Katerina von der Laan: At Ginesta Premium, we have many personal contacts with very interesting personalities who can offer you as a customer added value. Like Ina Rinderknecht, for example. She is based in Erlenbach with her own company, has several employees and works internationally. Ina, welcome!

Ina Rinderknecht: Hello Katerina, welcome.

KvdL: You were born in Seoul, have worked internationally, in Milan, San Francisco and are now based in Switzerland. You are the owner and creative director of your own company and specialize in luxurious private residences and sophisticated hotel and restaurant projects. You grew up internationally. How has this shaped your career and your style?

IR: Growing up in Korea and internationally has had a decisive influence on my career to date. Internationality is very important, especially in my profession. My parents lived in Africa, Japan and Korea for many years. So I have had an international influence since I was a child. I went to Indonesia when I was 17, did a student exchange there and was able to learn traditional arts and crafts. I later studied interior design in Milan and then completed a Master's degree in design. From there, I went straight on to Hawaii, where I worked for Hope Resort Hotels for my architecture degree.

IR: Our discerning customers usually already have a lot of wishes. By responding to these ideas, we create unique projects. Because those who come to us don't want something ordinary, but something creative and individual. We take a global view of our projects. We do not simply implement a customer's wishes, but also incorporate our specialist knowledge and other architectural elements, e.g. in the case of a listed building, an architecturally sophisticated old building or a modern new build. And of course we go further by taking cultural aspects into account, looking at the location, the color scheme of the surroundings, and so on. All of this flows into the assessment of our projects.

KvdL: Do I understand that correctly? You offer your customers an all-round carefree package. They come with their wishes and ideas. You contribute your expertise, your own ideas and your tools and then accompany your customers through the process. Do your customers just want to sit back and let you do the work?

IR: Many of our customers are themselves very busy at work, perhaps traveling a lot and hardly have time to deal with the project. Yes, many of our customers are actually happy to leave time-consuming clarifications and work to us. Because we understand the processes, we can of course provide the customer with a certain amount of information to help them make decisions. We don't just take anything out of the drawer. We don't reuse the same designs for other projects. It really is a tailor-made project that we create for each customer. We meet again or talk on the phone, go back to work and then incorporate the new aspects. So everything is always in flow. But it's not usually the case that the customer says: Here's the house, give me the key at the end when you're finished.

KvdL: How do you still involve your customers and your team in this process? And what is the premium service that your and our customers - who are practically the same - expect from you and your team?

IR: I think we take a holistic view of the projects and we are often already involved in the preliminary architecture project. This means that we already know the customer's specific wishes and have an idea of where the journey will take us. Just with the room program, interior, exterior, landscape, interior architecture, styling, art: these are all elements that actually flow into our concept from day one. And so we can actually develop a holistic project. What is important to us is, of course, the close trust that we build up with our clients.

We work closely with our customers for a long time. My team and I are very consistently involved in the project phases. We accompany our customers, as you know, from day one to the end. And I believe this creates a very trusting and discreet collaboration, which we actually carry out behind the scenes in every project phase.

KvdL: Does your work ever end with your customers or is it mostly a going process?

IR: It is an ongoing process. A lot of questions of trust arise in the course of a demanding project. A lot of things are questioned by both sides or you move on in the process. From questions about the right furnishings and art advice to detailed styling. A process like this really takes many different phases until it comes to a good end. What's always particularly nice for us is when satisfied customers come back to us for new projects, for example for a house or a second property, and so on. We are often involved in multiple projects, both throughout Switzerland and internationally.

KvdL: Discretion is the be-all and end-all in our segment as well as in the sale of real estate. That characterizes our brands. How can you guarantee this when your new customers presumably want to see reference properties?

IR: Quite simply, people don't talk about it. We have a lot of projects that no one has ever seen because that's what the customer wants. That's why our website only shows a small selection of our many years of work. But we also have very prominent personalities who have opened their doors to us, giving us the chance to show these projects. Without names, locations, etc., of course.

KvdL: One question is still burning on our minds. We would like to know what you would recommend to me as a top professional if I want to restyle or redecorate my home without having to completely rebuild everything. Three tips!

IR: First of all, tidy up, Katerina! I think you first have to make space for new things in your home, where you have accumulated a lot over the years; first make space, see what emerges. It's like a blank canvas that you can build on.

Secondly, of course, play with colors. These can be wall colors, carpets, upholstery, rearranging pictures or hanging up new ones. This also helps to create a harmonious world.

And thirdly, of course, work with the furnishings. The structure of a room can be made attractive by furniture or lighting. You can achieve this by perhaps experimenting yourself first and moving the furniture around, not just against the walls. Many people believe that their furniture just needs to be there. But you could also try something a little wilder and place the furniture freely in the room. Everything in the right size and order, of course.

KvdL: Great tips. Thank you very much, Ina, for the interview.

Also watch the short video with the original interview with English subtitles.