Luxury minimalist furniture – a conversation with designer Joana Santos Barbosa

Good morning, Ms. Joana. I am looking forward to our conversation, especially since you create true and original luxury. The luxurious minimalist furniture designed by your brand InsidherLand is something we would love to experience again and again, especially when it comes to arranging exclusive interiors. There is a clear and strong connection with nature, and the bold design gives your brand a unique character.

Luxury minimalist furniture and your passion for art in life?

One of my earliest memories is listening to classical music during Sunday family dinners. Neither of my parents had an artistic background, but they always encouraged me to discover the great names of classical music. In addition, we traveled, visited museums and historic cities, which definitely helped shape my personality.

At the age of three, I was already dancing ballet, and by nine, I started playing the piano. In fact, art, music, and architecture have always been present in my life, even if I wasn’t always consciously aware of their influence. Design came into my life later, through my own sketching. It was these experiences that revealed my professional path to me.

What is the most important aspect of your work?

My work reflects who I am. On one hand, I am deeply influenced by art, and on the other, I spent my childhood in a house facing a field, where I witnessed the wonders of nature. Looking back, it’s clear to me that my first collection, Beyond Memory, represents my fascination with the natural world. The luxurious minimalist furniture, including the Alentejo tables, are shaped like cork oaks, inspired by the farm where I often go horseback riding. Meanwhile, the chandelier and wall lamp with Azoron were ideas that came to me during a trip to the green island of S. Miguel in the Azores.

Luxury minimalist furniture, including my second collection – Identity, is deeply connected to the artistic side. For example, the centerpiece table was designed with classical music as its backdrop. The design represents what I see while playing the piano. Not the keyboard itself, but the space moving across it. The shape of the brass blades on the marble top mirrors the shape of my longest fingers touching the piano keys.

Luxury minimalist furniture or your favorite artist?

I can’t answer that question in any particular way. Throughout my life, I feel like I’ve been collecting passions for the works of certain artists, such as the Portuguese painter Manuel Cargaleiro (since I was eleven, I managed to convince my parents to buy one of his paintings at an art gallery, and it remains my favorite to this day. I look at it with joy, so elegantly placed above my piano).

In music, I adore the reverence of the Nocturnes by Fryderyk Chopin, and Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 is the most emotional piece I have ever played. In architecture and design, there are many specialists whose work fascinates and commands my respect, but it’s hard to single out just one. Sometimes, I feel more influenced by what I perceive in the artist’s creative process than by their physical work itself.

Briefly tell your story.

I never had any doubts that I would follow a path connected to art. After earning my degree in architecture and working on architectural projects early in my career, design has been the reality I’ve immersed myself in over the past few years. Although I have been designing luxurious minimalist furniture for so long, it still remains only on paper.

Since my first presentation at Maison & Objet in Paris in 2013, my works have been almost entirely sold to international markets. Currently, 99% of production is exported to over thirty-five countries across four continents.

Since I always had the opportunity to travel, I also felt that my country seemed too small for me. Ironically, I later realized that my small but wealthy country provides me not only with high-quality materials, but also with craftsmanship skills that actively contribute to the creation of my art, including luxurious minimalist furniture found all over the world.

Luxury minimalist furniture – how do you want to stand out when designing it?

My priority is to continually reach audiences who appreciate the value of works of art. I don’t draw objects. My creations and luxurious minimalist furniture are functional works of art, deeply connected to life experiences that enrich every project. More important than simply extending myself or my beliefs, my work is crafted to connect with the desires and aspirations of those who value exclusive, high-quality design.

What does the process of creating these beautiful products look like?

The creative process is intuitive and stems from my memories and the places I cherish. The birth of a new work can be triggered by a new image that pierces my eyes and returns after a long time. When a new idea emerges, it automatically materializes in its form and function without any rational intervention on my part.

Luxury minimalist, such as the mirror in Arizona, refers to “The Wave,” a rock formation in the United States that’s on my bucket list. I’ve known about this landscape for years, but a particular photo I saw suddenly “awakened” a personal interpretation of this place. While the birth of an idea happens without any rules, the construction process is the complete opposite—focused entirely on overcoming a wide range of technical challenges.

Overall, I approach the creative process in designing luxury minimalist furniture much like architecture, in the sense that there is form, function (the program in architecture), concept (the core idea I intend to convey through materials), and emotion (the feeling I aim to evoke in the viewer).

Which well-known personalities have purchased your works?

Most of the time, I collaborate with architects and interior designers who create luxury projects complemented by high-end minimalist furniture. Often, revealing these projects at the request of their private clients is not permitted. I know that we have already sold some truly exceptional and custom-made creations to “one of the 10 richest men in the United States,” as well as to “one of the most powerful women in the world” listed by Forbes magazine. However, this information remains confidential.

Luxury minimalist furniture and the most important moment in my career?

When I decided to create InsidherLand. In reality, it wasn’t a single moment but a process that took me three years to fully transition from working in architecture to dedicating myself full-time to my own brand. From the very beginning, I knew InsidherLand was meant for international markets, and it was a major change in my life because, as an introvert, I had to put myself at the forefront. Over time, I realized that I was growing alongside the brand and that I had made the right choice.

Where do I want to be in 5, 10, 15 years from now?

Over time, I’ve become less interested in defining myself. I have plans, projects, and ambitions that I intend to pursue as an author from a broader perspective than I do now, but I rarely talk about them in advance. I prefer to think, create, and present them to the public when the time is right.

Thank you very much for the interview, Ms. Joanna! Welcome to and I wish you great sales results with Polish clients.