Step Into a World Where Design Knows No Boundaries – Where Tradition Dances With Modern Chic & Creativity Knows 'No Rules
Interviewed By Maryan Aiken
“Jimmie Martin, a powerhouse established in 2004 by the dynamic duo Jimmie Karlsson and Martin Nihlmar, is not just a name; it's a symbol of innovation that breathes life into the 'unthinkable.”
Photography by James Thornton-Jones
Jimmie Karlsson
Creative Director and Founder
Jimmie Martin
77 Kensington Church Street
London W8 4BG
UNITED KINGDOM
Phone number +44 207 9381852 Email info@jimmiemartin.com
Instagram @jimmiemartin Website www.jimmiemartin.com
ABOUT JIMMIE MARTIN
Jimmie Martin was established in 2004 by Jimmie Karlsson and Martin Nihlmar. As Jimmie Martin, they are notorious for creating innovative designs. From furniture, homeware, art to interior design. Jimmie Martin brings the ‘unthinkable’ to life. Projects range from residential to commercial environments with high-end stylish eye-catching design at the forefront of all their work. With a rare consistency of sophisticated pieces combined with a sexy modern design element their work varies from Jimmie Martins own award-winning custom made one-off hand painted pieces to larger scaled unique environments that meet the demands of their clients to the exact specifications. Known for their ‘No Rules’ attitude Jimmie Martin combined the traditional with the modern creating the unexpected.
Jimmie Martin provides an equally unique collection of art pieces as well as a range of homeware products using the same ethos used for their furniture. Winning the UK ‘Best in Design” Award in 2005 as well as being shortlisted in the furniture category Jimmie Martin has since be recognized by industry leading publications for their work. Regularly featuring in publications such as the Andrew Martin Interior Design Review, “The Bible of Interior Designers,” showcasing the world’s top 100 Interior Designers, in which they have been selected 9 times. Jimmie Martin was given the front cover of last year’s book.
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Photography by Elayne Barre
Q: Hi Jimmie, what drew you into the world of interior design, furniture, and artistry, and how did your journey take you from Sweden to London and beyond?
Oh, I am going back many years now. I have been creative as long as I can remember, always been drawing and painting at home and in school growing up in a small sleepy town called Sala in Sweden. Every month or two growing up from when I was about 10-12 years old probably, while mom was out, I moved my bedroom into her bedroom, hers into my brothers, and my brothers into mine and reorganized the furniture layout in the family living room. hahaha! It probably drove them all crazy but for me I loved it, and I made it all look nice! I guess that was the inner interior designer in me! Funny enough, I remember painting a bold pattern all over my bed! Little did I know I would be doing this at a later stage as a job!
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I left home at 15 and moved into my own place. It was early but I had a job after school doing deliveries for a florist, and helped my mom who was a cleaner at that time to help with some office cleaning and made some extra money that way. When I rented my first own home, I did spend all the money I was making on going to IKEA and to antique auctions as well as shopping for fashion, while I was studying art and design at college in Vasteras in Sweden. I chose to drop out of college after 2 years and entered a pure art school in Vasteras for a year when I was 18, I think. Halfway through that, I was scouted to become a model, which put the art on hold as I was catapulted out in the world of fashion which took me to the catwalks in Paris, Milan, NYC, London and Tokyo, which ended up being my full-time job for the next 10 years. In 1998 I moved to London to continue with my modelling career and been here ever since.
A friend, knowing my passion prior to modelling, took me to an art store and bought me some canvases and paints and put me in a cab and said go home and start painting again! So, that’s what I did! My creative juices started flowing again and, and one day I bought a chair from a charity shop which I repainted and quite liked it, so Martin (my then current partner also Swedish) & I started going to antique auctions, and we bought some pieces for our home and then started transforming them just for us. Nobody else.
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In 2004 we had created some pieces for our home, and I had some photos on the back of my portfolio for my modelling castings. One client in SOHO saw it and wondered who made it. I said I did, and she said to use her store window and put our pieces in as they are amazing! So, we did and within a month we got a phone call from the most prestigious Design & Decoration Awards, recommended us to enter as one of their judges had spotted us in the store window, a world which we never been a part of really, so didn’t know if it was a scam call or what. We went back and forth trying to find the money as we were broke. We entered 2 categories. Best Furniture Design category, and Best New Designer in practice. We ended up getting shortlisted for both awards and won the Best newcomer Award. From that day, my modelling stopped, and we got recognized in loads of press and orders started coming in not just from London, but from around the world.
