Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

In person

Tara Bernerd is CEO and co-founder of the architecture and design consultancy Target Living. She has been involved in many prestigious projects and in 2005 won the Andrew Martin International Interior Designer of the Year Award. She’s known for bold designs that are infused with a unique sense of style. We caught up with her to talk about her latest projects, the Swiss Alps and her perfect weekend in Rome

01 Can you tell us about your current projects?
We’ve been working on the redesign of the lodges at Center Parcs’ holiday villages (which are in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK) and are currently rolling out 4,000 lodges for them. We’ve also been developing designs for some Swiss hotels in Zurich and Basel and have just finished working on a chalet for a private client in the Swiss Alps.

02 What’s it like working in Switzerland?
I think, with any project, there’s an element of intrigue because you have to completely immerse yourself within whatever culture you’re asked to work in. I’ve always found that very stimulating.

Funnily enough, the Swiss Alps have been a joy to discover in the summer. The media association we all have with Switzerland is snow, chalets and skiing. Having worked there for 18 months, building this private chalet, which is quite substantial, we were spending a lot of time there when there wasn’t any snow. It was just blue skies, beautiful spring flowers, rushing streams and mountains – just beautiful. I even had a go at white-water rafting!

I would recommend anyone to go and discover Switzerland in the summer. The weather is great for mountain climbing or cycling and, as I said, for white-water rafting. It’s so beautiful and the colours are overwhelming! The change is so dramatic when the place is eventually covered in a blanket of snow – instead of butterflies you have icicles. I think Switzerland has a sort of magic to it.

03 How did you spend your time off?
Geneva wasn’t very far from where we were working. It has its lake and beautiful old buildings. It’s a very different city to some, without the skyscrapers of London and New York and the energy they have. There’s a rather serene feel to Geneva – peaceful.

04 In winter, where do you go for après ski?
The Farm Club in Verbier is where I go after skiing or sometimes after dinner. It has great music and a good energy. I also love The Eagle Club for lunch in Gstaad. If you can get in you’ll know why it’s great!

05 If you could choose anywhere to go in Europe, what would you do for a perfect weekend?
I travel a fair amount, both for work and enjoyment. A perfect weekend in Europe, I think, would be in Rome. I got married there. I can’t remember exactly, but I’ve been to Rome fairly often, at least a dozen times. I love the food, so I’d make sure that I ate out a lot. There’s a great little restaurant in the Piazza del Popolo.

The incredible thing about Rome is that you feel like you’ve gone back in time. I try to ensure that I don’t have too many plans, so I can enjoy what the city has to offer without having to worry about appointments all the time. It feels like you can turn off time when you’re there. I usually go in spring or early summer. I love walking in Rome, in places like the Borghese gardens. I think you gather inspiration from these places, as much as you get the enjoyment of being there.

06 Describe something you couldn’t live without
As I say it, I feel disloyal to my beautiful husband James, who is my treasure, but I couldn’t live without waking up every day in my beautiful loft apartment. And I also treasure all my team here at Target Living. We’ve all had very lucky careers, because we’re blessed with being able to create things. I don’t think I could live without that.

07 What’s the project you’ve most enjoyed?
That’s so tough! It’s like deciding which is your favourite food. If you’re hot, you might want a salad. If you’re freezing, you would want roast chicken or something. I think one of the projects that I’m working on the most at the moment is one I find very challenging and exciting. It’s a yacht that has just come out of the water and is being redesigned as we speak in the docks in Mallorca. It’s the first yacht we’ve worked on, very exciting and a terrific challenge. We’re also designing student housing in London, a place called Hive, which has been as exhilarating to work on as the yacht might sound.

08 What’s your favourite film?
Recently, when I was at home, I watched an old black and white classic called All About Eve, with Bette Davis. It’s about two women in the theatre business – one of them is a great name in the business and the other is a newcomer. Like all old movies it’s so much slower, and at first you think the pace is too slow. Then, all of a sudden, you find yourself swept in by all of the characters.

09 What’s your philosophy on life?
My life philosophy I read on a box, which was given to my father once as a gift. On top of this box it is written; ‘You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough.’ I guess what it means to me is that you’ve got one chance, and you’ve got to always give it your best. So I guess it’s about always giving 100% if you can.

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