The Design Diaries
-Maria Jeglinska-Adamczewska

Words Vidula KotianDate 29 September 2021

Industrial designer Maria Jeglinska-Adamczewska has been running her own studio in Warsaw for almost 10 years now. Her tongue-in-cheek designs have earned her a spot on Wallpaper’s most promising young design talents in 2008 and been showcased at the most important international design exhibitions and fairs, ...

including Salone del Mobile in Milan, the London Design Festival, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and London’s Barbican Art Gallery. While this graduate from the prestigious ECAL in Lausanne has worked under several stars of global design such as Galerie Kreo in Paris, Konstantin Grcic in Munich, and Alexander Taylor in London, her heart beats for the local scene back home in Poland as we discovered in our chat with her.

What do you love most about your work?

Everything! But the main thing is that I learn constantly, discovering new materials, production techniques, crafts, cultures, people, companies, institutions…the list is endless.

Is there a project/product you’re particularly proud of? Why?

It’s hard to tell, but perhaps I always feel that the last projects always represent me the best. Since setting up my office in 2012, I’ve been lucky to work on a broad range of projects: object and furniture design, exhibition design, art direction, and curated design exhibitions. Lately, I have been working with new, young brands. I really enjoy the dialogue, the freshness of their approach, and a good dose of positive naivety that you need to have. The challenges are greater, but the energy compensates this by far. The success of a project lies in mutual respect, trust, and being able to build a relationship with your client.

How did you get involved with Autor Rooms?

I know the owners of Autor Rooms. Magda Ponagajbo (co-owner of the micro-hotel) and I started discussing potential typologies we could work on. It started with the aim of projects born locally, in collaboration with friends, with the intention of designing objects for a precise context in Warsaw.

What was your inspiration for the glass vases for Autor Rooms?

For each of the objects I designed—such as Vase Man and the Face of Autor for the Hotel Essentials collection—I tried to imagine people’s arrival at Autor Rooms and how they would relate to the space. Visitors interact with the space for a limited amount of time. Therefore, materials were chosen for their warmth.

First and foremost, they needed to convey a deep sensory sensation. I chose to work with borosilicate glass, which is easier for small production batches. I thought about materials and shapes that would complement the space, highlighting the warmth of the interiors through surfaces, the object’s color and how light reflects on or through them. We released the glassware collection in 2016 with large glasses and a carafe, and the following year, I designed a vase to expand the glass collection.

Can you tell us about The Face of Autor mirrors? Why did you choose to depict a face?

It’s tongue-in-cheek. I wanted to have a welcoming presence in the form of small characters that would greet guests upon their arrival—and perhaps provoke a smile. Ultimately these faces, objets, and materials are there to provide you with simple joys—little tactile and visual pleasures for the mind and the body.

Do you see yourself as a dreamer or a realist?

I happily constantly navigate between both.

Do you have any recent cultural discoveries that you would like to share?

This summer, I finally visited the Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu-sur-mer. It’s stunning without being pastiche.

When do you feel most productive?

When I’m in the office, I manage to be very focused, from the moment I arrive there.

What are your dreams for the future?

There are plenty…

What have you changed in your life in the past year to be more sustainable?

I walk to the office or take public transport. In general, I try to buy less.

What do you think is the future of travel?

Hopefully, travel will be more meaningful. I wish railroad connections would expand in Europe so that I could hop on a train from Warsaw to Paris.