RICH CULTURAL BACKGROUND

Nadia Olive Schnack was born in Aalborg to a Russian mother and an English father. “My mother was a passionate woman, while my father was the typical Englishman with his emotions neatly hidden. But they both had a sense of humour, and humour has also been my path to joy and survival,” says Nadia. “My working life and creativity are undoubtedly shaped by these two parents from two different worlds, who desperately tried to fit into tiny Denmark, both in mentally and physically.”

EMBRACING DIVERSITY

Although Nadia initially thought she would find her path at the Design School in Copenhagen, she ended up with a Master’s degree in communication, which she has never used. Instead, she found her true calling in creating worlds for others through interior design. “I found peace in balancing multiple cultures and realised that it was actually my greatest strength,” she says. “Creating a world that embraces diversity, just because you can. You can combine colours and patterns and mix different styles. I my current work life, I create worlds for people to be inspired by and feel comfortable in.”

COLOUR IS A GAMECHANGER

Nadia’s own style is eclectic and very responsive to the architecture from which a space emerges. And then there are colours, which for Nadia have always been a natural part of life. “Colours have unconsciously been in my life always. It started with Technicolor films and my first love, Elvis. Films are still one of my greatest sources of inspiration when it comes to colours, and I have always been interested in how colours can be used, mixed, balanced, and mastered.”

In her work as a designer and interior architect, colours are also one of Nadia’s most important tools: “Colour is definitely a game-changer. First and foremost, I use colours to create atmosphere and mood, but also quite functionally to make something disappear or frame it. Colours can enrich and create interesting expressions, make people relax, feel happy – or the opposite: make them tense or sad. Colour is a very powerful tool and the cornerstone of all my interior designs.”

“I ought to become a scholar of colours because I think it is such a fascinating subject, and I undoubtedly know that they affect us – positively and negatively. It is, of course, a subjective process, but I think there are some common traits when I visit my clients after a completed project. They often tell me that they relax more in their home and that everything has kind of fallen into place. That’s what colours can do. They can frame, create personality, and enhance the atmosphere you’re dreaming of.”

THE TASTE OF COLOURS

Nadia’s unique approach to colours and design made her an obvious partner when we at Stilling wanted to bring new, exciting colours to our portfolio. Nadia has thus curated the three new special edition colours: Dutch White, Avalon, and Comice. Dutch White is a calm, relaxed white with a pastel blue hue. Avalon is a sophisticated, saturated blue, and Comice is a fresh green colour. The colours have been introduced as collection colours on our popular AP 1100 and AP 1170 curtain tracks and can be selected for an additional fee for our entire range of curtain tracks.

“The three shades are chosen based on the colours I use the most. Avalon’s deep blue I use instead of black, Dutch White’s pastel blue tone is my replacement for white. They are my favourite colours, so to speak. The green Comice is a colour I dream of using much more, as it is so natural, and always up to something. It adds positivity and a pop of energy and is a great replacement for grey.”

Nadia has named the colours with inspiration from her culinary interests. Thus, Dutch White is named after a cabbage variety, Avalon after a plum variety, and Comice after a pear variety. “I love food! So the first thing I thought of when I had to name the colours was what associations I had to those colours in the world of food. Colours should make your mouth water,” says Nadia.

EVERYTHING HAS A STORY TELL

Nadia’s ability to combine colours and patterns is characterised by a deep understanding of how different elements can harmonise and create a whole. And with a curtain track in the colour Comice, Avalon, or Dutch White, according to Nadia, you can create contrast, tie together, and contribute to the overall design: “A coloured track can help emphasise that everything in the room is part of the big picture. Everything has a story to tell, and nothing is insignificant.” In my interior design, all elements have a purpose, nothing is accidental – a curtain track is just as important as the curtain.

To emphasise the colourful design of the curtain track, the special edition curtain tracks are made in colour combinations where a Comice track is combined with Dutch White accessories and vice versa. But just like the rest of the Stilling® range, everything is made to order and can therefore be customised entirely according to your desire.

NADIA’S 3 TIPS FOR CHOOSING COLOURS FOR YOUR HOME

If you dream of adding more colours to your home, Nadia Olive Schnack has the following advice:

1 – START SMALL

“If you’re not the most courageous, I recommend starting with a guest toilet or another smaller room to try out some ideas, and then you can gradually develop from there. Be brave, experiment, and choose colours that make you smile. Start with the smaller details and see how the colours play together. A coloured curtain track, for example, can make a big difference.”

2 – USE YOUR INTUITION

“Your intuition is your best friend. Decide what mood and expression you want to enhance in the different rooms. Find out which colours create this mood for you.  Should it be a place for inspiration or relaxation? There’s nothing wrong with following colour trends you like, but the most important thing is to choose colours that inspire you and make you feel good. I personally try to avoid being influenced by trends and instead let myself be inspired by music, art, films. Trends are short-lived, and interior design should preferably last for 100 years.”

3 – CREATE A RED THREAD

“Find something that can help you create a red thread in your colour choices. It could be a piece of fabric, grandma’s dress, a painting, or something else you use as a starting point. It helps ensure you don’t use too many colours and provides some control over the process. The chosen colour can also recur and develop through several rooms in the home.”

BONUS TIP: USE TEXTILES

“Textiles are indispensable. They are a tool that, like colours, helps bring everything together. Fabrics are good for us, for all our senses.”

NADIA OLIVE SCHNACK DESIGN STUDIO

Nadia Olive Schnack runs her design studio under the name NADIA OLIVE SCHNACK. Here interior and design solutions are offered to both private and commercial clients. The creative team consists of Nadia Olive Schnack, designer, and Carla Logo, architect MAA. They are both dedicated to creating spaces that enrich the lives of the people who inhabit them. By connecting purpose, layout, architecture, furniture, and materials, the design is balanced through timeless aesthetics that focus on quality, craftsmanship, and respect

BRAND TAKE-OVER

Nadia Olive Schnack’s talent, creativity, and masterful sense of colours created atmosphere and personality in the Stilling Studio with our special exhibition Colours and Crafts during 3daysofdesign. Here, Nadia curated art, lighting, and textiles and created unique and inspiring interior tableaus, based on the colours Comice, Dutch White, and Avalon. Colours and Crafts beautifully celebrated craftsmanship in vibrant colours and presented works from the design brands Stilling®, SkLO, KURAGE, Ege Carpets and Gurli Elbækgaard.

Nadia herself says about the exhibition: “I visited Stilling and gained insight into the impressive craftsmanship behind their curtain tracks and the premise that anything was possible, that we could push the boundaries of curtain design – and so we did. My wish for the exhibition was to create a rich experience where every single detail is thought through and plays together as a whole, and where the colours embrace you and give you something to think about. “