Pepe Cosín is one of the big names in Valencian interior design thanks to his Cosín Estudio, where he has spent forty years in a profession that is his greatest passion. You can feel that emotion in every type of space that he works on, be it a workplace like the Actiu offices, the Broseta law firm, or the Importaco and Divina Pastora offices, or the La Fe hospital complex, as well residential complexes. Cosín is always searching for his best project, “the one that’s yet to come”, and describes the evolution of his studio as “a dream come true”. Let’s CONNECT WITH… the most creative part of this designer.
After forty years in interior design, what are some of the big lessons you’ve learned about the profession that you’d like to share?
Passion is the most important thing, without a shadow of a doubt, though it’s the same for any creative profession. The love of design, studying and learning with great fervour, that’s what keeps it exciting for me. More than any technological advancement, passion is the key when it comes to design.
I’d also like to point out that the market has finally seen the need to incorporate design into everything. Design is considered added value in any project.
Of which of your products do you feel the proudest?
I always think that the best project is the next one, the one we haven’t done yet, no matter the budget. We like to approach everything with enthusiasm. It’s our way of understanding design.
How has the studio evolved? How did the need for your own product ‘publishing house’ come about?
It was a dream more than a need. The ‘publishing house’ is a project that comes and goes but one that we want to consolidate with new people. We have always done contract and specialised design work, but now we want it to reach the market, because industrial design is a very important part that deserves a lot of respect.
We do interior design, contract work (both private jobs and public tender), and home furnishings through our studio and store which, by the way, are very close to each other, with just a few hundred metres between them.
We do all types of interior design: offices, hospitals, houses, restaurants, hotels. We also furnish projects by other studios, although interior design is our forte.
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What’s your favourite material?
Every material is a noble one, it just depends on proportions and the way its used, but I’d say timber [is my favourite] because of the mastery involved in carpentry, which makes it very interesting.
Speaking of materials, what impact has sustainability had on the sector?
It’s a reality that is already a palpable concern and we are happy about it. All the materials we use are sustainable, or at least the timber and the fabrics, which are certified sustainable.
What would you highlight from your time as the dean of the Valencia College of Interior Designers?
I tried to surround myself with a diverse board from different generations. We worked on getting both online and in-person training courses off the ground. I’d like to mention the book about interior design and health that can be downloaded here, the publishing of which at the end of 2019 seemed to predict what was to come. We really want to take this debate to the people and make dissemination and training the foundation of the College.
How well do architecture and interior design co-exist?
For me, there isn’t any difference between the two. In fact, some great interior designers were architects. Good architecture takes interior design into account no matter the project because it is an intrinsic part of it. If the market sees changes to use and other factors that already exist, that’s different. Nevertheless, I do see that, in interior design, we are more about use and details, while architecture comes at things from the big picture. At the end of the day, they are two branches of the same tree.
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In what direction is interior design headed?
Right now, there is a place for everything: a trend like the appreciation of high-quality materials and the minimum sophistication in the intervention with Baroque stage design. When a new trend comes along, previous ones remain, and they keep getting added to each other. In fact, this combination of layers is becoming more important every day. It’s something that happens in fashion too, where different trends are existing side-by-side for longer.
We put the client at the centre of everything, independently of trends. Yes, we have our criteria, but they can be adapted to the person who uses the space. We believe that, to get it right in interior design, you have to really get inside a home, to the most intimate parts of it.
Who are the interior designers that inspire you?
Hans Hollein, Carlos Mollino, Eloiza, Barragán… The great masters continue to excite me.
How do you connect to inspiration?
I believe that creativity is something in our subconscious that is activated when one sees great masterpieces that are burned into your brain. Feeding [your inspiration] with exhibitions, films…that’s the key. Then you have to digest it all and make it your own.
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