition, science, and the search for the extraordinary.
[reading time: 5 min.]
wie seid ihr designer geworden? leila: ich glaube, ich war immer schon designerin. als zehnjährige war ich am liebsten auf der baustelle unseres wochenendhauses – parallel dazu zeichnete ich grundrisse auf millimeterpapier. meine ersten „echten“ projekte waren kassettencover und kleine illustrationen, mit denen ich mein taschengeld aufbesserte. trotzdem schlug ich zunächst einen anderen weg ein: kulturwissenschaft, literatur, philosophie, geschichte. ich promovierte, forschte und schrieb, getrieben von der frage, wie sinn entsteht. sprache war mein werkzeug, theorie mein raum. doch das visuelle ließ mich nie los. ich stellte druckgrafiken aus, plante später im freundes- und familienkreis küchen und wohnungen. dann kam dieser eine magische moment, in dem sich alles, was lange nebeneinander existiert hatte, wie von selbst zusammenfügte. gestaltung wurde zu meiner sprache – eine, die geschichten erzählt. erst mit meiner designausbildung begriff ich, wie wertvoll mein kulturwissenschaftlicher blick für den kreativen prozess ist. vladimir: mein weg war geradliniger. mein vater war architekt und professor, so dass räumliches denken und bauen immer schon teil meines lebens waren. nach meinem architekturstudium habe ich jahrelang geplant, gebaut, umgesetzt. funktion und form standen im zentrum: räume mussten tragen, logisch sein. und doch war da immer auch der anspruch, dass ein raum berühren muss. als ich leila wieder begegnete, kamen andere ebenen dazu: farbe, licht, sinnlichkeit – das schöne, das nicht erklärt werden muss. sie hat mir gezeigt, dass zwischen den linien eine sprache liegt, die tief empfunden werden kann. heute weiß ich: gute architektur ist der körper eines raumes – interior design aber sind sein herz und seine seele. wann beginnt für euch ein projekt – mit dem ersten plan oder mit einer idee? leila: meistens mit einem bild im kopf. oder einem gefühl: eine lichtstimmung, ein material, ein ort. dieses gefühl lege ich dann buchstäblich auf den tisch. vladimir: für mich beginnt’s meistens mit einem kurzen innehalten, oft im gespräch mit leila, mitten im alltag. ich frage mich: was fehlt diesem ort? was würde ihn relevant machen? dann fangen wir an zu ringen, aber diese erste reibung brauchen wir. daraus entsteht oft etwas, das keiner von uns allein gedacht hätte. ihr arbeitet als duo. was bringt jede:r von euch mit? vladimir: ich sehe dinge gern in ihrer physischen realität: materialien, konstruktionen, wie sich etwas anfühlt oder altert – das interessiert mich. ich komme aus dem bau, für mich muss alles funktionieren. aber es soll dabei auch etwas erzählen. leila: ich komme eher über das atmosphärische, über geschichten, kulturtheorie, kulturelle referenzen: für mich geht es darum, welche visionen räume sichtbar machen sollen. wie prägen sie uns, welche emotionen lösen sie aus. ich stelle fragen, die raum für anderes denken öffnen. unsere gespräche sind da sehr direkt, aber immer respektvoll. zusammen balancieren wir bauchgefühl und wissen. vladimir: ich glaube, unsere arbeit lebt davon, dass wir permanent übersetzen – sie eher emotional, ich eher räumlich-strukturell. am ende entsteht etwas, das beides miteinander verbindet. was sind die größten vor- und nachteile, wenn man als paar ein arbeitsteam bildet? vladimir: vorteil: man kennt sich. nachteil: man kennt sich. (beide lachen) leila: das größte vorteil: kurze wege! (beide lachen). nachteile gibt es keine, weil wir uns perfekt ergänzen. zudem ist die arbeit für mich nie 'arbeit', sondern etwas schönes und inspirierendes. aber das führt unweigerlich dazu, dass ich schwer abschalten kann. was bedeutet vertrauen in eurer arbeit? leila: unsere kund:innen haben wenig zeit, aber einen klaren wunsch nach echtheit. sie geben uns die freiheit, etwas zu schaffen, das wirklich zu ihnen passt, auch wenn sie es selbst nicht in worte fassen können. vladimir: es bedeutet, dass man uns machen lässt – im besten sinne. dass jemand sagt: „ich weiß nicht genau, was ich will, aber ich vertraue euch, dass ihr es versteht.“ und dann schauen wir genau hin. der schönste moment ist, wenn ein raum am ende etwas auslöst, das der kunde selbst nicht in worte gefasst hätte. das ist nie zufall. gibt es rituale, die euch durch den designprozess tragen? vladimir: wir reden viel. dann schweigen wir wieder. und dann merkt man irgendwann: jetzt liegt etwas in der luft. oft treffe ich entscheidungen in bewegung – beim gehen oder auf reisen. neue kulissen, andere menschen und perspektiven sind für mich entscheidend. ein blickwechsel auf das eigene. für mich ist es wichtig, mich immer wieder vom alltag zu entfernen, um wirklich klar zu sehen. leila: ich lese viel, auch aus anderen disziplinen. das hält meinen geist wach und offen fürs neue. und: ich wechsle oft den arbeitsplatz, couch, bibliothek, café oder co‑working-space. die stadt ist wie ein dritter gesprächspartner – voller gegensätze und ruhepole zugleich. wie läuft ein typischer projektablauf mit euch ab? leila: wir starten immer mit einem ausführlichen gespräch, bei unternehmen und größeren projekten auch mit ein- bis zweitägigen workshops. bei uns gibt es keinen