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While Latvian society fearfully awaits the harsh autumn, long predicted by their own government, “Rauzas kompānija” approaches it as a time for new opportunities. The furniture manufacturer (operational since 1997) announced their MINT collection this summer, which has been developed to conceptually conform to the lifestyle of modern people. Anyone could protest at this point – that each of us has a unique model of habits that gives rise to daily requirements, and there can only be the corresponding solutions. And it is precisely for this type of group – one which respects individuality, possibly with a fluctuating financial stability, but which is nevertheless positively active – for whom this furniture will be suited. The furniture is not just targeted at the young or old, Latvians or foreigners, but those who are ready to add something to their field of vision, and also to the daily and practical creativity of shifting furniture from room to room (from apartment to apartment, from city to city, from one country to another…); however, not becoming tired of the burden of domestic possessions in the midst of this unceasing movement. Besides, even in one family there tend to be collisions of those with opposing philosophies: there are optimists who, periodically changing the location of things, tend to improve the layout of a house, or simply for no reason, allowing their mood to dictate the situation, push the cupboard over to the opposite wall and take pleasure in “a different view”, while these eternal re-arrangers are balanced out by the supporters of more conservative notions, people who consider the repositioning of a chair a threat to the current order, because there is no point in moving something, as everything will inevitably reach its inescapable end.
Nevertheless, I should say that the opportunity to search for personalised creative solutions that are suitable to the individual is one of the most prevalent current design offers. When planning new products, the designers and manufacturers have assumed that people will be able to choose basic modules of furniture, and vary them to suit use in family homes, rental apartments or holiday houses, as well as in office spaces. With a change in space requirements or income, the principles of creation of the furniture line allows the owner to complete the furniture set in stages according to their own needs and ideas, or, when a new model appears, to purchase and add it to the set without ruining the existing interior arrangement. This ability to create multi-functional configurations is the main trump of the MINT collection, because, taking into account the accessible prices, the buyer may also have the thought that this particular colour kitchen cabinet may also be chosen by their acquaintance, because, as is well known, we are usually friends with people who are similar to us both in terms of interests, as well as, one must admit, opportunities.
I should add that when reviewing the sets designed for living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens I couldn’t find the bookshelf. The shelf with sliding doors, which can be adapted for use and is attached to the wall, nevertheless seemed quite impractical for a real bookworm, and simply too small, but now, when describing the advantages of a mobile life style, I must admit that the heaviest and most time consuming job when moving or changing the arrangement of a room is moving the bookshelf. If the home library is gradually becoming an unnecessary “heavy burden”, hopefully time will change that in favour of readers.
After viewing the MINT collection in person, my intuition tells me that it will be popular with people that at least sometimes walk to art exhibitions or flick through design books and magazines, no matter which profession they represent, because they will find it pleasant to see references to the style history of the 20th century, while the range of colours and the arrangement of fields of colour in relation to uncovered furniture surfaces makes one think about the spatial organisation of planes, as artists tend to do on a canvas. It must be noted that the interrelationships of colour have been balanced in such a tonal intensity, that allows anyone, even those who are uninitiated in colour studies, to faultlessly place objects alongside which are either opposite or complementary colours, because, if one just names the colours used – red, yellow, ochre, blue, green, grey – it could seem that by clumsily combining them, you could end up with a cacophony of colour instead of the individual solutions for the home that are promised. It is envisioned by professionals that the natural wood will collect and combine the rhythmic of the interplay of colour. The construction of the furniture is such that it allows for the owner to put it together, and if necessary, also dismantle it without a carpenter’s diploma.
In order to add to the voice of the authors of such a significant work, we began our discussion about their intentions and ideas with our standard questions presented to designers: What is good design in each of their scale of values? What could become the “key to success” for the MINT collection? How do they see the future of Latvian design in the current economic context?
“To my mind, good design is that which has high value in terms of content. It can be 50/50 attractiveness versus functionality, but in no way should one dominate over the other. People become used to even the most beautiful things, and in time these don’t give you the same butterflies in the stomach that that they did earlier. The same happens if there is too much focus on functionality. Most often, sadly, cars are sold when they are still working.
Also the material value in design is relative, because in the moment when person x acquires a design product, it becomes overgrown with emotional value, which continues to rise or fall depending on whether person x is a celebrity, who, by accident, puts it on e-bay, or just your tasteless sister. For some time it was possible to acquire an accidentally-created design miracle in Florida, a souvenir – the most common of wooden spoons with a hand-painted green palm. Practical, environmentally friendly and portable, it offered the desired aftertaste of “been there, done that”, and cost practically nothing. That was good design for a particular place, purpose and consumer.” Ieva Andžāne
“Good design is industrial design. With the groups of people involved – designers, technologists, craftsmen, sales specialists – the result of their work can move a product from an idea to a store shelf. I see a future for Latvian design in the field of furniture. These times are a challenge. All you need are ideas, specialists who are willing to work, and a little bit of luck. We have a lot less money, but this doesn’t mean that we don’t want to make our environment tasteful.” Jānis Rauza
“Design is like litmus paper for the spiritual and financial welfare of society.” Vineta Tauriņa
“Mostly I believe in the basic idea of the collection – that people create their own MINT house: they are given the basics, but the rest in terms of details and layout is in their own hands. MINT surrenders and submits. Today that is what people want from things that are all around them.” Vineta Tauriņa
“MINT furniture is a Latvian product. It has been thought out by Latvian designers and produced by Latvian craftsmen. Therefore – it is ours to its very last detail. This does not mean that it will not be suitable for people who live elsewhere. MINT is a story and a philosophy of life. It is dynamic and light furniture that conforms to the demands of contemporary people – simplicity, speed and quality. You can find yourself the most suitable options of colour and configuration, you can personalise the surrounding space, so that it doesn’t inconvenience you and serves you! Hang them, put them together and combine them! MINT furniture can be acquired for a price that is understandable to people. You could even say – an acceptable or low enough price, taking into account the production and the quality of materials used.” Atis Mekšs
“There would be success, if consumers in Latvia finally understood their conservatism in the process of buying furniture. We have so many colours around us – in our clothes, hair, and media – but interiors look as if they were created for bureaucrats. We must respect our culture and the product that has been manufactured – not just in terms of food and music. We should not be hoping that someone outside our borders will value us, if we don’t believe in our own strength. Therefore, to my mind, it is respect and daring to be enthusiastic about ourselves, because Latvians have never been sorry to spend their money on foreign brands.” Ieva Andžāne
“I am too young to make an objective judgement of what is currently happening in the nation. To me, politics means witty caricatures and empty, immovable, boring discussions. The foreign consumer has no interest in Latvia’s economic state; they are only interested in the price and the execution – this I have understood, living abroad. Although they may not earn a four figure salary, people allow themselves to have good quality things, because they understand that they are living for today, and wish to do that according to their own way.” Ieva Andžāne
“This is a time of opportunity for the most talented, brightest and most innovative (if and how many of this kind of people we have in Latvia – I’m not sure). Clever business people undoubtedly understand this and use it today. Actually every branch of business has to be “redesigned” according to new principles. Times of change are precisely those times that have always brought about the biggest success stories – I wish that also for Latvian design.” Vineta Tauriņa
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