The interior designers Martina Casas and Loli Moroño, from PF1 Interiorismo (Spain), and Inês Coelho, an architect from the Project Management, Architecture & Interior Design Department from Sonae (Portugal), have been working with Sonae Arauco over the past few years.

These professional women are known for their creativity in developing inspiring solutions with the Innovus collection. The quality, the patterns, the wide range of colours, and the finishes have a significant impact and make all the difference in their projects.

In the following interview, Martina, Loli, and Inês share how they see nowadays the women in the architecture world and explain how it is to work with Sonae Arauco and our decorative products.

What inspires you to work with Sonae Arauco’s decorative products?

Martina and Loli: The Innovus collection helps us to turn our projects more profitable. The range of decorative products offered is very versatile and fits into many of our designs.

Inês: Besides being a Sonae product – for me, it makes no sense to use a product that is not from our company – all the Innovus products have a wide variety of patterns and colors that allow us to create and diversify each project.

In your opinion, what are the main characteristics that distinguish the Innovus collection?
Martina and Loli: Especially, the cement finishes and natural stones. If you get a chance to see it installed in a large area, it is fantastic.

Inês: The Innovus collection is highlighted by the quality and variety of the material.

Which decor do you like the most and why?

Martina and Loli: We love HPL boards in their different finishes, but the pattern that imitates natural stones is what drives us crazy. Do not miss Seastone F2296, it is incredibly beautiful! We use it on countertops and tabletops, and it impresses us thanks to its realistic look.

Inês: It is hard to say which one I like the most, given the range of patterns. I like so many decoratives…!
How does Sonae Arauco support your projects?

Martina and Loli: We have a particular and close relationship with Sonae Arauco as they always help us throughout the process, being honest and decisive in every process.

Inês: Sonae Arauco supports us in many aspects. The company helps us to technically understand the suitability of the product for each space and provides us with the best samples that are available so we can analyze and choose the final product. My department, Project Management, Architecture & Interior Design,  has always had this support, especially in the area related to Architecture and Interior Design, where we have a wide variety of projects, from offices to hotel projects, interior remodeling and lifestyle.

What is it like to work with different teams from Sonae Arauco?

Martina and Loli: At PF1 Interiorismo Contract we work throughout the national territory and Portugal, and this have led us to deal with different teams, such as from Barcelona, Madrid - always supported by the great service of Jorge Lado, in Galicia. The different teams have always protected and taken care of us, looking for solutions and providing samples. As we work with the hospitality sector, it is particularly important to have access to the different references in stock, such as fire protection products. For us, the key is to be able to present our clients the projects in a competitive time.

Inês: I have always felt a significant help from the teams I have worked with at Sonae Arauco.

What is it like to be an architect and interior designer in a male-dominated professional world?

Martina and Loli: From our point of view, as women and interior designers, we cannot deny this evidence. Reflecting on it, we have noticed the well-known "glass ceiling" over our heads at different professional stages of our lives, but over the years, it has become a more flexible situation. However, there are periods of our working life when this question has been more evident, such as during the beginning of our career, during motherhood, or even when we need to gain the trust of a client – normally, they are a little reluctant to trust their project in women’s hands. But instead of regretting it, we must ignore what does not help us to grow and focus on strengthening the aspects that, at first, seem to be a weakness. In conclusion, turning weaknesses into strengths.

Inês: Women have been playing a more active role in different areas, but we are not on the same level as men yet.