fragebogen, kein schema. wir wollen die menschen und ihr leben verstehen. vladimir: danach entsteht erst die idee. wir arbeiten sehr eng mit dem ort, dem budget und den realen bedingungen – aber auch mit einem klaren anspruch. wir planen, schreiben aus, begleiten die umsetzung – und sind bis zum letzten detail dabei. was wir bauen, soll auch in zwei jahrzehnten noch stimmig wirken. was wollt ihr mit euren räumen hinterlassen? leila: räume, die nicht austauschbar sind. ein gefühl von echtheit, das berührt und begeistert. unsere entwürfe sollen tiefe zeigen, inspirieren und mehr über unsere kund:innen erzählen, als sie selbst geahnt haben. vladimir: ein raum soll die komplexität des lebens nicht verdoppeln, sondern sie ordnen, unmerklich, fast beiläufig. gute gestaltung strukturiert das denken, beeinflusst das fühlen, lenkt bewegungen, ohne sichtbar zu sein. wenn ein mensch sich in einem raum intuitiv richtig fühlt – dann haben wir unsere arbeit gut gemacht.
FOR US, ART IS FUEL FOR THE MIND.
IT ELEVATES SPACE INTO LIVED POETRY AND INITIATES DIALOGUE – WITH ONESELF AND WITH OTHERS.
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Leila was recommended by a friend, and we hired her to restyle our vacation apartment. That was the best decision ever! Leila has a great eye for space and layout, along with an innovative and individual design approach that we absolutely loved. She advised us on removing a partition wall and how to furnish the new room. We love how she integrated several pieces of the existing furniture from our Budapest apartment, creating a relaxing atmosphere that is cozy and laid-back, yet chic and elevated. This sophisticated look was exactly what we were looking for—Leila knew it without us even having to say much. We never imagined that our holiday home could look this great! Her talent for blending classic and contemporary elements transformed our space into the perfect retreat, reflecting our personal style while providing an inviting atmosphere for guests. We wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking to elevate their living spaces—she's definitely worth it!
Selma and Zoran S.
We thank Leila from the bottom of our hearts for the impressive redesign of our tiny 13 m² holiday apartment in Croatia. After decades without renovation, we couldn’t imagine how something beautiful could emerge, until Leila arrived with her vision and sense of space. She took on the planning, furniture design and décor, confidently coordinated the craftsmen and, with great expertise, ensured that every installation and detail was executed perfectly. With her “magic touch”, creative ideas and precision, she transformed our little studio into a five‑star retreat that feels generous, offers practical storage and has far exceeded our expectations. Every single visitor stares at our apartment, open‑mouthed! We feel completely at home there and savour every moment! The wardrobe she designed is a true marvel of storage. For this outstanding achievement we are endlessly grateful and wholeheartedly recommend Leila and Studio Vils.
Family Cecic
Leila is such a gem! With my demanding job leaving me with no time, I desperately needed help organizing and decorating my newly purchased home. It was not yet fully furnished when I heard about Leila from a friend. We started with an online consultation, and then she came to my place for an in-person visit. She had amazing ideas, so I decided to hire her for interior design and space organization, and she did an incredible job! Thanks to her, my home looks incredible, my kitchen is perfectly organized, and I finally have enough space for everything I need. She managed to optimize the space beautifully while creating an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere.
Since she has a very sophisticated, european taste, I let her curate beautiful pieces that reflect my personal style (artistic) while complementing the eclectic vibe of my apartment. Leila's attention to detail and her understanding of my needs were truly impressive. Her professional yet personal approach made the entire process enjoyable. I highly recommend Leila to anyone looking for help with interior design and organization. She transforms living spaces into stylish havens while providing practical solutions that make everyday life easier. It was definitely an investment that paid off!
Diana H.
Due to the layout of our house, the living room is more of a narrow passageway than a proper living space. all our attempts to create a cozy atmosphere had failed. with studio vils, we decided to give it one last try – and luckily, we did! already from the very first contact, we had a very, very good impression: leila is highly competent, bursting with ideas, listens carefully, and asks the right questions. this impression continued throughout the entire project. even though leila was never (unfortunately) in our house, her concept for the living room was simply outstanding. she always supported us in a friendly, professional, imaginative, and above all, very patient way. now we are full of anticipation to bring leila’s concept to life. we can recommend her and studio vils without any reservation!
Andy und Carmen K.
