Philia
Magazine
Eilidh Izat
Eilidh Izat is a Scottish architect and co-founder of Izat Arundell, an architectural practice rooted in a deep respect for landscape, craftsmanship, and the relationship between buildings and the communities they serve. Her early interest in architecture was shaped by her grandfather, fostering an appreciation for materials, making, and the role of architecture in everyday life. After studying architecture and gaining experience with international practices, she co-founded Izat Arundell with a focus on thoughtful, context-driven design.
Her approach brings together contemporary architecture, local materials, and traditional craftsmanship, with an emphasis on creating buildings that respond sensitively to their surroundings. Through close collaboration with craftspeople, she explores how architecture can foster a lasting connection between people and place. Her own home, Caochan na Creige, on the Isle of Harris, embodies this philosophy and was awarded the RIBA House of the Year 2025, recognising its considered relationship with the landscape and local craftsmanship.
Durietz Design
Josephine and Christoffer Du Rietz are the founders of Durietz Design & Development, a Mallorca-based architecture and interior design practice dedicated to restoring and reimagining distinctive properties.
After working on projects in Gothenburg and Stockholm, the pair left Sweden for Mallorca in 2016, where they began restoring historic homes while developing their multidisciplinary practice. Josephine brings a background in industrial and automotive design, architecture, interiors, and art, while Christoffer’s background in digital design informs his work across architectural drawings, furniture design, and project management.
Together, they approach each project with a shared interest in preserving the character of existing buildings while creating thoughtful, contemporary spaces shaped by materiality, craftsmanship, and their Mallorcan surroundings.
Kieu Tran
Kieu Tran is a Vietnamese American artist based in New York City whose sculptural practice explores the relationship between form, emotion, and material. Working primarily with ceramics, she creates biomorphic works that move between abstraction and figuration, translating internal and psychological experiences into physical form.
Tran studied art history at UCLA before building a career in software engineering in Silicon Valley, while developing her ceramics practice alongside it. A residency at La Meridiana in Tuscany in 2019 marked a turning point, and in 2021 she left the technology industry to dedicate herself fully to art.
Her work has been exhibited at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, Art Miami, and Art Market San Francisco, and featured in Interior Design, Surface, Sight Unseen, EST Living, and Design Anthology Asia. Her sculptures are held in private collections internationally.
Jacob Brinth
Jacob Brinth is a France-based photographer, videographer, and art director whose work explores the intersection of design, interiors, and visual storytelling. Born in Copenhagen in 1990, he graduated with a Master’s degree in Design from the Royal Danish Academy in 2018. Combining his background in design with a longstanding passion for photography, Brinth has developed a distinctive approach to capturing interiors, objects, and spaces.
Since 2021, he has worked independently under Studio Brinth, specialising in photography, videography, and art direction. His visual language is characterised by dark, atmospheric imagery, restrained compositions, and a distinctly pictorial quality.
Working internationally, Brinth collaborates with design galleries, interior designers, artisans, and creatives across the fields of art and design. His work has appeared in publications including AD, Milk, Vogue Living, and Wallpaper*.
Mikel Welch
Mikel Welch is an American interior designer, television personality, author, and creative director known for creating interiors that balance timeless character with the realities of everyday living. His distinctive approach, often described as “primitive modern,” brings together antiques, collected objects, natural textures, and contemporary elements to create spaces that feel layered, personal, and enduring.
Welch first gained national attention through HGTV’s Design Star and has since appeared across numerous design programs, including Trading Spaces, Murder House Flip, and Netflix’s Emmy Award-winning Hack My Home. He currently serves as a design expert on The Drew Barrymore Show and a monthly contributor to The Today Show. His career also extends beyond television into residential interiors, set design, and creative direction.
In 2024, Welch participated in the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York. The following year, he published his first book, The Forever Home, exploring an accessible and practical approach to creating character-filled spaces designed to evolve over time. Based in Los Angeles, Welch continues to work across interior design, television, publishing, and product collaborations.
