This week we visit designer Sara Emami in her home in Amsterdam and chat about her love for all things blue.
Hi Sara! We are so excited to chat to you and get a little sneak peek into your home. Please could you tell us a little about yourself and what you do?
I am a 40-year-old Dutch-Iranian. During the day, I work as a designer at Philips, focusing on icons for digital design systems. By night, I am an illustrator, working on personal projects.
I studied Industrial Design at Delft Technical University, and have always had a passion for all things design, from interiors to fashion to textile design. I’m fascinated by the fact that design influences every aspect of our lives. I also love illustration, especially illustrated stories such as children’s books and graphic novels. And I’m also obsessed with children’s drawings, including those of my two children.
Tell us a little about your home.
Our home is an apartment in Amsterdam. It has three bedrooms, so enough for our family, which can be hard to acquire in the capital city. Our challenge was figuring out how to bring warmth and personality into a newly built apartment. We started with a blue-and-white bathroom featuring terrazzo tiles and gold taps, and those colours ended up shaping the theme for the rest of the house.
Who lives in your home?
We live here, the four of us, my husband, our two kids, and me. I hope my children remember this as a home we built together, which is particularly meaningful because both my husband and I arrived as refugee children in the Netherlands. I hope this house will be remembered as a safe and comforting place, where our children made and did the things they love. We want them to grow up surrounded by beauty and art, for it to feel natural to live in a home filled with paintings, books, and Persian carpets.
When did your fascination with blue start and how has it evolved?
My passion for blue started about ten years ago. We were having dinner at a friend’s house, and he had a blue bottle filled with water on the dining table. I was mezmerized by its colour, and at the end of the evening he gifted it to me. That moment sparked my decision to start collecting blue objects. Everything from blue glasses to Delft Blue, especially since I was living in Delft at the time.
Over time, this passion extended to my clothing and our interior as well. One day, I thought to myself, If I love blue so much, I might as well wear it and surround myself with it as much as possible. There are so many things in this world we can’t control, but we can decide what to wear and how to decorate our living environment, with colors, materials, and objects that comfort us and bring us joy.
Using blue as a common thread of my life gives me a sense of peace. Many people associate blue with sadness, but for me, it’s a colour I can surround myself with, whether I feel joyful, melancholic, or both. I believe blue will always be my colour, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate or wear other colours. I love colours in general and try to add new shades to my palette every year, but blue remains my neutral.
Apart from blue, what other colours, textures and prints are you drawn to? And i there something you just can’t stand?
Apart from the colour blue, I really like red, pink, lilac, soft yellow, and lately, I’ve been drawn to coral as well. From an artistic point of view, I’m drawn to expressionist art, by Jawlensky, or Kirchner, for example—so, also very colourful.
When it comes to textures, prints and shapes, I love Indian block prints, Persian carpets – which I grew up with – and Uzbek suzani embroidery. I also love wool, natural fabrics, and organic materials. People often assume that natural things are neutral-coloured, but nothing could be further from the truth. I’m constantly inspired by nature’s endless colour spectacles.
As you’ve probably guessed, I’m not particularly fond of 'greige' interiors. Of course, we’re all influenced by social media and trends, but I find it frustrating when there’s no hint of character or personality in how someone dresses or decorates their home. I prefer people to embrace and visually express their individuality.
How have you approached the interior?
I knew I wanted to paint the house blue. We thought of a few additional must-haves: a big custom blue bookcase with a built-in desk and a two-meters high painting, a gift from my husband’s mentor. These elements defined the living room and from there, we decided on the rest of the interior. We wanted to combine the cool blue walls with warm materials such as a wooden floor, a wooden dining table, brass details, and wool Persian rugs. Many people perceive blue as a cold colour, but our home actually feels warm. I wanted the apartment to feel like our home.
What is your favourite room or piece of furniture and why?
The living room is my favourite room. We spend most of our time there. And my favourite piece of furniture is our blue bookcase; it’s functional and meaningful. It has plenty of storage space, and displays our books and cherished objects. For example, my blue bottles and bowls, given to me by friends and family or found in special places; or a golden elephant, the only heirloom from my grandmother, and a hand-carved wooden box, which belonged to my grandfather. Since we are Iranians living in diaspora, these objects mean the world to us.
What is the most impractical thing you ever bought or made for your home?
One of the most impractical things we bought for our home is a vintage Hungarian mirror. It’s not completely impractical—I can still use it as a mirror—but its reflection is so distorted by age that, from certain angles, I see my face as if it’s in a funhouse mirror. But sometimes, beauty matters more than practicality!
Another impractical purchase? Our suzani tablecloths. We absolutely love them, but they’re nearly impossible to wash. And with two small kids, well, you can guess how that goes. Not exactly practical! But as you might have noticed, aesthetics are a big deal in this family, so we’re willing to take the risk!
Your fashion style is super inspiring! Have you always dressed like you do now and where do you find your inspiration?
No, I actually haven’t. My current colour palette and my style evolved over time. In general, I like wearing comfortable clothes. I don’t like tight fitting pieces. I prefer slightly oversized clothing. Nothing beats comfortable pants with a waistband, a cozy knit, and boots.
Ever since I was a student I’ve valued the quality of materials. Before Instagram, I would browse Etsy, discovering small shops and makers to buy clothes from. Studying Industrial Design showed me how much time and effort go into making something, and as a designer I felt a responsibility to support small businesses that offer unique, well-crafted designs.
Like pretty much everyone, I find inspiration in daily life, now and then during travels, and online on image-sharing platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. People who follow my Instagram know that I take the subway, ferry, and bike to go to work, and can’t help myself observing how people dress!
Name 5 things you just can’t live without at the moment and why.
Morning coffee— It's my breakfast and my wake-up call.
My knitwear (from scarves and hats to sweaters and cardigans)— It always brings me so much comfort, throughout the year, whether it’s wool or cotton.
My Lucas du Tertre tartan robe—The moment I get home from work, it's the first thing I put on.
Flowers —Even on dark and gloomy days (which we have plenty of in the Netherlands), they make everything feel sunnier inside.
Our couch— After long days of work, taking care of the kids, there’s nothing I love more than relaxing and lounging and snuggling with the kids on the couch.
Do you have an everyday luxury?
My everyday luxury is definitely my morning coffee that I grab on my way to work. Another everyday luxury is also definitely making sure I wear the right hat/ shoes/ bag combo when I leave the house, no matter the weather.
What are your plans for this year?
A while back, I made a cat garland out of used boxes for my son’s birthday, and he loved it so much! I also painted a tablecloth and a jacket. Since I do a lot of digital illustration, I somehow felt the urge to create more with my hands as well. It brings me so much joy to make things myself. So I want to do more of that, creating with my hands and with my kids. Another dream of mine, which I’m actively working on, is publishing one of my illustrated stories. I want to focus on making that happen in the coming year.
Thank you so much Sara!