'Oscar' for Designers and Global Acclaim: How a Russian Happened to Change Her Career and Became a Star

Madina had a university degree and pursued a respectable career as a lawyer. But one unsuccessful project completely changed her life. During home renovations, the hired designers utterly failed at their work. In order to rectify their mistakes, the young woman decided to take courses and create the design herself. Little did she know at that time that this would become her new profession, bringing her international recognition.

Photo from the personal archive of Madina Vykhodtseva

Madina Vykhodtseva completed her first design course in the 2000s. At that time, the very concept of “design” was just emerging in Russia. Therefore, she quickly got into the flow - and soon after her home, she began decorating the houses of friends and acquaintances, and new orders began pouring in through word of mouth.

Ten years of continued studies

Concurrently with her work, the young woman was constantly studying. Landscape design, art history, composition, photography, to name a few…

“For about 10 years, I constantly studied and worked. In this profession you need to learn all the time and develop with it. To be a professional, you have to constantly learn something new in the field of design, attend annual world furniture and art exhibitions, such as Salone del mobile in Milan, Maison&Objet in Paris, Decorex in London, Art Basel in Miami and many others. In general, it is extremely important for a designer to travel a lot to get inspiration from different cultures. Attention is a visual experience. Everything that the designer sees around him shapes him and helps in his work. This could be advertising signs, architecture, magazine covers. Nature itself - the shades of air and sun are different in all countries, and this is amazing! A designer needs observation to look for new ideas and create non-standard creative work; it helps to quickly generate ideas and understand what is trending now. I studied at a private design school. Its advantage was that it was taught not by theorists, but by practicing designers. First you take a course in design, then you include landscape design, then you realize that you need to immerse yourself in fine art, study photography. This is everything that makes the project individual, fills it with soul. With the help of art objects I can better reflect the tastes of the customer. After 10 years, I myself was invited to teach at this school - it was very significant for me!“says Madina.

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She had to study not only in Russia but also abroad, learning from the best professors, notably at the British School of Design in London.

"I was eager to witness the process of the greatest designers, the maestros. While this profession was just emerging in Russia, it already had a colossal history abroad. We were taught by globally renowned interior designers! It was there we developed and defended our own projects,", - Madina shares.

TV shows and ‘Oscar’ for designers

In parallel with new orders, fame unexpectedly came. Madina realized that she was a star when she was first invited to television - to participate in the famous programs “Housing Question” and “Dacha Answer”. For publicity came participation in various competitions and festivals. She has repeatedly become a finalist in the PinWin competition:

• PinWin contest winner in "Best Textile Interior Design Solution", 2013
• Finalist in the PinWin contest for "Best Interior Design for Vacation Home and Apartment", 2013
• Finalist in the PinWin contest for "Best Bedroom Design", 2013
• Finalist in the PinWin contest for ‘"AP Luxury Brands: Respectability and Quality", 2018
• Finalist in the PinWin contest for "Wall", 2018

In 2013, Madina won the “Premiere of the Year” contest organized by the Association of Interior Designers and Decorators (ADDI) in collaboration with the Manders company. The prize was a trip to Maison&Objet in France.

Madina’s projects were featured in various interior design-focused publications, including well-known magazines such as Elle decoration, Interior+Design, AD Magazine, Mezonin – familiar to anyone interested in design. However, the most significant publication was yet to come.

“Perhaps the main project that I am proud of is the design apartments in an XNUMXth century mansion near Palace Square in St. Petersburg. House from 1790 with high ceilings! And even though the apartment was small, we were able to make it a unique space. This project won several design competitions, was published in various magazines, but most importantly, it was published in the collection of the world's best interiors “Andrew Martin Interior Design Review”! There is such a London edition. Every year a book is published that includes the work of 100 of the world's best designers. They are chosen from thousands of projects from different countries on six continents! And now my work was selected among the 100 best! It’s like an Oscar nomination for designers!” — Madina says joyfully.

Project nominated for an Oscar for designers. Photo from the personal archive of Madina Vykhodtseva

Project nominated for an Oscar for designers. Photo from the personal archive of Madina Vykhodtseva

Madina admits that if someone had told her at the beginning of her career that she would be a member of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID), she wouldn’t have believed it. But it happened.

“Getting in was no easy feat! BIID ranks among the top five global organizations in the interior design industry, - recalls Madina, - The candidates had to meet stringent requirements. A minimum of six years’ experience, a specific number of publications, and membership in a design association in their home country were prerequisites. By then, I was already a member of the Association of Interior Designers and Decorators of Russia. Additionally, they conduct an hours-long professional interview, essentially an exam required for admission. Surprisingly, I was accepted on my first attempt!”

Another project that the designer is proud of is the NIKA gymnastics sports center in the Moscow region. Madina now enjoys watching on social networks and on TV how children are engaged in a complex based on her project. Now it is one of the 5 best gymnastic centers in Russia.

Gymnastics sports center "NIKA". Photo from the personal archive of Madina Vykhodtseva

“Apartment design in the USA is my pain”

Madina has a big dream - to build a career as a designer in America. She came to Miami several times as a tourist and wondered what the prospects for her profession were here. And it turned out that the niche was not particularly occupied!

“It seems that there is a certain gap in the interior design here,'', - Madina shares. — There are either expensive buildings where entire groups of, as a rule, highly qualified European designers are invited. And yes, everything there is very stylish and beautiful. And there is a spectrum of middle class people who live ordinary lives. And here people don’t bother at all, everything is stereotypical and the same, one apartment is no different from another, everything is white or beige, everything doesn’t fit the design at all. Interiors that do not reflect the personality of their owners, without soul and zest. I can’t understand the reason, either everything is very expensive here, or it’s just not customary to hire designers here,” she ponders.

The young woman explains that she tried to locate manufacturers producing fitted furniture in Miami – something abundant in any post-Soviet country. But she was unable to find such services here. Predominantly, it’s the large companies with steep prices that handle custom-made furniture production. Meanwhile, there’s an almost complete absence of smaller factories catering to the mid-range consumers.

"I was so surprised to learn that it’s impossible to come and create, for instance, a chair based on your own design for a reasonable price. This service isn’t offered in the US. That’s why I’d like to make my contribution to the American design market,””, says the designer.

Madina’s dreams and plans are to gather a team of people from post-Soviet countries in her beloved Miami, and show Americans that design can be accessible to the most ordinary people.

"I would like to establish my own agency. With the influx of new immigrants who are eager and skilled, I aim to assemble a team of professionals dedicated to creating beauty and bringing happiness to people,“- the girl dreams.

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