Creating Room for Connection
For Joana Dickinson, hospitality has always been more than a profession. It is a lifestyle. Joana grew up in a home where the door was always open and where guests were a natural part of everyday life. Here she learned early on that the spaces we create shape the way we meet. Today she lives between Berlin and Switzerland, where she works on developing hospitality places that bring people together, as a passion the side she organizes pop-up events and launches Cruda, an independent magazine about gastronomy, food science and culture.
Can you tell us a little about your work in hospitality and how it has influenced the atmosphere you create in your home?
I work in hospitality development, creating places that invite people to meet and be together, often by bringing the right people and brands together.
But long before it became my job, it was a natural part of the way I grew up. My mother rarely let a day go by without inviting someone over. So hosting has never been something I’ve learned through my work. It’s simply the way I understand how a home and a space work best.
Coffee, food and conversation play a central role in everything you do. Why do you think sharing a table remains such a powerful way to connect?
Because there's no pressure for it to be about anything specific. Sitting down for a coffee or a meal usually isn't about a pitch or an agenda and even when it is, it comes with a more personal approach. You're just there, together, for as long as it takes to finish the cup. Some of the best conversations I've had, personally and professionally, happened simply because nobody was in a rush to get up from the table.
Do you believe objects have the ability to bring people together? Are there pieces in your home that naturally encourage conversation or connection?
Absolutely. The right object gives people a reason to linger near each other rather than just passing through a room.
In my home, it's usually something with a story attached like a piece brought back from a trip, or something slightly random I bought at a flea market that makes a guest ask "wait, why do you have that?". Those small questions are often where the real conversation starts.
“Some of the best conversations I've had, personally and professionally, happened simply because nobody was in a rush to get up from the table.”
Lighting often shapes the mood of a space before anything else. How important is lighting when you're hosting, and how does your VETRO lamp contribute to the atmosphere you want to create?
I put my VETRO lamp above the counter in the middle of the kitchen because the best evenings always somehow start and end up in the kitchen anyway. That's just where people gravitate. So, I chose to put the warm light exactly there. It flatters people as well as the room, and it makes standing around the counter with a glass of wine feel like exactly where the evening is supposed to happen.
Where is your curiosity leading you next?
Right now I am exploring a few different projects. On the one hand, I am working on the development team of new physical locations, which includes a campus project in Berlin called Flussbad. On the other hand, a personal project is taking shape with the launch of Cruda, a print magazine focusing on gastronomy, food science and culture. It gives me the opportunity to explore hospitality from a completely different angle than through physical spaces and buildings, which is an exciting perspective as well.
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Photography:
Maike Grimm
Bela Mora Leal
