At just 25, Georgian-born designer Natalie Shurgaia is already working across interiors, furniture and collectible design, with projects spanning Europe and the US. Her approach is eclectic but carefully considered, shaped by a love of materials, craftsmanship, art and the details that make a space feel lived-in. Her time at Peter Mikic Studio has given her experience on major international projects, while growing up in Georgia and the influence of her grandfather have kept her connected to traditional craftsmanship and a strong attention to detail. We spoke to Shurgaia about finding a personal language in design, working with artisans, the influence of AI, and why she would rather be known for the way she thinks than for one particular style.
You talk about creating spaces that feel personal rather than belonging to a particular style. How do you discover what makes a space genuinely personal to the person who lives in it?
It’s really understanding how someone lives and what they are naturally drawn to. I also look closely at what they already own. Furniture, art, books and objects can tell you a lot. Adding to and developing those collections creates a layered interior that can really tell a story. Those details make a home feel like the person living there. Even when two projects might share certain influences, the result should feel completely different.
You’re interested in bringing traditional craftsmanship into contemporary interiors without becoming nostalgic. Where do you think the line is between drawing on tradition and simply reproducing the past?
If a house has beautiful original features, I would much rather restore them and allow them to remain part of the story than replace them with something new. Those imperfections are often what give a space its character. I love working with artisans who use traditional methods because there is a level of quality and irregularity that you can’t replicate industrially. I’m often more interested in how things were made in the past than in reproducing how they looked. I might take a traditional technique in metalwork or stone and use it to create something very contemporary. You keep the craftsmanship and history behind it, but give it a completely different expression.
Your grandfather’s work had a strong influence on your attention to detail. Are there particular things you remember seeing in his work or in the way he worked that you still find yourself applying to your own design today?
My grandfather was very eclectic, and I remember his studio being filled with unusual objects, artwork and things that he had collected over time, for example old cigarette boxes with unique typography that he designed, his bronze sculptures, or other artworks. There was always something unexpected to discover. I think that definitely influenced my instinct to layer interiors rather than make everything feel too considered or perfect.
Something I took from him was the idea that a room should reveal itself slowly. I like interiors where you notice something on the second or third visit that you hadn’t seen before. It might be an unusual object, a piece of art, a material or a small detail in the joinery.
You’ve said that when AI can produce a beautiful image in seconds, having a genuine point of view becomes even more important. What do you think gives a designer a distinctive point of view today?
I think a point of view comes from being exposed to a broad range of influences and then finding your own thread through them. It isn’t necessarily about having one recognizable style. For me, the consistency comes more through material, atmosphere and the way different references are brought together.
I’m particularly interested in materials that change with time and have unique finishes. bronze with hand-applied patinas, lava stone, brass, marble, and onyx for example. I like combining materials that have very different qualities and allowing them to create a kind of material conversation.
You’ve worked on projects in Europe and the US, where you encounter very different cultural contexts. How do you adapt your design approach to different places while still maintaining your own creative identity?
The environment is always one of the first things I look at. The architecture, landscape, natural light, local materials and even the way people use a space should influence the design. I don’t think you can transplant the same interior from one place to another and expect it to feel right.
At the same time, I think your creative identity comes through in the way you interpret those things. A project might be much more contemporary or much more traditional depending on its location, but I tend to bring together different periods and references rather than working within one aesthetic. That eclecticism becomes part of the thread running through the work.
You describe yourself as someone who wants to remain curious rather than define yourself by a particular style. At 25, how do you balance developing a recognizable identity with allowing your style to keep changing?
I’m constantly being exposed to new ideas and my taste changes as a result. Working with artists, artisans and makers is a big part of that because you’re constantly discovering different ways of making things. I might see a particular technique or material and think about it completely differently in the context of an interior.
I actually think it’s important to allow your opinions to change. Design can become quite predictable when you become too attached to your own aesthetic. I’d rather have a recognizable way of thinking than a recognizable look.
Interview by Katie Ruth Davies
