AKI Founder Charis James on designing for life
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AKI Founder Charis James on designing for life
“We like to think of our role as storytellers, so the design aesthetic of each of our projects is unique.”
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Charis James -
Charis James -
Charis James
Charis James is the Founder of AKI, a Melbourne-based interior architecture and design studio with a focus on ‘emotion centred design’.
An Interior Architect and passionate designer, Charis originally trained as a designer 20 years ago. In the years since, Charis honed her skills by obtaining an Honors degree in Interior Architecture, which allowed her to extend AKI into her “real passion” of commercial spaces in hospitality, hotel, and retail design.
Charis’s experience encompasses high-end residential, workplace and commercial projects around Australia. Currently she is working on "Fawkner House", a Victorian residence in South Yarra. Designed exclusively by AKI, the minimal and contemporary style embraces the home’s heritage, bringing more light into the spaces and creating an emotional connection to the spaces with detailed curation of unique fixtures and fittings, cabinetry, and bespoke furniture and lighting.
Image: On-site Fawkner House. Source: Charis James
AKI’s intuitive design approach focuses on “Design for Life”, involving a collaborative process between the team and client guiding them along every stage of the design process from initial design concepts, design development and execution, to selection and curation of furniture/art and objects. Charis loves to collaborate with other creatives and craftsman, including furniture makers, artists, and lighting manufacturers, to bring unique pieces to each project.
Recognising changing design needs arising from the COVID pandemic, AKI Studio has recently created a new Online Studio, adapting the business to be able to consult around the world with online consultations.
Image: Bespoke concept boards and design boards. Source: Charis James
WILLIAMS MEDIA spoke to Charis James about her design philosophy and career.
Initially AKI (Interior Architecture Studio) focused on high-end residential projects, including new houses and renovations, apartments, and beach houses. More recently you have expanded your portfolio to include boutique hotel / hospitality, retail and work spaces.
How would you describe your architectural aesthetic?
We like to think of our role as storytellers, so the design aesthetic of each of our projects is unique. The brief and discovery phase at the beginning of our process is crucial to establishing the concept and the emotion of the project. This is especially important in Boutique Hotels and hospitality spaces, for example. People want to feel and experience.
Source: Charis James
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
I am passionate about creating spaces for people to enjoy adding value to their lives and allowing them to prosper.
You believe that “great design should always be felt” and ensure each project is a bespoke and unique. What advice would you give to anyone wishing to build or renovate?
- Know what makes you happy, how you live and what things are important to you and your family. This will help form the framework of your design that is unique to you.
- Know your budget across the whole job and what areas of your design you are willing to compromise on and which areas you are not.
- Invest in a good Architect and Interior Designer. This will save you money in the end and you will be telling all your friends!
Image: A mixture of beautiful stone, timber, raw materials, and subtle tones. Source: Charis James
With your philosophy of “designing for life” and today’s focus on sustainability, what ‘trends’ remain timeless in interior design and materials?
Natural materials such as marble and timber will always be timeless, and good quality will never go out of style. Investing in good quality base furniture, ie sofa, beds, rugs and lighting will also go a long way to giving longevity to your home. Investing in pieces for your home that you won’t want to throw away after 5 years.
Image: "Great design should always be felt." Source: Charis James
What is the most interesting brief you’ve been given by a client?
Renovation of a two-storey penthouse apartment that was originally built in 2000. It had all the remnants of the late 1990s in the teak finishes and black granite bench tops and semi recessed bathroom vanities that were popular back then. What was really interesting to me was the generous spaces and floor to ceiling windows. It had so much potential.
Image: Design in progress. Source: Charis James
The brief was to turn it into a New York style loft apartment, making the most of the light and the ceiling and window heights that encapsulated the views on both sides of the apartment.
Did you take on the project?
Yes, I absolutely did, and the final product exceeded the client’s expectations, which is the ultimate goal on any project.
Image: New York Loft style apartment. Source: Charis James
What advice would you give to a newly graduated Interior Architect or someone thinking about Interior Architecture as a career?
Make sure you keep learning and honing your technical skills while also being very aware of how people use spaces and open to every experience that comes your way. And lastly, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, just go for it.
Source: Charis James
Where do you live now, and where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?
At the moment we live on the city fringe in South Yarra, in Melbourne. Europe, in particular Italy, would probably be a place I would like to experience living in. I love the way the Europeans think about design. They are very particular about quality and very innovative, they embrace their history while at the same time are always designing for the future.
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