Q&A With the Designers Behind Doshi Levien
Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien discuss the inspirations behind their work for B&B Italia, Moroso and others
She has the visual flair, he the technical know-how. Together Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien create products and spaces that work on many levels and bring joy in their playfulness and practicality. Designs by their London firm, Doshi Levien, include furniture for B&B Italia and Moroso and fabrics for Kettal and Kvadrat. Houzz caught up with Doshi and Levien at the recent Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair (Feb. 4-8, 2020), where they were guests of honor.
My Beautiful Backside sofa by Doshi Levien for Moroso
Doshi: I grew up in a pink Art Deco house. My parents’ friends drove Vespas and Fiats — which I incidentally thought were Indian brands — but the food we ate was very Indian. “Globalization” is a positive word, and something people have been involved in long before the internet — think about the spice trade, porcelain that moved from China into Holland, etc. It’s an exchange of beauty and an openness to other people. That’s very important.
Doshi: I grew up in a pink Art Deco house. My parents’ friends drove Vespas and Fiats — which I incidentally thought were Indian brands — but the food we ate was very Indian. “Globalization” is a positive word, and something people have been involved in long before the internet — think about the spice trade, porcelain that moved from China into Holland, etc. It’s an exchange of beauty and an openness to other people. That’s very important.
Photo by Jonas Lindström
Could you tell us about the concept behind your installation in the entrance hall of the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair?
Levien: We wanted to create a world inside a world. Show the process of design, not just the finished article — it’s not an installation; it’s an exhibition. It re-creates the spirit of our London studio, which is filled with ideas, sketches, prototypes — some will come to fruition; others will not see the light of day. When we share that transition, a design’s whole journey, the appreciation becomes bigger. The understanding of a product becomes deeper.
Could you tell us about the concept behind your installation in the entrance hall of the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair?
Levien: We wanted to create a world inside a world. Show the process of design, not just the finished article — it’s not an installation; it’s an exhibition. It re-creates the spirit of our London studio, which is filled with ideas, sketches, prototypes — some will come to fruition; others will not see the light of day. When we share that transition, a design’s whole journey, the appreciation becomes bigger. The understanding of a product becomes deeper.
Photo by Jonas Lindström
The experience of the space is both enclosed and open, with high, vaulted ceilings. Where did the inspiration come from?
Doshi: We were inspired by churches in Palermo, [Italy] where we visited recently. In particular, San Cataldo, with its exposed brick interior, intersecting arches and shafts of yellow light coming through the stained glass window.
Levien: We also take sustainability very seriously. The materials at the fair will be reused or turned into energy. The wood is sourced locally, and Kvadrat will take back the textile curtains and sell them locally in Ebeltoft [Denmark]. We had to create this project with a clear conscience, considering it only lasts for five days.
Doshi: But sustainability is about so much more than which materials are used. It’s about choosing the right type of manufacturer as well, to support industry in a socially sustainable way. But mainly to design pieces that are not throwaway, that will be used for many, many years to come.
The experience of the space is both enclosed and open, with high, vaulted ceilings. Where did the inspiration come from?
Doshi: We were inspired by churches in Palermo, [Italy] where we visited recently. In particular, San Cataldo, with its exposed brick interior, intersecting arches and shafts of yellow light coming through the stained glass window.
Levien: We also take sustainability very seriously. The materials at the fair will be reused or turned into energy. The wood is sourced locally, and Kvadrat will take back the textile curtains and sell them locally in Ebeltoft [Denmark]. We had to create this project with a clear conscience, considering it only lasts for five days.
Doshi: But sustainability is about so much more than which materials are used. It’s about choosing the right type of manufacturer as well, to support industry in a socially sustainable way. But mainly to design pieces that are not throwaway, that will be used for many, many years to come.
Photo by Jonas Lindström
You recently launched the Earth to Sky lighting collection [pictured here], which is your first self-production. How was it different from working for a manufacturer?
Levien: When you self-produce, you don’t only see mistakes; you pay for them as well.
Doshi: But on the other hand, you are not constrained by cost, and you can follow the whole journey, from finding makers to creating an exquisite catalog and presenting the collection in our studio. We even sent hand-printed personal letters to our guests for the launch.
Levien: The U.K. has a tradition of great restorers, and we found a car restorer to work with us on the lights. He works on E-Type Jaguars, and also hand-rolled aluminum and steel for our lights. They have voluptuous shapes reminiscent of the E-Type, those deep-formed body panels.
