Crew Spotlight: Mariam Mollaghaffari
I am excited to introduce you all to a friend and creative person who I deeply admire, Mariam Mollaghaffari. Mariam is an interdisciplinary designer and architect based in Los Angeles and originally from Oregon. We met while working together many years ago at a small firm in Portland. I started things off by asking Mariam what her favorite aspects of being a designer are. I just love her take:
MM: I learned early on that I am endlessly curious and I love variety - being a designer has allowed me to build a career where my interests and skill sets meet. Design is so much more than trends and colors and space planning; it's a deep dive into human behavior. It's taking an obscure idea, or a mood you want to evoke, or a goal you're trying to meet, and translating it into something physical. It's sort of this sweet spot of creative and structured.
Indoor-Outdoor Workplace Interior, Photograph by Kort Havens
While her career has taken her from working on large industrial buildings to mixed-use developments and hospitality spaces, most recently Mariam has been focused on commercial office interiors, single family residential, and retail projects. Working for herself and at Rapt Studio, an interdisciplinary design firm, she has been able to cast a wide net, diving into branding, furniture design and lighting design. Sounds like a dream to me!
Let’s talk about this gorgeous space pictured above, an office for a food delivery company. What was the design concept behind this indoor-outdoor office space?
MM: The concept was to make the physical space act as a generous host - not only for the daily employee, but for visiting guests and the company's restaurant clientele as well. The forms and details take cues from restaurant and hospitality spaces, while the color palette was inspired by common herbs and spices found in kitchens.
I absolutely love the way the generous host concept has created a space that is inviting for gathering and collaboration. Let’s face it, why else would you go into the office these days except to gather with colleagues and clients?
Workplace Community Kitchen, Photograph by Kort Havens
A fitting concept for a food-centric company, it also fulfills that yearning for more creature comforts at the office, after years of WFH. Details like the cookware in the kitchen and the common spice-inspired color palette add a pinch ;-) of that cozy joy you get at home. Can we please talk about this tile?! (Mariam’s favorite part of the project):
Photograph by Kort Havens
MM: A lot of effort went into finding a modular tile in the right color palette, [many] mockups were created, and a [much] preemptive coordination was needed to avoid any awkward cuts. I'm really drawn to small, thoughtful details and alignments that may seem (and probably are) insignificant, but it's those little things that bring it all together for me.
For me these details are gold! When I look at the intricately laid-out tile, I get lost in the abstract composition. It draws me in and connects me to the space on a deeper level. It’s clear Mariam’s design inspiration is coming from a rich well of experience.
When I asked Mariam how moving to Los Angeles has influenced her approach to design, she gloated about designing outdoor spaces that can actually be used year round. OK Mariam, go off! But for real, in LA Mariam is surrounded by a diverse group of people, a variety of fashion and the work of more designers. “I think it just opened me up.” she says. Fueled by her endlessly curious spirit, Mariam also loves solo travel. She described how travel influences her creativity:
MM: I recently went to Japan and I came home feeling inspired and re-energized around design - for someone who loves little details, it was a dream. Tokyo is this surreal mix of super futuristic while maintaining space for the traditional - experiencing the way the two extremes sit together in harmony was really lovely. Generally speaking though, I think anytime I visit somewhere new it impacts how I go about designing because ultimately creativity is so subjective and it would be impossible to separate from our personal experiences. I think there's a healthy set of good practices and "dos and don’ts" with design, but honestly sometimes breaking the rules is what's right for the project.
Well that was an absolute delight. Thank you Mariam for courageously spearheading the CAVU Crew Spotlights! For a deeper dive into Mariam’s creative world, check out her podcast, Start at Birth, cohosted by Mariam and comedian Becky Robinson. It’ll make you laugh, cry and feel like you’re just hanging out with your gals.
CAVU Crew is a network of architecture and interior design professionals, connected by our passion for design and desire to uplift each other’s work. Does this sound like you? Click the CAVU Crew logo to join us. We feature one of our fabulous members each month, and you get a lovely discount to use however you desire. Sign up for our newsletter below to get tasty design nuggets a few times per month.