Back then in 2004 nobody was redoing old furniture like us, as the trend was all beige, brown and cream minimal style. I believe that we set the trend to reuse antique pieces which had many years of history, and changed them into something new and contemporary, and daring and different from anything else. Our first pieces we entered the awards with, two of them where a graffiti sideboard and a flamingo chair, two designs which we still today create on regular bases and have become one of our many trademarks recognizable designs.
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Q: Your signature illustrations and abstract designs on luxury chairs are captivating! Can you share the inspiration behind this unique fusion of art and furniture design?
As my interest at a young age going to antique markets and auctions, and the arts and interiors, I came across Philippe Stark one day, and instantly I loved his style back in the days when he was pushing boundaries, breaking rules, mixing, matching, and doing the unexpected. So, I believe that my main inspiration was discovered then. I started working on beautiful old French antique style shape furniture and doing our own unexpected finishes and hand painted artworks on top of them. What started on chairs and sideboards, has then turned into all styles of furniture, mirrors, tables, beds, you name it. And into sculptures, lighting, soft furnishing, rugs, wallpapers, wall art and on to full interior design projects. Most of them with the same idea to take something existing and unwanted and give it new life and put our touch on it. Custom pieces for clients direct or to commercial and interior designers.
Stark was someone who opened my eyes in 2001. Now, everyday life is my main source of inspiration. It could be walking down the street, meeting a friend, watching telly, traveling, or whatever really. I just don’t know when the next idea is going to come or where from. They just come when they come.
Photography by Richard Gooding
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Our Interior Design service is bold as well, but in a completely different way. With our interiors, we like to create a wow moment with injections of colour whether they are subtle or bold depending on the client. It’s important to have the correct balance with colours, shapes, textures, decor etc. I want every client to feel alive and inspired once we leave the project. I like to take them on a journey and open their eyes to something they weren’t aware of before. And what the power of interior design can do to one’s life. Our pieces, for example, work great next to something very minimal. Here is where the balance is very important. Whether our pieces are used or not in the project. An interior design project is like painting a painting and the colours you use are finding and picking designs from other designers and artists to create the picture.
I always say to my clients that when you go on vacation you tend to book the nicest and coolest and most luxurious hotel right? You arrive saying WOW and you go to bed and wake up saying wow as you are surrounded by things that make you happy which sets off your day! So, I say why not feel like that in your own home as well!? Let’s make you feel like a star every day! Psychology is in interiors is such a big thing and sets you off for the day ahead!
Our first pieces we entered the awards with, two of them where a graffiti sideboard and a flamingo chair, two designs which we still today create on regular bases and have become one of our many trademarks recognizable designs
Photography by Elayne Barre
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Q: How do you infuse your Swedish heritage into your work while being based in a vibrant city like London? Does this cultural blend influence your creative process?
Ha! Ha! not sure there is any Swedish heritage in our work at all apart from myself and Martin both being Swedish. Having said that, a lot of Swedes have an interest in design and interiors. Swedish interiors etc. are all a bit more minimal and flat pack furniture. And I have nothing against Ikea. I have some pieces from them myself and Ikea was one of the stores I spent my money on regular basis, but I did mix it with the auction and antique finds.
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Q: From your travels and experiences in major cities worldwide, have you found any particular place or culture that significantly impacts your artistic vision?
I can’t say I go to any particular places to get inspired. However, you have great antique stores and markets in Belgium and France and crazy fashion in Japan, and art galleries everywhere, so whatever grabs your attention wherever you are kind of getting stored in your head without thinking of it. A little here and there and when it’s time for them to pop up they do.
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Q: What do you hope people feel or experience when they encounter your high-back luxury chairs adorned with your artwork?
I like to create a reaction, something different to give my audience and clients something to stop and think smile about, to have an opinion about whether you like it or not, create a talking point. The world is so grey and dull a lot of the time, sad news about wars, politics, deceases, violence etc. It’s important to stay positive and not just focus on the things that put you down. Everything doesn’t have to be so serious all the time.
