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A Marset Takeover with
Copérnica x Simon Zimmermann
Copérnica
Passionate about interior design, streetwear and cycling, Simon Zimmermann talks about his influences, his home and good coffee, which isn’t just any coffee.
With “Slow Down” as his mantra, in this interview Zimmermann shares his view of light and the things he loves, revealing that Copérnica is a lamp he won’t be keeping always in the same spot.
Hello, Simon. We've been looking forward to having a coffee with you and hearing about your life, the objects that surround you and your relationship with design. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview.
It's Sunday morning and the light's flooding in. What are you going to do?
SZFirst things first: head to my Linea Mini and start the day with a coffee.
What wakes you up better: sunlight or a flat white?
SZA flat white is essential for my morning routine.
Making coffee's quite a ritual - what other everyday rituals do you have?
SZWhile enjoying my first cup of coffee, I always check my emails and social media accounts. I know, not the best thing to do but, hey, questions have to be answered. After that I have my normal 9 to 5 job and, once all the to-do’s are done, it’s time for cycling or running, which I’ve enjoyed lately.
Vinyl, mid-century modern furniture, design books, Bauhaus, plants... Your home's a reflection of your personality. If you had to define it in one word, what would it be?
SZTwo words: “slow down”; it’s become not only a tattoo but also a kind of mantra for me.
How have you gone about forging your style? Who or what has influenced you?
SZI’ve always enjoyed the work of Ray and Charles Eames and a lot of the mid-century era. Best thing about it - you can still find endless good stuff for good prices on the second-hand market. Books and magazines help a lot and also my Instagram algorithm helps to get me inspired.
We're used to seeing unattainable houses on the internet. You live together with design in a natural way. Your home's inspiring but approachable. What do you think motivates people to follow you on social media?
SZI think one point is that I thrift a lot of my stuff and that makes it more approachable. My lunch table, for example, was €15 and people love it. Also people know that it took a lot of time to find all the things I now have. It‘s not the "I have an endless budget and buy all the classics at once" style. Sometimes I don’t buy stuff for months and wait for the perfect piece and a good price. Also people love the everyday “latte art Stories”, ha ha!
Light's very important in your photographs. What's your favourite kind of light to take them?
SZNatural light is, of course, key for photographs and I like to play with it when shooting outside the house. To be honest, inside we barely have natural light as the house faces north. That means I have around 5-10 minutes to place my coffee and use the sunlight. Besides that, I use all the ambient lights I have to get a cosy look at home.
The Copérnica lamp creates minimalist sculptures in space. Where are you going to put it?
SZLike most of my lights, it will move around now and then. But some spots are for sure:
- the turntable
- the corner with the palm tree next to the Togo
- by my bed, to read before going to sleep
What's the one thing you can't do without in your home? Something that lights it up - apart from our lamps, of course.
SZMy coffee machine. I already look forward to brewing coffee when I go to bed, ha ha! When I visited my parents for 10 days at Christmas I took it with me. My priorities are clear.
Finally, could you recommend a special place to travel to?
SZJapan has always been a big influence for me regarding minimal style, architecture and, of course, streetwear. I visited Tokyo and Kyoto for the first time this year and I’m still stoked. If you have the chance, go there! But also Lisbon has stolen my heart. It’s completely different from Japan but soooo beautiful and, of course, more easily accessible. Flights to Japan are a bit expensive…
