“Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong, and laughter never ends.” It’s home sweet home. It’s where your heart is. It’s where you make it. No matter what ‘home’ means to you, there is surely something nostalgic about the place we call home. Beyond Designs is known for its special creations of making grand and unique designs for our dream home hotel, restaurant and other spaces.
Geraldine Dohogne has brought her midas touch and design sensibilities to different brands. Her signature sumptuous and vibrant interiors may be found in grand residences and luxury hotels internationally that includes the Zannier Hotels.
Geraldine Dohogne is the former Design Director of Zannier Hotels and founder of her new studio, Beyond Design. With exciting projects upcoming in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Belgium, her new studio is already growing a colourful constellation of projects. The design approach of her new studio takes contextual design to new heights – where a lengthy research of country and culture is essential before any project begins. “I always spend a lot of time in the country before I start to create something. I don’t just ‘pop’ out something that can be in London, at the same in South Africa, or Namibia… every project is properly studied.”
As design is storytelling, she always aims to tell evocative stories, adventurous and full of soul, incorporating a mix of local materials and building practices as essential influences, and celebrating the traditions and culture of the people is at the forefront.
“It shows respect and celebrates the values and culture of the people…hospitality is part design but in the end, hospitality is people and people are proud of working in these places after.”
As a creator of experiences, Dohogne believes that every new project is an invitation to embark on an unexpected and fascinating journey that uncovers a time of the past and helps us understand how we should build locally to support the future.
“…people used to protect themselves naturally from nature with what was around, where as now, we try to build things using concrete, brick, where it’s not relevant to that place and not effective in helping climate change.”
