You said in an interview in 2016: “I’d love to design a cover for a good novel, and I’d love to do the interior of a restaurant.” How is this bucket list progressing?
This is my third interior project. I did a hotel in Paris, a restaurant in Dubai last year and then a restaurant here. I did a cover for a novel last year called Hotel du Lac, and I’m working on some illustrations for two books that I love right now. So yeah, it’s progressing! (laughs)

Your illustrations seem to be omnipresent in your work.
In all the interior projects I’ve done, I’ve also put my artwork into them. When you enter the restaurant, you see my drawings on the wall.

Do you start a project with a drawing?
Yes, it’s an ongoing process, but I start by sketching the space, then furniture pieces as well. We work with an architect who then does a kind of rendering of it. I’m not an architect, but I can visualize things easily. Then I need someone to help me turn that into reality. And the rendering is of course very good, because then you can see everything together and say, maybe we should change this chair or that table.

What did you like most about the Amaru project?
It was simply a pleasure to work in this hotel. I came here in 2019 for the Nomad Festival. We stayed here and I totally fell in love with this hotel, especially because of the Renzo Mongiardino lobby. I love old, grand hotels anyway. But here, the incredible location and the history just appealed to me. When the Kulm Hotel asked me to do the Amaru project, I didn’t have to think twice. It was a real dream project.

What makes you love a hotel?
Today there are so many luxury and new hotels that have no personality. I like hotels that feel like they belong to the place. I don’t really see the point of going to a beige international hotel where you could be anywhere. I just like places that feel like they respond to their location. And that also have a wonderful design. Look around the Mongiardino lobby, I don’t think anyone would do that these days. Ok, I would probably do it. (laughs) But it’s just amazing. I love places with history, personality and character, and there’s plenty of that at the Kulm.

Are you a nostalgic?
I like to look back to the past for inspiration, but I don’t think I’m stuck in the past. There is a difference. I’m always trying to create something new, whether it’s a garment or a room or a fabric design. I always try to create something that feels contemporary, that somehow reminds me of the past but also somehow feels new. That’s the key, I don’t want to create an imitation of anything, it’s about the fine balance.

Did you involve Amaru chef Claudia Canessa in the design of the restaurant interior?
Yes, that was important. Basically, the whole idea was to combine Claudia’s cooking skills and her Peruvian heritage. And then the food that she cooks with the fact that we’re in St. Moritz. As I said, it’s important for me to reflect the place we’re in. At the beginning, she sent me lots of ideas that she liked. I mean, luckily, we both love colors. (laughs) She was up for anything.

How would you describe the design of the restaurant to Kulm guests?
I like restaurants and hotels that somehow transport you. When you cross the threshold, you’re transported to a new place, to a place that’s kind of fantastic. I wanted to create that kind of experience for the guests. I think you achieve that through a mixture of music, artwork, and lighting. But yeah, the most important thing was that it should be a fun place. I think Claudia wanted us to feel really relaxed. A place to share food, have loud music and drink pisco sours late into the night. So, I had to create a good backdrop for these things.

You have described hotels and restaurants as theater stages. Do you feel like a movie director when you work in hotels and restaurants?
In a way, I guess it’s like being a movie director who brings different things together to create an experience. Because there’s nothing worse than going to a restaurant where the food might be really good, but the lighting is bad. It’s just fun to bring all these elements together.

Speaking of: Your favorite movie?
I love The Lord of the Rings and fantasy movies in general. I should probably mention Wes Anderson. Grand Budapest Hotel is one of my favorites or The Darjeeling Limited. I also love Luca Guadagnino’s films.

You embody the term “maximalist aesthetic” like no other…
I’ve heard the word “maximalism” quite a lot over the last few years, but it’s lost some of its meaning. People have gotten more excited about color and pattern in recent years though, which is great. Maybe it’s because people are more interested in houses and interiors in general since the Covid lockdowns. Maybe it’s also because there is so much technology and people want to get away from it and move more into fantasy worlds.

And what exactly does maximalism mean?
What people mean by maximalism is a lot of stuff. But it’s more about the type of interior. The Kulm lobby with the overlay of different patterns, prints and colors is what I call a maximalist space.

What should we do to furnish our homes beautifully?
I think the most important thing is to buy things that you love. If you buy furniture, fabrics or whatever that you really love, that’s more important than buying a piece of furniture because you think you should have it or because you’ve seen it in someone else’s house. And if you have things in your home that you’re drawn to, then they naturally go together, they don’t have to be from a famous designer. Don’t think about trends either.

As a columnist for the Financial Times, you answer readers’ questions about aesthetics, interior design, and stylish living. What are the classic questions that readers have?
It’s often about colors, that’s what stresses people out the most. They’re very worried that a color won’t work if they paint a wall a bright red, for example.

And what do you tell them?
That they should just try out colors. If you don’t like a color, the worst you can do is paint over it. But people have this block when it comes to colors. I’ve often repainted walls because I didn’t like the color. Yes, it’s a bit of a hassle, but it’s not the end of the world.

Were they also concerned about your choice of color at the Kulm Hotel?
No, all the board members were open to anything, which was great. They could have done something boring, like a lot of places do. I think the Kulm Hotel and St. Moritz in general are places where you should have fun. People come here to have a good time, which doesn’t mean there isn’t a serious side, but I like that there’s a kind of mischief in the air, you know?

The designer Rolf Sachs once said: “In St. Moritz, nonsense is a tradition.”
Yes, and at the same time, it feels very inviting, not stuffy, but it’s the mix that makes it. There’s this incredible nature, the snow is just magic, all the sports, amazing art stuff, things to do with cars. I guess not everyone skis here and you can just hang out in the lobby and read a book. I like the fact that you feel like you can come here and do whatever you want. It has a creative vibe. For example, I was walking down the escalator to the lake the other day and saw all these amazing posters that I’m totally obsessed with.

Your favorite places in the world?
Italy is a place I travel to a lot and where I get a lot of inspiration from. I like places that feel like a sensory overload, in Italy there’s fantastic food, fantastic architecture, I love the cities, the history, the art, it’s kind of altogether. I love Cornwall, where I’ve just bought a little house, it’s a very inspiring place. And Scotland, we often go to the Highlands, I like places with wild landscapes.

Do you have other sources of inspiration?
I look through old art and design books, but novels often inspire me too. I’m often inspired by book characters or the settings of novels.

What does the future hold?
I’ve just started with clothing, which is mostly knitwear, and we’re starting to create more categories with that. Maybe I’d like to do something with glassware too. And the theater fascinates me.