TALLINN - At a time of great stress for many both at home and at work, it's good to hear that the Baltics remain passionate about their business and home environments.
Since independence in the early '90s 's when the Baltics were full of grey and dour offices and homes 's the countries have been transformed.
Whether it is part of the regions' national character or just the paucity of modern techniques and materials available during Soviet rule, one thing is for sure: the Baltics have embraced interior design and tested its boundaries in many spheres of life.
Where do the Baltics get their inspiration? Raul Tiitus of Pink OU explains that there is a slight distinction in styles within the region.
"I think Estonia is more influenced from Scandinavia, whereas Latvia and Lithuania attain some of their inspiration from mid-Europe," he said
"Due to the lack of opportunity and materials during Soviet rule, I think people became very creative at utilizing what they could. However, when independence came we were exposed to a world of great opportunity. New products, materials and techniques were embraced and that's why I think we have now created such original interiors," he said.
How do people approach creating a design for a home?
"Well home is a very personal thing and it takes time to put it all together. You should live in the environment for a time and then you'll realize what is missing or what is not," Tiitus said.
"So in basic terms I try to create a sort of background, where the owner of the home can add or remove things later themselves. In my view their input or personal stamp makes the house a home."
Even now in the recession, business leaders and householders still see good design as a priority and not an extravagance.
Kulli Salum is one of Estonia's leading Interior Designers. She believes that local people are extremely open minded when it comes to creating their living or working environment.
"In my experience business people in the region recognize the need to create a chic and functional environment. They are prepared to invest in good design to ensure their employees have areas to relax and make coffee, for example, as well as to fulfill their tasks," she said.
The concept was well described by Bruce Nussbaum, Editorial Page Editor of Business Week, when he said "design, in the end, is about creating better things for people. Along the way, it can generate better profits as well."
Salum said, however, that this idea is often not prevalent among foreign companies setting up shop in the region.
"I often come across multi national companies setting up an office in the region. They tend to be very cost conscious and do not embrace the concept that more space or an improved environment is worth the investment."
"There are also competitive issues related to the scale of the countries in this region. In large western countries, cafes and nightclubs, for example, are not constantly upgrading their facilities. However, here the cities are so small the 'in' places fall out of fashion very quickly and the 'in crowd,' small as it is, moves on."
"Typically establishments will completely refurbish on a three to five year cycle. I don't believe it occurs so frequently in larger Western European cities. If you don't do that in the Baltics you will probably not survive," she said.
"As for people's homes, again I find that people tend to want to showcase their home. Many people who have a new house seek advice from designers rather than proceeding on their own. It is clear they are prepared to invest a significant part of their resources to get quality materials and design in their home. In my opinion, they show greater financial commitment to their environment than countries outside the region."
