Tell us a little more about yourself
My name is Stela Kehayova, almost 21 years old, and I was born in Bulgaria. When I was 10, my family decided to move to the sunny island Cyprus. This is where I grew up, graduated high school and to this day I still live there with my family. My majors in high school were history, ancient Greek, Latin, Greek Literature, and also took some Spanish classes. I used to be very obsessed with learning languages and throughout my school years I took German and Turkish classes too (I already speak fluently Bulgarian, Greek, and of course, English). I had always had a thing for arts and design, but I never thought I would study something related in university. As I mentioned earlier, I was quite absorbed by language learning and also history, but obviously, that changed. In my last year of high school, I decided my true passion was design and digital arts. Currently I study Interior Design at the University of Salford and I am in my second year. I stayed at a private student accommodation during the first year of my course, but for the second year with everything going on I decided it will be the most beneficial for me to stay in Cyprus with my family and just study online during the whole academic year.
Can you tell us more about your course?
Well, my course is Interior Design, so we mainly work on various projects that require designing for an existing or non-existing space. Sometimes we get to design only one area of a space, i.e., a reception, a room in a hotel, an exhibition and most recently a whole co-working building. We do, however, have other modules that require a lot of research and as much writing on different design-related themes and topics.
The module I truly enjoyed with all my heart, was the last one we had, which was Specialist Design Project. We had to design a co-working space, which may sound boring at first, but we had the freedom to do whatever our heart desired!! We did have some requirements to fulfil but the design part was completely up to us. I sincerely hope we get to do more of these modules in the future. There is nothing better than having freedom when designing. This was the only module I felt that I could freely do everything in my own style and express my personality through my design, that is why I loved it so much.
Why did you choose to study at Salford?
I chose Salford, because I felt that their response to my application was the sincerest and they ‘desired’ me the most of all the universities I had applied to. The university also has the amazing New Adelphi building which definitely affected my decision. Overall, while researching all my options it seemed that the Salford University is very well-known for its design and media-related courses and how much they care about these departments.
Where did you hear about the course?
It is a bit of a complicated story 😁. In Cyprus we have people who are our ‘counsellors’ when choosing a university and a degree, I am not sure if this is a thing in the UK. Long story short, this woman who was my counsellor is also an ambassador for the Salford University in Cyprus. When she heard I wanted to study Interior Design she immediately recommended me this university and although, I did not know anything about it, I took her word for it and started collecting information about it. It did not take long till I made up my mind. As I mentioned earlier seeing the New Adelphi building through a virtual tour on the website, really impressed me.
Do you find lecturers are supportive?
I have had a very heart-warming experience with one of my tutors during my first year. There was a period when I was in a very dark place mentally due to personal circumstances and even wanted to quit my course, but then I also did not want to get any proper help or psychological support. So, all I had the courage to do was share my mental state with one of my tutors. All I have to say is that just knowing someone cared about me there, truly helped me get out of that slump. I owe a big ‘thank you’ to that person for checking up on me and willing to listen to me at that time.
Can you tell me about some of the facilities you use on campus? (pre COVID-19)
I was always in the New Adelphi! Something about this building makes my heart happy. I do have a fully capable laptop to use at home, so I did not need to go there. I was always in the open-space computer suites on the 5th floor! Everyone knew they could find me there at all times.
Where do you see yourself when you graduate?
After graduating, I will be enrolling in Korean studies course in Bulgaria. So, I do not see myself staying in the UK and working in an Interior Design practice. Even if I did not plan to do a completely different degree afterwards, it would still be highly unlikely for me to work in a place like that. I have always felt that my style does not match what companies are usually looking for, therefore I will give it my best to build a brand or a name for myself by presenting my work on different social media platforms. I also have a big interest in Animation, Video Game design and even Graphic Design. I am still exploring my style, working hard and putting all my efforts into learning various software and programmes so that I can have the freedom to produce only work that matches my own expectations and standards. Fingers crossed that I get to grow and work as a designer in South Korea.
Would you consider studying a masters at Salford?
If I were to continue my design studies, then yes there is a possibility for that. As I said earlier, Salford is known for caring about its design related courses and also has some amazing facilities for Animation students, which I would be interested in studying as a master’s degree. When I visited, the university’s building in MediaCity I was surprised by the studios there. Incredible studios for those who want to experiment with virtual reality and video game design.
