bedMATE of the month #26: Amber Dewaele

Every month we visit a creative and inspiring person. She or he is the 'bedMATE of the month'.

The bedMATE is the most iconic item in our collection. The extra long pillow serves as a headboard, but also as a cuddle buddy, a friend who gives support.

We crawl into bed with the 'bedMATE of the month'. We take a look at their homes and their colorful (bed)rooms. In conversation we discover how they experience the SUITE life. What goes on in their minds? Where do they get their inspiration from? And in what color do they dream?

This month, all-round creative Nicole Huisman visited the beautiful apartment of Belgian designer Amber Dewaele, who works freelance for RiRa Objects and designs her own furniture, mainly lighting, in her spare time.

'I live in a rental apartment in Antwerp on Het Zuid together with my boyfriend. It is certainly not my dream apartment, but it is a home where I really like to be. Originally I lived there with a friend with whom I studied together. When he decided to move, my boyfriend did not hesitate for a second to come and live with me. In the meantime, we have been living there for three years and we want to continue to do so until we can perhaps buy something one day.

'One day I will renovate and furnish my own apartment, that would really be a dream project.'

'I was still studying when I moved in so I didn't really have much money to decorate it nicely. It was actually quite bare and boring then, haha! Our interior has grown quite organically, it's really a mix and match of styles.'

'The story behind this coffee table? I once had metal podiums made for a furniture fair to present a new chair. I liked them so much that I put them on the floor at my home and voila! From a presentation piece to a functional coffee table.

"One of the better upcycles I've ever done."

I prefer to work at the round table, like to sit in the big brown armchair and since my SUITE702 bedding arrived, this has changed to in my armchair WITH my duvet!'

'The doily with the flower pattern was given to my friend by his father, who used to have a carpet company. He has sadly passed away, so the doily has great sentimental value. It will probably always find a place somewhere, no matter where we live.'

'When I design new objects, I often start from a certain functionality, or a combination of materials. At the moment I am developing a new table/wall lamp called FlatLight. It is a bit like the little sister of the Sunset Lamp. If you look closely you can spot a first prototype on one of the pictures ;)'

'Colour is an emotion for me. In my designs I am very colourful, but I myself wear almost exclusively black. In my interior it is finding the balance between a few colour accents mixed with more neutral colours.'

'Normally I always sleep under completely pure white bedding, but this time I went for the total Olive look and I am very happy with it! Our room is quite basic and the Olive color gives it a bit more character. 'This just goes to show that it is good to step away from your habits every now and then.'