At Home with Barbara

For the inaugural feature of the EMAIRO Journal, we visit founder Barbara Deyaert at her home in Athens. Reflecting on a journey that has taken her from Belgium to London and ultimately Greece, she shares the experiences that shaped her perspective and the values that continue to inform EMAIRO today.

You grew up in Belgium but have spent your adult life living abroad. How has that shaped the way you see the world?

Living abroad has taught me curiosity, resilience and the ability to see things from different perspectives. I still carry a strong Belgian DNA in me. There is a sense of humility, integrity and authenticity that continues to shape how I see the world. Belgium may be small, but it has an incredibly rich creative culture, I believe that sensitivity to aesthetic has influenced me from a young age.

Living in a big city like London exposed me to a myriad of cultures, people and influences. Somehow, each place has left its mark. Belgium taught me restraint and an appreciation for quality, London expanded my perspective and Greece taught me to embrace the unknown - I quite literally decided to move to Athens on nothing more than gut instinct.

You spent several years as a buyer at Net-A-Porter. How did this shape your journey and eventual transition to design? What did this experience teach you about building a brand?

Fashion taught me that a great brand is never just about the product. It is a fast-paced and highly competitive industry, which forces you to develop a strong identity from day one. People rarely fall in love with product alone. They connect with a point of view, a feeling and a world they want to be part of.

While fashion and design operate at very different rhythms, they share the same foundation. Both are about creating a connection through craftsmanship, aesthetic and values. That understanding has stayed with me and continues to influence the way I think about EMAIRO today.

There is a strong emotional quality to EMAIRO. Was there a specific moment when you knew you wanted to build the brand?

I've always been interested in the people behind the things we buy, so I naturally approached marble through that lens - visiting quarries, understanding its origin and spending time with artisans to learn every step of the process.

What struck me most was the level of knowledge and patience behind the craft. There are no shortcuts. Every step, from excavation to final polish, requires time, human skill and an extraordinary respect for the material itself. With EMAIRO, I wanted to create objects that honour those qualities.

'Belgium taught me restraint and an appreciation for quality, London expanded my perspective and Greece taught me to embrace the unknown - I quite literally decided to move to Athens on nothing more than gut instinct'

What first drew you to marble and what continues to fascinate you about it today?

Its visual depth. I often refer to marble as nature's art.

Every slab carries a history that began thousands, sometimes millions of years ago. Its colour, veining and character are shaped by its geological origin and mineral structure that make each block entirely unique. The moment marble truly captivated me was during my first visit to a quarry in Carrara, Italy. Standing amongst these vast formations of stone completely changes your perspective. It’s quite humbling to think that everything from ancient monuments to contemporary design traces back to these raw blocks.

How would you describe the design philosophy behind EMAIRO?

At EMAIRO, material & craftsmanship always come first.

Our aim is to create pieces that feel timeless, honest and rooted in the natural beauty of stone itself. We want to honour the material rather than compete with it. The simplest forms are usually the hardest to get right. I often compare it to creating the perfect white T-shirt - when there is nothing to hide behind, every detail matters. Our pieces are designed to live with people for decades, not to belong to a specific era.

What inspires you beyond design?

People.

I’ve long been fascinated by human nature - what shapes us, what motivates us and how we experience the world. Some of my greatest inspiration comes from conversations and observing how people live. I’m also deeply interested in medicine - in another life, I would probably have become a doctor. I've always been drawn to understanding and caring for people.

'There are no shortcuts. Every step, from excavation to final polish, requires time,
human skill and an extraordinary respect for the material itself '

Looking around your home, what does it reveal about you?

Probably that I'm drawn to objects with a story.

There is a mix of vintage finds, pieces collected during travels, bespoke furniture and of course, EMAIRO creations. Many of them have travelled with me through different countries and chapters of life. Among them are a set of Pierre Jeanneret armchairs restored in a workshop in Chandigarh, India that I collaborate with. These are pieces I treasure as much for their history as their design.

I don't think homes should ever feel finished. The spaces I love most evolve naturally over time, gathering character, memories and a sense of individuality.

How would you describe your personal aesthetic?

Layered, timeless and understated.

I'm drawn to spaces that feel collected rather than decorated, where beauty emerges naturally through materials, proportion and atmosphere. The interiors I admire most contain unexpected details and a sense of personality that cannot be manufactured.

What makes a space beautiful to you?

The most memorable spaces are rarely the most perfect. They possess a certain depth and authenticity that can’t be created overnight. Much like a place or a person, they reveal themselves gradually. I think great design often works quietly. You may not immediately understand why a space feels special, but you feel it.

'The most memorable spaces are rarely the most perfect. Much like a place or a person, they reveal themselves gradually'

Finally, what are you dreaming about for EMAIRO's future?

To continue growing in a way that remains true to our values.

What excites me most is seeing EMAIRO evolve beyond its current collection into a broader creative practice. While stone will always be our foundation and first chapter, I’m excited to bring together exceptional craft traditions through a shared design language - whether that's marble from Greece, woodworking traditions from Belgium or artisanal knowledge preserved within workshops across the world.

Ultimately, I'm interested in the people, skills and heritage behind what we create as much as the objects themselves. Long term, I hope EMAIRO evolves into a material-led design studio that moves naturally between furniture, objects and bespoke projects, while staying guided by the same principles that shaped the brand from the beginning : quality, craftsmanship and enduring design.