A Portrait of a Professional: Irina Leontyeva’s Experience, Approaches, and Dreams for MosFocus
Irina Leontyeva is one of the brightest figures in Russian interior design. She has completed over 500 projects, collaborated with leading brands, and uniquely combines the roles of designer, monumental artist, and art psychologist. Her professional journey is a story of constant searching for harmony between art, psychology, and business pragmatism, inspiring colleagues and young industry specialists.
International Education: From Milan to London
Irina Leontyeva’s signature style began to take shape in renowned European schools: Istituto Marangoni in Milan and courses with Ross Lovegrove in London laid the foundation for her professional growth. Her international experience gave her a broad perspective on design, combining the best features of European and Russian approaches. This cultural synthesis became the basis for creating new interior concepts, where European rigor and Russian vibrancy intertwine, resulting in unique projects.
Synthesis of Professions: Three Pillars of Creative Work
In every project, Irina combines three professional aspects: designer, monumental artist, and art psychologist. This approach is especially valuable in creating commercial spaces, where not only the visual solution but also the atmosphere attracting visitors is important. Thanks to her psychological knowledge, Irina builds a dialogue with the client, capturing their true desires and transforming them into expressive interior images. This synthesis is the foundation of successful projects for restaurant chains, where artistic vision and understanding of client motivation lead to extraordinary, inspiring results.
Philosophy of Creativity: Harmony of Masculine and Feminine Principles
The philosophical concept of masculine and feminine principles is an important theme in Irina Leontyeva’s work. Her series presented at RuNoFest 2026 reveals the deep harmony of opposites in art and life. This idea is reflected not only in painting but also in spatial design, where the balance of energies directly influences the atmosphere and perception of the interior. Irina believes that considering the specifics and inner state of the client allows for the creation of spaces where different worlds and ideas coexist harmoniously.
Working with Brands: Searching for Balance Between Individuality and Corporate Style
Collaborating with major commercial clients—Novikov Group, Ginza Project, hotel chains—requires the designer to strike a delicate balance between personal style and corporate standards. Irina notes that the success of such projects depends on the ability to listen to all participants—co-owners, restaurateurs, investors. Only after thoroughly analyzing opinions and limitations related to budget and technical requirements can the designer offer a vision that organically fits the brand and highlights its uniqueness.
Art Psychology Practice: Tools for Understanding the Client
Art psychology is an important part of Irina Leontyeva’s professional arsenal. She uses comprehensive methods in her work, taking into account the client’s personality type, tastes, preferences, and sometimes even astrological profile. This approach allows her to delve into the client’s deepest desires, which they may not always be able to articulate. Irina hopes that these skills will become an integral part of educational programs for specialists working with people in the future, because the ability to “hear” the client is the key to creating truly individual spaces.
Passing On Experience: Changes in the Profession and Advice for Young Designers
As an ambassador of the ADD Awards and participant in the “Russian House” exhibition, Irina Leontyeva regularly shares her experience with colleagues. In her opinion, over the past ten years, the profession of interior designer has undergone significant changes: alongside classical university education, short courses have emerged, allowing people with different backgrounds to enter the industry. Irina inspires young professionals not to be afraid to dream and realize their ideas, because it is passion for creativity that makes the world brighter and cozier, even in challenging times.
Connecting Industries: The Influence of Fashion and Art on Interior Design
Irina Leontyeva is convinced that fashion, business, sports, and contemporary art are closely connected to interior design. Trends born on the runway are quickly reflected in artistic materials and stylistic solutions for interiors. For her, design is always a creative search, where inspiration can be drawn from any source, whether classic or the latest trends in contemporary art.
A Unique Algorithm: An Individual Approach to Project Work
The main distinction of Irina Leontyeva’s method lies in the deep synthesis of artistic and professional experience. From early childhood, she showed a penchant for creativity, attended art school, then followed a path from an Italian design school to a Russian university specializing in yacht design. International courses and work in European companies enhanced her knowledge, enabling her to develop a unique algorithm based on flexibility, observation, and a pursuit of harmony. Irina believes that anyone can become a designer, but true vocation is born in the soul and must be nurtured at every stage of the professional journey.
Professional Challenges: Overcoming Limitations and Creative Dialogue
Architectural and planning difficulties are an integral part of working on large projects. Irina admits that creativity does not like restrictions, but it is dialogue with the client and professional trust that allow her to realize her ideas even in the most challenging conditions. The experience and reputation earned over the years help her overcome any barriers—from technical nuances to subjective client requirements, because the most valuable thing for a designer is seeing their ideas come to life in real spaces.
Future and Legacy: Dreams that Become the Foundation
Looking to the future, Irina Leontyeva dreams of introducing European teaching methods into Russian educational programs. She believes that practice based on visual, auditory, and muscle memory forms the foundation of professional skill. Irina aims to create large-scale art objects, signature collections, and educational projects that will become a legacy and support for a new generation of designers. Her approach is a pursuit of harmony, deep understanding of the client, and constant development, thanks to which Russian design is becoming prominent on the world stage.