Benni Frowein
photo by max kimbee
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? I would totally live in Careyes, Mexico. I love the coastline of the Pacific, I love the Mexican culture and the architecture is simply amazing. Quite frankly, anyone would love living there, it’s heaven.
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? Turning 10, I was allowed to finally pick my wall colour. I chose light blue and also fell in love with a rainbow-patterned fabric for my curtains. Until today, I don’t understand why my mother let me get away with this eccentric and not particularly tasteful choice. But it did make me feel great and grown up which I loved.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? Since I moved almost every two years for work, I never really invested in my home. This changed when I started at Schumacher. I bought my first real investment piece about 5 years ago. It’s a stunning watercolour collage by a well-known South-Korean artist.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer, who would it be? Gio Ponti
No room is complete without something really personal.
People think of me as a numbers guy, but I am really rather creative.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: Red Roses, although beautiful for most, I stay away from them
An hors d’oeuvre platter: Anything you can’t eat in one go. It’s always a mess and I’m concerned about sticky fingers and my sofa :-)
A bar cabinet: Nothing. A bar cart can’t be full, fancy or diverse enough!
A song for:
Dinner at home: Bossa Nova
Working at your desk: I never listen to music when working, I have far too many calls 😊
Going for a run: I like a good audio book, it distracts me from the phycisal exercise. Something I need since a workout is not one of my favourite things to do.
Biggest Vice? Haribo
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? I think they do. I always like chic but casual. I don’t want anything to look like I tried hard. This applies to my interiors as it does to my clothes.
What is the one thing you would never decorate your home with, but don’t detest when you see others do it? I love a generous and cosy four-poster bed with pillows and ruched bed skirts. However, I could never decorate this way, it’s simply not who I am.
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? Clearly the Schumacher coffee table book “S is for Style”. Our Creative Director Dara is an amazing editor, gifted with being able to catch the current Zeitgeist and has impeccable taste. Leaving her book behind would be a big mistake.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? You might think I am bending the truth but I have never thought about it. I do my work to enjoy the moment, to enjoy my life. Not necessarily to leave something behind.
photo by max kimbee
A Few Favorites:
Movie: A Single Man
Book: The Royal Game by Stefan Zweig
Scent: Thé Vert by Bvlgari
The fabric you always come back to: The Schumacher Sheer “Galapagos”
Dream project: Renovating and decorating an hacienda in Mexico
Meal: Pizza Margarita (fun fact: The pizza was named after the Italian queen the same year that Schumacher was founded – in 1889)
Drink: Tequila Passion Fruit
Hotel: Hotel du Cap Eden Roc, France
Travel Destination: Japan
Artist: Edward Hopper
Era in the history of design: Art Deco
Museum: Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin (built by Mies van der Rohe and now let by the very talented Klaus Biesenbach)
Paint Color that always looks great: White! My favourite! If you asked me for a wallpaper my answer would be very different!
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? No pets – no garden
