Fabian Freytag is the Ambiente Designer of the Year 2025. With 'The Lounge – Shades of Space,' the visionary architect and designer has created a unique retreat that blurs the boundaries between the public workspace and the private living room.
Born in 1984 in Hamburg, Germany, Fabian Freytag studied architecture before founding the Fabian Freytag Studio in Berlin in 2012, where he has since made a name for himself in the design of inspiring spaces.
Photos: Kozy Studio Berlin.
Freytag's studio is a place where classical painting and artificial intelligence merge. The designer's work is characterised by his passion for beautiful design and opulent table settings. Not only do they embody aesthetic beauty, but they also pay homage to the good life.
According to Architectural Digest, Fabian Freytag has been one of the one hundred most important and brilliant minds in style, design, and architecture since 2021. In 2023, he won the 'Best of Interior Award' from Callwey Verlag. His book, Gently Radical Interior Design, was published by the same publisher in 2024.
In an interview with Ambiente, the designer reveals how he draws inspiration for his work from artificial intelligence, why he loves trade fairs, and what should be on a stylishly laid table.
What does it mean to you to be Ambiente Designer 2025?
'It is a great honour to be recognised by Ambiente. The fact that it also includes the opportunity to design such a prominent area as The Lounge is simply fantastic. For me, as a big fan of staging—whether it's stage design, interiors, or trade fairs—it's the best gift I could ever receive. At the same time, we all know how time-consuming it is to design an exhibition stand. I'm already looking forward to the moment when all those night shifts will suddenly be put into perspective and everything will somehow feel good (laughs).'
Without giving too much away: What are you planning for 'The Lounge – Shades of Space'?
'I like to take an introverted view of spaces by defining the productions as self-contained parallel worlds. We will also design the special presentation "The Lounge" like a cocoon—a place where you can relax and retreat, but also where you can work. It will be a dreamy world with beautiful productions. At the end of the day, the visitor should feel: "Wow, I don't want to leave this place." I take the quality of a living room as my starting point. After all, a lounge is like a living room that has moved from the private to the public sphere.'
You often start your idea generation processes with AI. Were you also inspired by artificial intelligence for 'The Lounge'?
'Yes, my prompt for this project was "aluminium cave with plants and stacked materials". The result was a very strong image. And yet what came out of it in terms of design had little to do with the original prompt. So what happened was what was supposed to happen: The AI provided the big bang for the idea because it felt right. However, the elaboration led to a different result due to different requirements. But the feeling remained.'
You are a designer for whom hospitality and table culture are very important. How important are table settings to you personally?
'Very important. Unfortunately, tablecloths are often not used in high-end restaurants these days. Everything should be as clean as possible so that the food is the centre of attention. I'm not a fan of that at all. For me, a white tablecloth is obligatory when I have guests—like the ironed shirt I wear when I go out to eat. A table has to have a certain opulence for me. There has to be a cool vase on it and, of course, beautiful flowers. For me, entertaining means not making it look like everyday life.'
What do you think of the concept of trade fairs?
'If it were just about exchanging and disseminating information, the Internet would have been unbeatable for a long time. But that doesn't work for Interior. Our business is about emotions; it doesn't work digitally and it's just not how living works. That's why I'm a big fan of trade fairs and can't wait to be part of Ambiente 2025 with The Lounge.'
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