Celebrating International Women’s Day with LABS lead designer Yaara Gooner

To honour International Women’s Day we’re shining the spotlight on our talented lead designer Yaara Gooner.

Yaara, who studied architecture at Tel Aviv University, is fast becoming a leading creative powerhouse after being named in Israel’s Forbes 30 Under last year.

Across LABS nine locations she showcases her distinctive style, focusing on developing interiors that boost productivity and spark creativity, while providing a supportive framework and healthy environment for a balanced life to help people and businesses thrive.

Being a woman in design

Yaara believes she has been lucky in her career so far to have had only encouragement from those around her to pursue her ambitions and express her creativity.

This began during her university studies when she was taught by confident, female teachers providing her with “fabulous” role models, she explained in an interview with designerati.

However, she is aware of the obstacles others may have faced or are still facing in establishing themselves in the design industry and in particular designing for the property sector where women are still underrepresented.

Yaara does think though that things are moving in the right direction with more and more women entering sectors such as architecture and companies recognising the advantages of having women within their workforces.

At LABS the design team is split 50:50 between male and female as she and LABS consider gender balance to be key for any team. “A good designer is a good designer – male or female,” she said.

Looking ahead

Yaara considers her role to be about “creating spaces that are nurturing and personal”. This, she informed Hotelier and Hospitality Design Magazine, means the scale, materials and finishes are all designed to care for the people using them, which is to become especially important as people look at a possible return to working in offices this year.

“This past year is a stark reminder of the need for resilient design that can adapt and weather unforeseen crises. At LABS and STAY, we have ensured through our interiors and architecture that our spaces mediate between the perceived needs of current situations and the uncertain needs of the future,” she added.

For 2021, Yaara expects interior design trends to place more emphasis on private spaces with an open plan layout as face-to-face interaction is once again sought after.

You can read more about Yarra’s thoughts on design and being a woman in the sector in designerati and Hotelier and Hospitality Design Magazine.

Established 110 years ago International Women’s Day is not just about shining a spotlight on amazing women but is about taking action to instigate change to create a more inclusive world, which is embodied in this year’s theme #ChoosetoChallenge. Click here to find our more.