Ornare Presents Design Talk

Charles Allem

South African born and AD 100 interior designer Charles Allem sat down with SocialMiami at Ornare in the Miami Design District. Allem has chosen the Miami Design District as the headquarters of his internationally renowned design company.

“For me,” he said, “design is not really a job; it’s an extension of my being.”

Allem prides himself on providing clients with what they want. According to Allem, clients tend to be a lot more advanced in their knowledge of design than they were 10 to 15 years ago. He attributes this advancement to the internet and surplus of media outlets that essentially educate the consumer.

Allem considers Miami to be another state of South America (figuratively speaking), and he appreciates the fusion of cultures. He also feels that Miami is still developing and morphing into something new, which is unique for a major American city, as compared to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

For Allem, art is essential. “It’s the key to culture, to civilization, it transcends everything.”

He enjoys bringing artists into the construction of his buildings so that features like sliding doors are essentially works of art becoming an integrated part of the architecture and design.

Because people change with time, Allem also advocates rotating art. What one may have liked 20 years ago may not be what one likes today. And art should not be about the money. It should be about what an individual falls in love with.