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Photography by Elayne Barre
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Q: Balancing interior design, furniture creation, and artistry must be quite a feat! How do you manage to maintain a harmonious balance between these creative realms?
For me they all come hand in hand, and I multitask all the time. It’s my baby so working and being creative and creating things I love for my company also gives me extra energy and push as I see my baby is growing stronger and bigger. I have my business partner Martin and we have a team to help us in our workshop studio and in our office and showroom.
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Q: Are there any upcoming projects or cities you're particularly excited about, where your art and designs will take center stage?
I’d like to get into the L.A market this year. We started selling some of our Naughty Angels at Maxfield in LA last month but would like to get it in and maybe do a big exhibit somewhere as I feel the market would be huge for me. Over 50% of our business is shipped to the US so we have a big American clientele for many years. I am also thinking of Art Basel in Miami.
We are exhibiting at Maison Objet in Paris mid 18-22 January which is a huge interior trade fair which attracts buyers, clients, interior designers and press from all around the world. We then get the chance to be faced to face with them and to show off new products and broaden our horizons. It also gives me an opportunity to go sourcing for current and future interior projects, which also gives you inspiration.
2024 I think is going to be a big year for us. As also we have planned exhibitions and business ventures in Sydney and Dubai. We are also turning 20 years old as a business so thinking of producing our first coffee table book to celebrate this. And there are also potential international TV projects in the pipeline. It’s all very exciting, so stay tuned.
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JIMMIE MARTIN
Jimmie Martin was established in 2004 by Jimmie Karlsson and Martin Nihlmar. As Jimmie Martin, they are notorious for creating innovative designs. From furniture, homeware, art to interior design. Jimmie Martin brings the ‘unthinkable’ to life. Projects range from residential to commercial environments with high-end stylish eye-catching design at the forefront of all their work.
77 Kensington Church Street. London W8 4BG. UNITED KINGDOM
Phone number +44 207 9381852 Email info@jimmiemartin.com Instagram @jimmiemartin Website www.jimmiemartin.com
Photo Credits Elayne Barre. Richard Gooding. Gustavo Rotondo
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Q: Your work seems to reflect a fusion of elegance and innovation. How do you envision your designs impacting or inspiring the world of luxury interiors?
Since our start, I have always wanted to create stylish and edgy pieces while still being elegant, classy and luxurious. When we started in 2004 nobody really did what we are doing, taking care of the old brown furniture and keeping the history of craftsmanship instead of throwing them out in the skip. By adding bold designs like graffiti street art for example to a French antique piece of furniture would be unheard of but since our start and media coverage we received, I believe that we started a big trend of up cyclers and furniture artists. I believe that we start a new wave which is only getting stronger but there is a difference at the end of the day with hobby up cyclers and what we do.
People don’t want to live in soulless homes anymore. and more so people really understood this during covid they felt better having things around them in their homes that meant something to them and that was nice to look at. The minimalists and the safe got taken over by the maximalists and the daring. But now, I believe it has been mixed together and finding its own. It’s all about balance as too much of things can make it look cheap and cluttered while the opposite too much of minimal or diversity will make it look no soul and feel too impersonal and cold.
It is now perfectly OK for many years to add in something bold and crazy into your interiors and even to mix it in with a classic or minimal interior, just to give it that extra lift and personality. This can change your environment. Street art is a big thing in luxury art today and with us, we don’t just do it on the walls, we do it on the furniture. But it’s not just street art, it’s giving pieces of furniture a personality however bold or toned down you want but the pieces of furniture become the art piece and it now creates a whole new addition to the world of luxury interiors. Luxury today isn’t about bling and how it was back in the days. Luxury today includes personality and individuality. The same with fashion really. You mix and match and if you get the balance right then you are on for a winner.
Photography by Richard Gooding
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Q: Lastly, if you could describe your creative philosophy or mission in a few words, what would they be? Expect the unexpected. Luxury art and interiors without rules.
Photography by Richard Gooding
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The world is so grey and dull a lot of the time, sad news about wars, politics, deceases, violence etc. It’s important to stay positive and not just focus on the things that put you down. Everything doesn’t have to be so serious all the time.
Photography by Elayne Barre
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