LINUM meets; Jesper Tillberg.

Jesper Tillberg is the editor-in-chief and driving force of three titles in the PLAZA group: PLAZA Interiör, PLAZA Magazine and PLAZA Deco. His love of form, interior design, furniture and the look of our homes lies close to his heart, which makes him the absolute right person for the role. With today’s high demands on content and on being able to offer an extraordinary reading experience with every article, Jesper Tillberg’s competence as a “newspaper maker” comes strongly to the fore.

How long have you worked with the press and what titles have you had time to work on over the years?

I started writing for Svenska Dagbladet in the early 90’s, mainly for the Friday supplement. Since then, in addition to a number of radio programmes for Sveriges Radio’s P1, P2, P3, P4, as well as documentaries for Sveriges Television (SVT), over the years I’ve been published in Dagens Nyheter, Tidningen Vi, Residence, Resumé, and obviously PLAZA’s various titles: Gourmet, PLAZA Magazine, PLAZA Deco, and PLAZA Interiör.

Do you think the role of the media has changed since you joined the industry almost 30 years ago?

Yes, definitely… In an era when you can get anything at any time, it becomes even more important to have a “friend” you trust and who can “curate” the times and the huge selection of expressions, news, impulses and trends that exist.  We also live in a very fragmented time, with short contributions, quick “flashes” and fast-paced flows. It has transformed the role of the media, with certain media meeting one need, the direct and short address, while other media (for example, magazines) meeting another.

Why are physical magazines still important? What role do they play?

Of course, the pulse of online media meets an important need, but the volume of online supply also creates another need among many consumers: a longing for peace. And to have everything selected, curated, and sorted in a comfortable manner, so that the stories and contexts create a moment of value in your day. That’s where magazines come in, especially those in my field: design.

Today, more than before, magazines offer us an extra little moment for ourselves on the sofa; it’s not just a number of sheets of paper that you buy, but a unique moment, something you treat yourself to. In short, it’s a positive experience of me-time in an area you’re interested in – such as interior design. I think the media’s becoming more polarised. One part offering superfast content, another part luxurious narration – both where text and imagery is concerned. The magazines represent the latter. Magazines are also an address of a friend, someone you trust. My personal “formula” for making a magazine is that it should comprise 70% of recognisable content (where you know what you’re going to get), but also 30% of surprising “aha” experiences.

Could you tell us a bit about your interest in interior design? What are your current dreams when it comes to interior design?

I love interior design because furniture and accessories are not, essentially, a collection of ingeniously constructed objects we use in our homes, but because they reveal something about ourselves, who we are and what our dreams are. Interior design also reflects time in the same way as film, music, and art does.

We’re heading towards summer, and I’m dreaming about textiles. They’re an unusually good, and often inexpensive, way of changing up a room. You don’t have to buy a brand new sofa, you can give it an overhaul. Your whole room, maybe even your life, can be renewed in one go. I built a piece of seating furniture at the furniture company Massproductions during Stockholm Design Week. I gave the armchair to my father. He’s taken it to Fårö now and I’d like to refurbish it in a fabric, both to make it softer for the head and to add some colour to the room in his summer house.

What are you looking forward to seeing in the upcoming issue of PLAZA Interiör?

We recently received the opportunity of doing two unique interviews in PLAZA – one with star designer Patricia Urquiola, and another with the well-established director Pedro Almodóvar. I knew that they liked each other’s work and that Almodóvar had decorated both his films and his own home with Urquiola’s designs. That gave me the idea of merging the two profiles and of doing something unexpected: of talking film with Patricia and interior design with Pedro. It created quite an exciting “cross-fertilisation”! I’d like to do something like this again, with the aim of finding interesting people’s sources of creativity to inspire our readers.

Which three major trends do you see happening right now?

1. The fantasia of colours! I think we’re becoming more daring with colour and matching colours in a more exhilarating and dynamic way.
2. The multifunctional! In the wake of the post-pandemic era, the home will continue to be the “stage” of our lives, where furniture and rooms fulfil several functions simultaneously. The dining table is just as much a desk, the bed isn’t just a place to sleep but sometimes also a place to work. It’ll create interiors that meet several needs, with smart and aesthetically designed features.
3. “The magic’s in the mix!” is what I usually say when creating the magazine, and that also applies to our homes. I think that seeing the home as a “uniform” will decline in favour of letting it become your own personal mix of styles. Personally, I think the word “eclectic” has been worn out a bit, but the eclectic home will be receiving a second gust of creative wind. It’ll be exciting.

LINUM will be offering a PLAZA Interiör issue.

LINUM will be offering an exclusive issue of PLAZA Interiör for a limited period of time. At the beginning of May, a free copy is included when you place an order on www.linumdesign.com or in our store at 64 Karlavägen in Stockholm.