Pernille Vest is a Danish Interior Stylist. She graduated from the Scandinavian Academy of Fashion Design and worked as an independent fashion designer for several years in Copenhagen and Paris. During that period, she became more and more interested in the styling aspects of fashion and started to style fashion photoshoots for magazines. Soon she began to style interior design, first for magazines and later also for companies. Pernille was part of the founding team for the magazine RUM and later for ARK JOURNAL which is an internationally distributed magazine for design, architecture, and art. 

Today, Pernille works as an independent Interior Stylist combining her passion for furniture design and art. She curates exhibitions and showrooms, and style catalogs for both Danish and international furniture companies, such as Carl Hansen, Astep, Dagmar London, CC-Tapis and Molteni. She has curated exhibitions at Salone del Mobile Milano, London Design Festival, Maison Object Paris and 3 DAYS OF DESIGN in Copenhagen.

1. How would you define interior styling?

In a commercial setting, you often receive a hero product, and as a stylist, your role is to make this item stand out as something truly special. The key is to ensure that the styling – the use of props – enhances the product without overshadowing it, keeping the focus on the hero product.

Editorial styling, on the other hand, involves creating an overall image that conveys a specific style or mood, capturing the evolution of a current trend.  Here, the entire image collectively needs to convey a style – a mood, and you can even contribute to creating a new trend.

2. Could you tell us how your journey into interior styling started? 


I am a trained fashion designer and worked in that field for several years, while also creating designs for magazines. One challenge I faced was not always being satisfied with the styling, so I asked if I could handle it myself. That marked the beginning of my styling career. Soon, fashion and interior styling began to blend, and eventually, I had to choose between the two. Without a doubt, furniture, design, and art have become my true passion. Alongside my commercial work, I have always enjoyed editorial projects and have collaborated with various magazines, one at a time.

3. Do you think there has been a defining moment in your career?

I think, it must have been when I decided to leave fashion and focus on interior.

The key is to stay true to your own style while also being attentive to the customer’s needs – remain open-minded and curious.

5. How do you select the objects that you work with? Is it an ongoing collection of items, a specific color palette, or a certain form?

I’m always on the lookout for new pieces – trends and the times also influence the objects that I choose. Currently, art is highly on the list, but natural finds, such as a beautiful stone from a weekend walk, can hold just as central a place as an expensive artwork. However, I try not to keep the objects I gather; instead, I borrow them for each shoot. This way, the style and look remain varied.

6. How do you start your projects? Do you usually start with a certain element of design or a keyword? Could you maybe walk us through how you would tackle a new project?

The approach always depends on the client and the time available, but an ideal project could start with:

Developing a concept – we typically present two or three different directions. Once a direction is approved, we create a mood board with props that enhance the concept. After approval, we begin writing and gathering materials for the shoot. At the same time, we secure for a location, which can be challenging in many ways, like people already lives with a lot of furniture or the transport – if the locations is fare away.

Once everything is in place, we usually have 1-5 shooting days with a photographer and the client. After the photos are retouched and approved, we compile a credit list so everyone involved can be tagged and receive the images they participated in.

I believe it’s best when everyone gains something valuable from their involvement.

7. What was one of the hardest learned lessons in your practice?

It was when I, along with most of the editorial team, left the magazine Rum, which I had been a part of since the beginning. It was a very strange time, but as they say, when one door closes, another opens. Looking back, it was an exciting challenge that has led to many new opportunities. After a while, we started Ark Journal – and now that is already more than 5 years ago.

8. How do you get inspired? Or keep your creativity alive?

I’m constantly gathering impressions and inspiration, being it from a walk in the nature, in the city or browsing through magazines, designer books and the internet. This is an important part of my creative process. Listening to the younger generation is also important – fashion significantly influences home design, and fortunately, we can say that this influence goes both ways.
Every time I start something new, an editorial or a commercial project, I naturally turn to find inspiration both from my gatherings and new sources related to the specific task.

9. You have a very distinct style, a signature that can be traced in each of your projects. How would you define your style? 

Thank you – I believe that’s just who I am …. Staying true to yourself is important.

10. You must be travelling quite a lot for your clients and your work. Is there/What is the most exciting international design event for you? 

The biggest is and probably always will be Salone del Mobile Milano, but the most exciting for me is probably 3 DAYS OF DESIGN in Copenhagen, which has also become an international event that I am very proud to be a part of.

11. What would be your advice to beginner interior stylists?

There isn’t a specific education for interior styling, so my advice would be to find a mentor; that’s the best way to gain insight into the field and the various tasks it involves. It takes time and a lot of hard work, which means you must be passionate, dedicated, and persistent.

12. Is there a design object you couldn’t live without?

Oh, that’s a tough question. Many of the objects in my home ended up here because I used them at work and couldn’t bear to send them back. Or if an artist has made such a profound impression on me that I can’t let go completely and need to have some of their work in my home. I try to limit myself, but I often get carried away, so there are many objects that have a special place in my heart.

13. What are your 4 favorite pieces from the Philia Collection?

The Octane Stool by Arthur Vallin is almost more of an art piece than a stool. I am deeply fascinated by hard materials that are crafted to appear soft and inviting.

Apart from the beautiful furniture and objects that come from Faina – all with a very organic language, I also would like to support Ukraine language, I also would like to support Ukraine.

I have followed the design duo Lucas Tyra Morten from the very beginning. They are simply fantastic in many ways—completely unique, with their own distinct style. They also exemplify the connection between fashion and home décor.

I saw this light installation by Jérôme Pereira at the Gallerie Philia exhibition at Salone del Mobile Milano this year—it is a perfect balance between art and function.

14. Finally, what are your upcoming projects? Anything you’d like to share or add to the interview?

Right now, we are finalizing the next issue of Ark Journal, which will be released in September – it’s always incredibly exciting. And then autumn usually brings a lot of travel – for example, to Italy or Spain, since summer ends a bit earlier here in Denmark.

Credits:

Photo 1 A case study for Ark Journal, where we were fortunate to be allowed to shoot in an old artist’s residence, which offered a lot of personality, adding a very beautiful and unique expression to the case.
Assistant: Henriette Schou, Liv Hochmuth, Photo: Heidi Lerkenfeldt, Retouch: Thomas Cato

Photo 2 Part of a Case Study for Ark Journal, with the title Monumental Monochrome. The idea originally came from a series of furniture that Lucas Tyra Morten showed me at the time. The console in this image is one of them, and if you’re curious to see more, it is from Ark Journal issue 08.
Assistant: Henriette Schou, Liv Hochmuth, Photo: Heidi Lerkenfeldt , Retouch: Thomas Cato

Photo 3 One of the images from an advertorial created in collaboration between Ark Journal and CC-Tapis. It is an incredibly exciting way to work. You receive some products from the client, and then it is entirely up to the stylist to create some inspiring images where their products are the focus.
Assistant: Liv Hochmuth, Photo: Jonas Bjerre Poulsen

Photo 4 For this year’s 3 Days of Design, Carl Hansen & Søn asked us to curate the exhibition SHAPING THE FUTURE. It was a very large project involving the design of the entire house and outdoor area, selection of materials and textiles for the furniture, and of course the styling.
Assistant: Henriette Schou, Liv Hochmuth, Photo: Emil Stegemejer / Yellows Studio