The face behind Villeroy & Boch stylings – Mathias Schwarz, Visual Merchandising Manager

Who decides how the products in the shop are styled? Who is responsible for the shop window displays over the year? And who plays a key role in styling the set for product photo shoots? In Villeroy & Boch’s Dining & Lifestyle Division, this is Mathias Schwarz, Visual Merchandising Manager. In an interview, he tells us where he finds his inspiration, his favourite tasks at Villeroy & Boch and gives us a glimpse into decoration trends for 2024.

Mathias, you have been working as Visual Merchandising Manager at Villeroy & Boch for several years now. What does a working day look like for you? What are your tasks?

My working day encompasses a wide variety of tasks. The most important is guaranteeing that our products are always presented and placed as effectively as possible, in particular in the shops. I draw inspiration from the latest interior design trends and then draw up concepts for the shops on this basis, and I like check things out directly on site too. In addition to this, I develop our shop window concepts. The shop window is the showcase for each store. It therefore needs to appeal from a distance, and to be surprising and inspiring to attract people into the shop. Last but not least, I support the photo shoots and once again make sure that our products are presented in their best light.

Where do you find your inspiration? How do you go about your work?

Trade fairs are always a good source of inspiration. They are an opportunity to discover the main interior design trends for the year ahead and to find lots of surprising and unconventional presentations. Social media channels such as Pinterest and Instagram are very useful for inspiration too.

My approach varies depending on whether I’m developing a shop window display or presenting our porcelain on a table. When designing a shop window, my work is mainly digital, on my PC, where I develop different mood boards reflecting the theme. In the case of table decorations, there is an additional analogue step, as these need to convince with their feel as well as their look. I create collages with our products and combine them with different accessories, fabrics and patterns until I find the perfect blend.

And where do you encounter difficulties?

The biggest difficulty is undoubtedly presenting the products in a way that appeals to and inspires all customers as far as possible. I try to integrate as many different aspects as I can to achieve this, and I show different presentation options so that customers can try out the looks they like at home and ideally integrate them.

What do you like most about your job?

My job is exciting, varied and stimulating, no two days are the same. I particularly like the combination of digital and manual work, and the fact that I can steer my work all the way through from the initial design to practical implementation. At Villeroy & Boch, I also have a very wide selection of products that can be combined and presented in different ways each time. The results are very exciting, unusual and often surprising.

And finally: can you reveal the trends we will be seeing in our homes in 2024?

Of course. In general, interior trends are developing in two directions at the moment. Firstly, we have the playful boho look, which is still on trend but now moving closer to the popular Scandi style. This means that our interior design will continue to be very individual and playful, but more pared down and streamlined.

Secondly, minimalist and bright interior styles are a top trend for next year. Decoration objects will have a more puristic design and will be selected very carefully to be integrated as discreetly as possible in the decor. Choosing the same colours but in different shades creates a light and airy feel in a room, and also evokes a certain tension.

In relation to flowers, we will see a scaled back approach here too next year, with more understated colours. But flowers will then be arranged in higher numbers for a deliberate highlight effect.

Photos for download:

https://cs.villeroy-boch.com/o...