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" ELLE DECOR: What are you trying to bring to design that isn&amp;#039;t already there?  Muriel Brandolini: I don&amp;#039;t look at magazines, so I&amp;#039;m not up on what&amp;#039;s going on out there. It&amp;#039;s part of my gift\u2014not being aware of what&amp;#039;s in. I like to keep my mind free of those restraints.  ED: How would you define your style? you MB: If I had to describe my style I would have to stop working. I always like to surprise myself and my clients, to evolve with the flow of life.  ED: How has your aesthetic changed since you went into business?  MB: It&amp;#039;s gone from hippie chic to a much more sophisticated, understated approach.  ED: What are your style inspirations or influences and how are they manifested in your work?  MB: Right now I&amp;#039;m inspired by contemporary furniture combined with the softness of old-fashioned, traditional fabrics and materials\u2014damask, silk velvet, and horsehair.  ED: How is your aesthetic changing with or reflecting all the new technologies in design?  MB: I don&amp;#039;t know anything about new technologies, so my aesthetic must be a reflection of that lack of knowledge.  ED: What is the most essential element of a room?  MB: Softness, comfort, a sense of well-being.  ED: What is your design mantra or motto?  MB: I don&amp;#039;t have one.  ED: What is the most important thing you have learned about your craft?  MB: To always keep an open mind.  ED: People are so design-conscious now. How has that influenced how you approach your work?  MB: I bring my clients into what I am into at the moment, and we evolve after that. I am constantly changing, so they change with me. We march together. Life&amp;#039;s a learning experience. I learn from their questions, and they learn from mine.  ED: What are your three must-haves?  MB: A black cashmere turtleneck, a Louise Bourgeois phallic drawing, and a Muriel Brandolini signature chair.  ED: What&amp;#039;s the best decision you have made?  MB: Keeping my assistants employed as freelancers. Because for them it&amp;#039;s a challenge to do better and to be able to walk out when they think it&amp;#039;s time. It&amp;#039;s like when you get married; you think you own each other. But when you are boyfriend and girlfriend you walk on eggshells. Click here to see more of our Women in Design. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/interior-designers/interviews/a2850/women-in-design-muriel-brandolini-a-66870/>