Milola Meets - Creative Designer Naomi Walsky from Riviera Concept Boutique & Design Studio

At Milola, we’re always drawn to creatives that approach interior design as a fully immersive experience - where art, objects, and architecture come together to shape the way we live. Naomi and Eric Walsky of RIVIERA CONCEPT BOUTIQUE & DESIGN STUDIO embody this philosophy, and we were excited to speak with Naomi about the journey behind their studio.

Our path is a bit unconventional, and we got into interior design quite organically. I have a background in art history and fashion, and Eric has a family background in building construction, sculpture, and painting.

Together, we started transforming our own work and residential spaces, often with our own creations mixed with selective sourcing. These spaces further inspired our collaborators and private network to hire us to consult, source, and design their own interior projects, and we’ve kept going from there. 

Definitely, I’ve always been guided by texture, palette, and the proportions of negative to positive space. The experience of being in or using a space, dressing, accessorizing, or interacting with any object must first be visually pleasant and then tactilely.

Essentially, we need a visual element of beauty or harmony, followed by something remarkable to the touch. Across these different areas, I also like to focus on natural materials as much as possible and local production. 

My own style is minimal with a neutral color palette and accents in stone, gold, or botanical prints. I try to work exclusively with natural fibers in textile and incorporate a green element wherever possible with plants. One of my favorite materials is travertine, inspired from my teenage years in Rome, which I use often.

For me, the overall experience is the most important aspect of luxury in any field. Luxurious interior design feels welcoming and has a stylistic ease that gracefully communicates. 

Quality materials and craftsmanship are certainly important, however, and need to be carefully incorporated in the overall experience so as to create an authentic space without pretense. 

Luxury can be interpreted in many different ways from person to person, but I find that it is often linked with subtle attention to detail and the accompanying time and space to appreciate these details. That’s why a luxurious space does not feel crowded, loud, or rushed. 

I start by having a long chat with my client about their goals for the project - why they want to change an existing space, what problems currently exist, how the space will be used, and by whom. I approach design primarily from a problem-solving standpoint and always frame the project through the lens of my client. 

From there, we talk about palette, style preferences, and budget, of course. Once a proposal is made and tweaked to perfection, we execute the project, checking in and updating along the way, performing quality control, and guiding decisions on finishing touches, all the way to delivery.

We become friends with almost all of our clients, so each project usually ends with a celebratory aperitif!

Again, it is essential to truly understand where our client is “coming from.” I don’t believe in imposing my own style on a space unless I’m truly given carte blanche, so there needs to be adequate work done at the beginning of a project to really understand, on one end, the pain points and on the other end, the inspirations of the people who will ultimately be living in a space. 

At RIVIERA CONCEPT BOUTIQUE, I’m in constant contact with the founders of lifestyle brands, so I am always researching new collections and gathering inspiration for our seasonal and annual selection in-boutique. All our collections have a beautiful story, and so I feel quite inspired by the constant creativity going on around me, which also provides ongoing ideas for interior decor projects. 

Aside from this, I personally love traveling to cities for trade shows and discovering new technologies in material applications. I really enjoy showing my clientele these new ideas and seeing if there is a way to incorporate them into our projects.

For me, color and purpose are the most important aspects of sourcing furniture. The palette and style must first visually match a space, but the function is equally important. 

In residential spaces, the flow of everyday life is crucial, so proportions and the actual size of furniture are my first considerations. Materials must be harmonious to reduce distractions, which can create a confusing user experience in a space.

We recently sourced the TOSCA outdoor daybed from SUNS for a balcony overlooking Lake Geneva with views from the Dents du Midi all the way past Lausanne. 

I love this idea for outdoor furniture as it’s luxurious and practical at the same time, and quite original. The sand color is so neutral and would fit easily in any context, and the quality is superb. 

In our design duo, I am the practical voice who always will refer back to purpose and budget. For me, these are the limitations that shape the landscape from which creative paths all start. Therefore, my advice would be to align as best you can your goals with your budget, to avoid financial stress through the process and create the most relaxed environment to allow for creativity and wiggle room to splurge if you fall in love with a piece of furniture or decoration along the way. 

We have so many ongoing projects in our respective boutique and atelier, but we are excited to be developing a future project to create a hospitality concept in Montreux (which of course requires renovation) combining Eric’s art and my selection of premium and luxury home items. 

It will be a union of our different creative directions in a unique place to stay with the concierge services of a five-star hotel and the privacy of a private apartment, immersing you in our city as if it were your own. Of course, with the possibility to take home pieces of our univers.