THE ITALBEC INTERVIEWS

Why did you decide to become an interior designer?

I feel like I've been in design my whole life. I didn't really know what an interior designer did or what that meant when I was young, nor did my family. I didn’t have a name to it, but I unknowingly have practiced since I was a child.

Growing up, we moved a lot. My mom was constantly chasing a better rent, in a safer neighbourhood. Moving gave me the ability to understand how to let go of what I didn’t need, and what wouldn’t serve a purpose to come with me. Of course, it gave me the added opportunity to establish furniture layouts with my mother, and decorate the apartments so that my brothers and I felt excited to be in a new place again.

Those summers, I watched construction every day in new Vimont. I lived in old Vimont. Broken marble and granite pieces surrounded the big blue or red containers in the driveways of these homes, and I would collect them to make art collages. The evolution of a home’s construction also amazed me. I would sneak into those homes when the contractors would leave for the day, dreaming that a house like that would be a home for my mom, brothers and me.

The curiosity of living better, at home with a full family, in a well-achieved space, never escaped me. Because I never lived it, I spent a lot of time thinking about it.

When I told my family that I was dropping out of art studies at Concordia to study design, shortly after my father passed, everyone seemed disappointed. There were a lot of angry people at the dinner table that night. They were worried design wouldn’t be a lucrative career path. Funny enough, I actually had a conversation about design a week before my father passed away—he was the one convincing me to enroll in interior design studies. After I graduated in 2007, I worked for very reputable firms where I met incredible co-workers that have also influenced the kind of work that I do today. And now, with all my experiences, I consider myself a lifestyle designer, because I really do get involved in the client's everyday living. I really do want to elevate their routines and help them live better. I really do want them to have strong family memories together, in a home, that I help them build.

When did you start your own firm?

I started my firm in 2013. It was under Geneviève Ghaleb Interior Design. I didn't want my name on the door anymore because I knew that at some point, I would be partnering with someone. I believed that a collective of people would always contribute to a greater end result than just one person alone. I renamed my company a few years later to XY Contemporary.

Even with the growth I anticipated for XY, it was important for me to always remain as the Principal Designer. I worked extremely hard at distinguishing my style in this city and being hired for it. I surpassed these challenges, all on my own. But I will never forget that time and the hardships that came with starting this business; it was years of it. I guess you can say that because I raised XY, I will always feel protective of it and of the brand’s aesthetic. Which is why not a single design, texture or furniture piece on any project, will ever not have my full hands in it.

Something that many don’t know is that in 2016, I was on the verge of throwing in the towel, for good. I took about two plus years off of work; no one really knew that. When I started again, I felt the growing pains of re-establishing myself in this industry and in this city, for the second time. It was hard, but I did it.

I decided to approach Bella Astor, a star designer that I heard so much about. A complete stranger with outstanding working experience at international design firms. Thankfully, she accepted. And now, I cannot picture XY without her.

She’s the complete polar opposite of me. Our partnership really is yin and yang. We do different parts of the work but combined, we're explosive. We are not just partners now. We are far more than that. She is there for me in any and all areas of life- more than I could have ever excepted. She is family.

Why did you rename your company XY contemporary?

When you’re designing in AutoCAD, XY represents the axis. Also, XY characterizes the male chromosome. I like the play on letters that it represented for me. It grasped my somewhat male design aesthetic and the clean, linear lines I love about contemporary design.

At the time I renamed, I was getting many male clients and they were all minimalists, like me. Instagram was also becoming popular, and I loved seeing what other professionals were working on. But I soon realized that I was the only female designer amongst many I knew, that was posting hyper minimalist interiors with very architectural details. I received a ton of backlash for it. Because I loved well-tailored contemporary interiors, with muted palettes, so contrary to the female designers I knew, I thought this must have meant that I had a masculine aesthetic. But I was really more about design that appeased anxiety, living in peace and calm with soothing monastic interiors. Moving forward, so many more women have surfaced at XY with minimalistic desires and an eye for refined quiet palettes. Our female clients have exceptional taste and have actually influenced my work and design direction, today.

What were some of the most challenging things that COVID brought to you personally and to your business?

One of the hardest parts about COVID was working from home, both personally and professionally; that had a huge impact on me because I’ve never liked working from home. I have a team of six and going into the office was this incredible place of creativity where we can ‘throw the ball around’ and discuss ideas. Then suddenly, there’s a shutdown, a lockdown, a curfew, and everyone is bound to stay by their desk or their kitchen table, 24 hours a day. This place of refuge, which is your home, this place where you come to relax at the end of the day, also became the place of stress and source of work. Personally, working alone all day in a quiet space and having to resort to video conference calls was extremely challenging on my mental health. On a professional side, to be able to stay focused, creative and upbeat for my clients was also hugely challenging. I’m glad that I had my dog Pepper, because it forced me to have to take her outside. I would have to make her run and play with her. I would have to be excited to throw a ball to her. That kind of changes things for you. It lifts your spirits.

Did you have trouble getting work done with your team?

We are not in an environment that could be apart. Design is collaborative, it is layered, it is long, it is hard. It’s a constant back and forth dialogue of creativity. We did see a decline in motivation and productivity. None of my team members or my employees said that they were struggling mentally working from home, but I could see that it was getting to all of us. The slower pace could naturally impact creativity and quality of work. But I am proud of everyone. We pulled through. We met our deadlines. And not one team member complained. I love them.

You’ve done mostly residential projects. Have you had to adapt the way you design homes because of COVID?