You recently launched the Earth to Sky lighting collection [pictured here], which is your first self-production. How was it different from working for a manufacturer?
Levien: When you self-produce, you don’t only see mistakes; you pay for them as well.
Doshi: But on the other hand, you are not constrained by cost, and you can follow the whole journey, from finding makers to creating an exquisite catalog and presenting the collection in our studio. We even sent hand-printed personal letters to our guests for the launch.
Levien: The U.K. has a tradition of great restorers, and we found a car restorer to work with us on the lights. He works on E-Type Jaguars, and also hand-rolled aluminum and steel for our lights. They have voluptuous shapes reminiscent of the E-Type, those deep-formed body panels.
Photo by Gustav Kaiser
How do you physically interact and affect each other when you work?
Levien: In our London office we sit opposite each other and have a constant dialogue. Nipa might be drawing in her notebooks, specially bought in Hong Kong, and I might be folding or bending something into a 3D shape. When we created Earth to Sky, the process was one of direct response. I was playing with a shape in paper, and Nipa picked up a hole punch and pierced the form.
How do you physically interact and affect each other when you work?
Levien: In our London office we sit opposite each other and have a constant dialogue. Nipa might be drawing in her notebooks, specially bought in Hong Kong, and I might be folding or bending something into a 3D shape. When we created Earth to Sky, the process was one of direct response. I was playing with a shape in paper, and Nipa picked up a hole punch and pierced the form.
Doshi Levien’s new Maya curtain textile for Kvadrat; photo from Kvadrat
The term “Scandinavian design” is much bandied about to describe a specific look or materials. But do you think that national style terms are relevant in today’s more global design world?
Levien: You can see the term “Scandinavian design” as a visual cliché, or you can look at it as a collection of intelligent qualities, a philosophical foundation for design.
The term “Scandinavian design” is much bandied about to describe a specific look or materials. But do you think that national style terms are relevant in today’s more global design world?
Levien: You can see the term “Scandinavian design” as a visual cliché, or you can look at it as a collection of intelligent qualities, a philosophical foundation for design.
Uchiwa chair by Doshi Levien for Hay; photo from Hay
Doshi: It’s a design which is culturally unique. You have such clarity in your homes, filled with light and a sense of warmth. I don’t find it minimalist at all; there are such colors in traditional textiles, in your churches. And if you look at designers such as Arne Jacobsen, he is all about curves. The Nordic companies we have worked with — Hay, Kvadrat, Bolon — they share a love for modern design that is very Scandinavian.
Levien: The Nordic companies also have a specific way of conducting business. The way they work is transparent and nurturing — it’s always an inspiring energy. That for me is Scandinavian.
Doshi: It’s a design which is culturally unique. You have such clarity in your homes, filled with light and a sense of warmth. I don’t find it minimalist at all; there are such colors in traditional textiles, in your churches. And if you look at designers such as Arne Jacobsen, he is all about curves. The Nordic companies we have worked with — Hay, Kvadrat, Bolon — they share a love for modern design that is very Scandinavian.
Levien: The Nordic companies also have a specific way of conducting business. The way they work is transparent and nurturing — it’s always an inspiring energy. That for me is Scandinavian.
Rabari rug by Doshi Levien for nanimarquina; photo from nanimarquina
Any Nordic brands or companies you’d like to work with?
Doshi: It would be nice to design some clothes for Acne Studios! Otherwise I’d like to work with public institutions. I dream of designing a gallery.
Levien: Or a modern retreat in the country.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Any Nordic brands or companies you’d like to work with?
Doshi: It would be nice to design some clothes for Acne Studios! Otherwise I’d like to work with public institutions. I dream of designing a gallery.
Levien: Or a modern retreat in the country.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Doshi grew up in central Delhi and trained at the National Institute of Design, a school that merges traditional Indian craft with innovative and experimental design. Levien is a trained cabinetmaker and industrial designer who during childhood was involved in his family’s toy manufacturing company in Scotland. The duo are pictured here in their London studio.
The word “glocal” regularly pops up in interviews with you, meaning the combination of global and local, but also a combination of traditional craft and modern expression. Is this a conscious way of working?
Levien: Since we set up the studio, we’ve had a dream and vision about combining different worlds. We are a cultural hybrid and have rejected purist design. We want layers and depths in our work. Nipa comes from a very strong visual culture, and I bring a European aspect, with roots in fine cabinetmaking.