Tell us about some guest speakers you may have heard from as part of your course
We’ve had company representatives who aim to educate us and introduce us to various materials we might want to use in our work. Two companies we were introduced to this year are Egger laminates and Formica, both promoting their business for laminates and laminated products. In our first year, we had a one-time tutorial with a Graphic Design Tutor, who introduced us to InDesign. I found that one tutorial very helpful. It was quick, informative and gave us the basics for using InDesign.
Tell us more about your work
It took me a long time to discover what I genuinely like and what I look for in Interior Design. In the beginning, I thought this field focuses mainly on furniture and materials, so that is what I focused on as well. Now, a year later, I have picked some of my favourite materials to use and I discovered that I like to experiment with lighting and colours. I also started using confidently pink tones and hues, as well as lavender, purple, aqua, sky blue, and royal blue. Combining shiny mosaic tiles and matte plastic and concrete has become a habit of mine. Most importantly, I now acknowledge and proudly accept that my truest style does not fit the ‘norm’. I do not like what Interior Design is now and how it is portrayed. I want to create dreamscapes! Dreamy escapes that show a different world! Like a portal to a different reality! That is what I want to do. I believe I will only be able to design for clients looking for something ‘crazy’ and unreal for their businesses.
Who inspires you?
I prefer to work mostly digitally. Creating dreamy escapes using 3D rendering software is something I enjoy and practice every day.
It is no secret that my biggest inspiration was, is, and always will be South Korea and Korean music. Everything I do is always inspired or somehow affected by Korea. I don’t think this is that obvious when looking at my work, but in my heart, I know that this is what keeps me going, what motivates me and helps me generate unique ideas. Something else that as affected me tremendously is exploring the Retrowave movement. The music, the colours, the psychedelic animations… they ‘move’ something in me. Perhaps, their influence can be seen more prominently in my own creations. Last but not least, K-pop music videos! The amount of thought and creativity that goes into creating a music video for a K-pop song is absolutely incredible. Always unique, always stunning, always a new concept.
How has Salford encouraged your creator practice?
All in all, Salford helped me because they allowed me to stay in my country and only attend the course online. The independence I gained from this decision encouraged me to literally take things in my own hands, shows some self-determination and just take the best out of this year.
Any online activities you would recommend for artists during lockdown?
Yes! I strongly encourage everyone, not just artists, to go and purchase some online courses. I have found that Domestika courses are reasonably priced and offer tons and tons of new knowledge. Personally, I already have about 10 courses from this platform and they are all excellent and taught by experienced professionals. Of course, there are people doing great tutorials on YouTube as well; I often find myself searching for a very specific tutorial that I know would only exists on YouTube. I only recommended Domestika because they have a huge range of online courses for artist and people who work in the creative industry. Software, crafts, photography, design, animation and even business classes are available. Whatever it is, I just hope everyone finds something new to learn, to explore a new hobby, to improve their skills.
Are you involved in any projects outside of university? Tell us about them
I am working on myself a lot. I think that is the biggest and most important project I could ever work on so I am giving it my all. I want to better myself in every way possible. Career-wise I am trying out the #posteveryday art challenge, which basically ‘forces’ an artist to create a piece everyday for 365 days. The goal is for the artist to both advance their skills, experiment and learn to make fast decisions, create content for their portfolio, and of course, gain followers on Instagram, if that is something that interests them.
#ShareYourStory – is there anything you would like to use this platform for to raise awareness?
Yes, two things actually.
I would like to remind everyone to be kind. Please, if you have nothing nice to say to someone, don’t say anything. Everyone is going through things on their own. Maybe a bad word today means nothing to you, but it can be the one thing that completely destroys someone’s last hope. So, be kind. ❤
Another very important thing. Focus on yourself and your future. I know this has been an overused phrase, but it really is a golden saying. Make sure that whatever you do today will pay off tomorrow. Make sure that each day you are making even the smallest steps towards your goals, no matter what they are. From learning a new language to learning how to make the perfect eyeliner wing. Every single goals is important and valuable. Remember, your life is yours and everything you want you can achieve, as long as you are ready to work for it. ✨
My Instagram page is @myseoulland, if anyone wants to check out the dreamscapes I create. As I mentioned, before I will challenge myself with the Post-every-day challenge, because why not? I want to test myself and see how far I can go and what I can gain from it.