It was strange for me to hear so many speak out and say how covid-19 has taught everyone how to work from home and how to embrace your home office. Homes are not about work, they are not about home offices. It's an obvious thing that the pandemic forced us all to work from home, is it not? Should we make those environments at home more comfortable? Sure. Should we place all of our emphasis of what we learned about covid-19 and interior design on home offices? Absolutely not. What I see as a change, is this need for luxury. I think we all realized that we may have taken for granted our luxury lifestyles of grabbing a drink at a beautiful bar after work, or eating beautifully prepared dishes in stunning, award winning restaurant designs. I think we all missed, LUXURY. In residential design, we are going to see a lot more refinement and sophisticated details. Bringing home that sort of “sparkle” we notice in our favourite hotel lobbies, when travelling.

For commercial, I think the trend of casual “do-it-yourself” restaurant design may start to fade, as more and more people want to be in a beautiful, well planned, well-groomed environment.

What is something in your morning routine that you can’t give up?

I lived in the suburbs for a huge part of my life. Funny enough, I started to love the morning drive to work. This was my quiet time. No one would call me or bother me and I would play my usual classical music playlists. Now that I live a lot closer to work, I still put my phone on airplane mode and listen to an audio book or music— I use that as the motivation for the day. Oh, and coffee. Morning coffee with Bella, my partner, is essential to my day!

What elements are and will be a staple for exterior spaces due to the global situation?

I hope that the city is going to start considering exterior spaces a little bit more than they used to. If you take a drive on Mont-Royal, you're going to see a bunch of people in the Plateau, on the grass and on the floor. Where are all the picnic tables?

Covid-19 has showed us that lots of people were so fed up with being trapped in their homes, that they wanted to go outside. Enjoying a meal with family and friends is limiting for people like my mom or anyone that can’t sit on the grass for hours at a time. I hope that the city is going to start incorporating public dining spaces and public seating spaces.

How do you think covid-19 will impact design in the next 5 years?

Recently, we were designing a chain of restaurants and the owner was very adamant on placing a piece of plexiglass where there were banquettes. I wasn’t sure about this idea because I think my thoughts are not in covid-19 anymore. I don’t think the plexiglass measures or any screen measures will follow through. Many people are just so eager to be together again. Right now, my only thoughts on interior design in relation to covid-19 is that people are going to move away from being so casual. I honestly don't think there's that much more to it, or maybe it's just hopeful thinking.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?

The biggest lesson that I’ve learned in my career was not understanding my own worth and my own value. As a woman in construction, that is the first thing I should have done and that's the first thing I tell students now, when I speak to them. Know who you are, be confident, know your worth and stand your ground. It will gain you respect from clients and peers.

What advice would you give to young designers?

I don’t think I learned all that much in design school. Though, I do find it essential and a must to be a good designer. Practical experience is what teaches you everything. I never keep my head in a place where I feel like I know it all. Because even with incredible working experiences, I still have so much to learn. Young designers, old designers, we should always feel like a student to our craft. Learning more every day. Perfecting more, every day. You are a student to your career, to your craft and to life at all times because that fairness is going to keep you humble and help you grow. Growth is going to help evolve you into a better designer and people will see you completely differently.

The one mistake I see everyone make is that they’re either not confident enough or overly confident. You should be somewhere in between where you know your worth, you know your value and you know your stuff, but aren’t an unapproachable artist.

What’s one thing that people are generally surprised to learn about you?

I could be considered very talkative, bubbly in the office or with friends; in reality, I’m someone who's very private. I don't talk about my personal life and I don't like when others share my personal business, of any kind. That’s for me to share and for me to share only. A huge part of my life was made public growing up. I never enjoyed it. So now, I appreciate having the opportunity of privacy.

I had to ask my team what is surprising about me; they all had the same answer. I listen to a lot of classical music. Recently, I'm really into Olivia Belli; she's an Italian composer and she's incredible. But on a playlist of some of the greats like Vivaldi or Olivia Belli, you're probably going to hear Jesus Walks by Kanye West.

My team is shocked by this. To their core. I have an especially high admiration for Kanye West. Honestly. For some reason, everyone is shocked to hear this too. There's nothing this guy could do wrong in my eyes, even with all of his controversies— I am hardcore Kanye West fan. He’s brilliant and a creative genius. He honestly is. Yes, some of his personal decision-making I might not endorse, but I'm not judging him, given his mental health battles.

What foundations are you involved with?

I used to be involved with so many foundations such as Starlight for Kids, Hope and Cope; which was the young adult division of cancer patients for the Jewish General Hospital. Now, I'm involved with a smaller group. It's from Ontario called Designing Back. It was started by another designer, Alison Habermehl. Her main goal is to give back to communities. She pulled together a bunch of creatives, not necessarily designers, but all sorts of creators she knew that had lots of resources and contacts. When she would find a cause or something of need to give back to, we would pool all of our resources and find a way to give in big ways.

Recently, we raised awareness and funds for PCL, Parents for Community Living, in Waterloo, Ontario. These are parents that have children with disabilities. The government doesn't fund them to stay home and take care of their children. These parents have to quit their jobs to care for these kids, straining their finances. PCL provides home and care for these children, allowing them to have a great quality of life, and allowing parents to also spend time with their other family members.

What inspires you?

Travel is my source of inspiration. My brain is constantly in creative mode or in business mode. I need to be in a different time zone in order for my brain to actually shut down and be at peace, be happy, feel inspired and take in the moment. Especially when I go to Italy; I'm not sure what it is about Italy, something about this country makes me feel like I'm at home. It's where I feel my best self, which is kind of cheesy to say, but it's true. I feel so happy, so at ease and at peace; inspiration is literally from the floor, to the walls, to the sky. There are natural and artificial elements there that are just outstanding. It's hard not to feel inspired.

To learn more about Genevieve Ghaleb, Principal Designer at XY Contemporary, visit the following website www.xy-contemporary.com