“Color shapes emotion and transforms spaces,” says Eva Marguerre, co-founder of the Hamburg-based Studio Besau-Marguerre. The multidisciplinary design firm specializes in interior design, styling, product design, and more, with notable projects including Hamburg's iconic Elbphilharmonie. Journalist Mairi Beautyman speaks with the duo about their work on DEDON’s Summer Home campaign and why color and thoughtful design are essential for fostering interaction in outdoor living spaces.
A Design Duo’s Take on Outdoor Living
Color, Connection, and Creativity
How did you approach the styling and color concept for the DEDON Summer Home campaign?
Marcel Besau: We thought about outdoor living and what that means today — in particular for a well-designed home or chic boutique hotel. With the aim to break with the traditional, we mixed DEDON collections in unexpected ways. Eva Marguerre: Our color selections add energy and vitality. It’s fascinating to see how DEDON furniture brings remarkable dynamic to two distinct settings — the beach house's stunning architecture and Portugal's untamed coastline.
Eva Marguerre
"Bold colors transform outdoor spaces, adding energy and a sense of playfulness."
What was the key motivation behind your design choices?
EM: Human interaction. The greatest compliment we receive is when clients tell us they feel at ease. Life offers many ways to come together — I think of families and everyone gathering in their own way. Why not create areas within one setting that support these different needs? In office design, where large
lounges allow both group interaction and focused solo work, this concept has been widespread for some time now.
MB: Our outdoor settings for DEDON encourage everything from solitude to intimate chats over coffee, family time, and parties. You can see this on the terrace, which is expansive and beautiful but not so easy to furnish with its many structural columns. With the TIBBO lounge and BRIXX sofa placed around these columns, we took advantage of the striking architecture. It’s always exciting to see what happens when furniture becomes more than just functional — when it invites, inspires, and opens up to all the possibilities of life.
From your perspective as designers, what makes DEDON unique as a brand?
EM: DEDON’s interplay of textures, forms, and colors is especially appealing. The resulting diversity across collections is truly unique. Customization — something DEDON provides — is a great opportunity to make a bold statement and tell a unique story.
MB: The artistry in DEDON products is something we always want to highlight. The closer you get to DEDON Fiber, the more interesting it becomes — new details emerge. On a small sample, colors appear very different than on an entire piece of furniture. The colors blend into their own distinctive nuance.
Textiles or targeted color concepts can even emphasize different tones in the weave.
Marcel Besau
The key motivation behind our design choices? Human interaction.
Why is color so important in outdoor living spaces?
MB: It’s a mistake to think just about shape and leave decisions about color and material to the end — both are far more significant than people realize. For example, the red tones of the TIBBO setting by the pool echo the roof, creating a seamless dialogue between the furniture and architecture. In the dining setting, a roof made of wooden slats casts a beautiful play of striped shadows, which perfectly complements the styling of a CALADIO chair and SOLYD table.
EM: If you look at the same piece of furniture in several different shades, you’ll see how much color reshapes it. Perhaps in another hue, details are lost. That’s endlessly fascinating to us. In both furniture design and indoor or outdoor settings, color is playing a much bigger role at the moment.
How are outdoor spaces particularly challenging?
EM: The approach is just not the same. Indoors, people tend to work with more muted tones on walls, ceilings, and floors — so the furniture takes center stage and the overall impression is more concentrated. MB: Outdoors, there are not only more colors in play but so many variables. Color can shift dramatically depending on the time of day, weather, season, and location. The sky can be bright blue — other times, everything is gray.
Any tips on approaching color outdoors?
EM: Be bolder. Bold color feels more playful outside — even though more elements come into play that influence the palette.
What was your favorite moment from the shoot?
EM: After the final shot, the entire team jumped into the pool fully clothed — glorious in 30-degree heat! MB: With the soft illumination of various SCOORA table lamps and lanterns positioned around the pool, we then had this lovely extended evening. The perfect finale.