Travel as a source of inspiration: Marie Vansteenkiste on design, tranquillity and Objects by Marie

For Marie Vansteenkiste, founder of Objects by Marie, design often begins while travelling. England and Ireland give her a sense of coming home, while Tulum inspires her with its tranquillity, gastronomy and sensory simplicity. In this blog, she shares how travel helps shape her sculptural tables and design objects.

Travel as a source of inspiration: Marie Vansteenkiste on design, tranquillity and Objects by Marie

For me, design rarely begins at a drawing board. It takes shape along the way. In a feeling, a landscape, a scent, an interior, a conversation around a table, or a place where everything suddenly seems to fall into place. Travel is not an escape for me, but a way to sharpen the way I look at things. It brings me closer to colours, textures, rhythms and atmospheres that later find their way, often unconsciously, into my designs for Objects by Marie.

As founder and designer of Objects by Marie, a Belgian design label centred around sculptural tables and objects, I like to be guided by emotion. My work moves between furniture, sculpture and experience. Every object should be functional, but it should also evoke something. A memory. A conversation. A sense of coming home.

I carry that search for atmosphere and meaning with me wherever I go.

England and Ireland: coming home to character and history

There are places where you arrive and immediately feel that something is right. For me, those places are England and Ireland. I am a great admirer of both destinations precisely because they give me a sense of coming home. There is a certain warmth to them, even when the weather is grey. Perhaps it lies in the old houses, the deep colours, the fabrics, the libraries, the pubs, the gardens, or the landscapes that feel both rugged and romantic.

In England, I love the sense of layers. Interiors that are not too perfect. Rooms where generations seem to come together. A weathered wooden table, a deep armchair, a painting that has hung on the same wall for years. Everything carries a story.

Ireland, in turn, moves me with its purity. The landscape feels powerful and honest. The colours are muted, but never dull: moss green, mist grey, warm brown, deep blue. They are shades that linger. They bring calm, but also character.

I recognise that same atmosphere in the way I design. I love objects that have presence without shouting. Pieces with soul. Pieces that make a space feel more personal.

Tulum: tranquillity, gastronomy and a spirit of renewal

Alongside England and Ireland, Tulum is another place that inspires me enormously. What draws me there is the combination of tranquillity and renewal. Everything seems to exist close together: nature, the sea, silence, wellness, architecture, and at the same time an incredible selection of innovative restaurants.

In Tulum, you can begin the day in complete tranquillity, surrounded by palm trees and soft materials, and a few hours later sit down in a restaurant where gastronomy, design and atmosphere come together perfectly. I find that closeness between simplicity and refinement particularly fascinating.

To me, Tulum is not a place of excess, but of conscious experience. The interiors are often natural, tactile and sensual. Wood, stone, linen, fire, ceramics, scent, music — everything works together. That inspires me deeply, because in my own work I also search for a complete feeling. A table is never just a table to me. It is a place where people come together, eat, talk, celebrate and create memories.

Design grows out of experience

At Objects by Marie, I start from that same idea: design should be experienced. My sculptural, high-gloss lacquered tables are designed as functional objects, but also as visual anchors within an interior. They bring colour, form and character into a space.

I am fascinated by contrasts: gloss against softness, sculpture against functionality, playfulness against craftsmanship. An object may have a strong presence, as long as it also gives something back to the space. Warmth. Energy. A certain tension.

Travel helps me keep feeling that balance. In England and Ireland, I find depth, history and emotion. In Tulum, I find lightness, rhythm and sensory calm. Together, they form a kind of inner moodboard that feeds my designs.

Travelling with intention

As a designer, I like to travel consciously. Not to tick off as many places as possible, but to truly observe. How does the light fall into a room? Which colours does a culture use naturally? How do people sit around a table? Which materials feel local and authentic? Where does luxury emerge without feeling forced?

That is also what attracts me to private aviation and tailor-made travel: the freedom to experience time differently. A private flight is not only about efficiency, but also about comfort, tranquillity and control over your own rhythm. For creative entrepreneurs and designers, that mental space can be important. Being on the move without noise or distraction. Arriving with energy. Travelling in a way that fits the intensity of life and work today.

That way of moving through the world aligns with how I see design: personal, considered and tailored to who you are.

Objects by Marie: Belgian design with a personal signature

Objects by Marie was born from my love of beauty, colour and sculptural forms. I wanted to create objects that do not disappear into a space, but enter into a dialogue with it. My tables are designed for people who love interiors with character and pieces that carry a story.

They belong in residential projects, hospitality interiors and distinctive spaces where design can be more than decoration. Each object is approached as a personal statement: refined, functional and emotional.

My inspiration comes from travel, but also from my own world. From memories, encounters, materials, places and moments.

Ultimately, that is what I seek with Objects by Marie: objects that simply feel right.

The world as a studio

Travel teaches me that beauty does not speak a single language. It can be found on a rugged coastline in Ireland, in a classic English drawing room, or in an open-air restaurant in Tulum. Everywhere, I discover different forms of luxury: silence, craftsmanship, time, attention, nature, atmosphere.

I take those impressions back to my studio. There, they are translated into form, colour and function. Into tables and objects that invite people to slow down, come together and live more consciously.

With Objects by Marie, I want to make those emotions tangible. In objects that are not only beautiful to look at, but also designed to be lived around.