About Agnieszka Siwonia
I’ve lived in many homes throughout my life. It struck me that the way the space is used can have a massive impact on the wellbeing of the people who live there. This is why I founded Eco Design Living.
For example, my first home was a first floor flat in Wroclaw, Poland. It was an old, three-storey building with high ceilings and large windows. 8 of us lived in one of the room, with many of my extended family around us. Even though it wasn’t very big it, it always felt spacious, functional and well arranged.
My parents had a table in the centre of the room, three sofa beds around it and a big antique dresser that had an extra worktop hidden in it. I remember our family always being together. I was very happy there, even if it was slightly crowded. My father was an artist and designer. He was constantly developing photos or making toys and games for us. I watched him and his creativity has always inspired me.
Our second home was a large, ground floor flat with a small yard. It should have been an improvement but our family’s quality of life worsened. This was a big surprise to me.
The new flat didn’t fulfil our need for being together. I always felt that was one of the reasons for the decline. It was badly built, poorly designed and very impractical. The lighting and air circulation were inadequate. There was little privacy in some of the rooms – you had to pass through one to get to another – and the walls and a long corridor separated us. I became acutely aware of how much our immediate, domestic environment affects and can affect our health and happiness.
I have now lived in many houses and flats and despite the limits that come with renting spaces, I have always tried to make improvements. With a limited budget I quickly learned to improvise – always reusing and repurposing the things I had around me, sourcing good quality materials I would use in practical and unexpected ways. These concepts of sustainable design would later become the core of my business.
My Family Home
11 years ago, my husband, children and I moved into our own home.
The layout of the ground floor was not practical and we knew it would need some serious improvements to make it into our home.
After receiving permission from the Council, I planned, designed and executed a new layout for the whole of the ground floor.
It totally transformed the house and the way our family lives in it. It is now much lighter, with more space and more storage for our family of five.
Family Portrait
Design Principles – Scale
“Natural Born Heroes” – an adaptation of a building in Norwich
Exhibition at the Forum, Norwich
Interior Design
This experience made me realise I had a flair for planning and spatial design, so I decided to go back to college. I took an Access course at City College, Norwich. This then led to an Honours Degree in Interior Design from Anglia Ruskin University. It gave me the confidence to pursue Interior Design as a career.
I have a good, broad knowledge of design principles, an understanding of the importance of a well-thought out and detailed concept, good craftsman skills and a passion for sustainable and practical design.
Design Principles – Scale
“Natural Born Heroes” – an adaptation of a building in Norwich
Exhibition at the Forum, Norwich
Setting Up Eco Design Living
I set up Eco Aga Design in 2016 and started organising and curating art and interior design exhibitions called “Inside the Box”. The feedback was incredible so I decided to invest in a permanent studio. In 2019 Eco Design Living was born. The studio has become a multi-functional space for people to explore, learn, connect and work from.
“I first met with Agnieszka when she invited me to join a group of hand-picked artists to participate in an exhibition dedicated to Eco-design, at The Forum in Norwich. Since that first successful exhibition Agnieszka has gone on to consistently demonstrate a genuine passion for her craft, both as an interior designer and also as a talented curator of conceptual design exhibitions. Working with Agnieszka has always been a real privilege and honour. This is because of her unique energy and enthusiasm for project planning and management. The determination she has shown in chasing her ambitions and dreams, is nothing short of inspirational. I could not praise her work or recommend her abilities high enough to do it justice in a short statement.. but if you are looking for a conscientious designer with knowledge, imagination and the flair of a true artist, you might have just discovered one of the best”.
David Todd – Founder and Creative Director at Todd Designs
