Otto von Berlin: The Never-Ending Success Story

Gregor Drobnič studied classical architecture in Ljubljana, and his path took him all the way to Berlin, where he is today an interior designer and personal furniture buyer. Otto is his faithful four-legged friend and creative force. Together, they are Otto von Berlin, a brand that grew so much because Gregor never gave up. Let someone else say that it is impossible to succeed!

Why Otto? You're not Otto, are you?
I'm not Otto, but I've been called that name a few times. I've been a fan of French Bulldogs for a few years now, and due to lack of time and the full-time jobs I've been in, it's never been the right time to have a dog. But when I set sail on an independent journey, I also decided to have a faithful four-legged friend. The name was chosen earlier, but when I was thinking about which brand I would stand for, there could only be one name, given that I live in Berlin. And this is Otto von Berlin.

Where does the obsession with Berlin come from? Did you learn German over time or did you have prior knowledge?
German has accompanied me since I was young. I was a "guest worker" child; I grew up between Slovenia and Switzerland. At the beginning of elementary school, my parents enrolled me in an optional German course, and of course, as a teenager, I hated it a lot, especially since all my friends were playing in the yard after school, and I had to take the bus and go to German class. Today, I am more than grateful to my parents for persevering and encouraging me to do this - German is much easier today because of it. The Berlin obsession started over 14 years ago, when I first came to Berlin as a tourist for the Berlinale. It was February and it was well below zero outside. Regardless of the weather conditions, I immediately knew that Berlin was a city I would return to and from where I would never go back.

How does one find one's way in such a saturated market as Berlin?
One really has to find one's way. I can say for myself that I almost always knew how to turn in the right direction. Despite the ups and downs, I managed to find a path that led me in the right direction. I always walk around with my eyes open, I never miss an opportunity to say what I'm doing and what I'm thinking. Once people get to know you, communication flows a little faster, and being in the right place at the right time also helped me.

Given that you studied classical architecture in Ljubljana, how was your transition to becoming an interior designer and personal furniture shopper?
Architecture fascinated me already at the age of six. We were on a family vacation in Croatia, and my father and I were sitting in a restaurant in front of the hotel. During the conversation I asked him who makes hotels. Fatherly, he began to explain to me that this is what architects do, who decide what the building will be like. Even then it was clear to me that I would be an architect. During college, I realized that my greater passion was interior design than just designing buildings. I was interested in the premises, their function and how to furnish them so that the client would feel good. After college, this passion kept me going as I wanted to hone my style. Considering that I was already addicted to Berlin at that time, I decided to play on the Berlin court. At the beginning, I was employed in a small startup interior design company in Berlin, where we designed restaurants, events and apartments. As big startups, we too have run out of projects overnight, which led to me suddenly being out of a job. I did not want to return to Slovenia. After a good year of working as showroom manager of a Danish company, I decided that it was necessary to start my own brand. My passion is still housing, so I started a new career called personal furniture shopper. While working in a furniture salon, I realized that many customers need much more than just chairs and sofas. Customers also need advice on where everything purchased will be placed. Considering that there is a lot of design on the market, too many furniture brands and that my clients are short on time, I realized that I could make a career out of this idea. After a few clients, I realized that I work as a personal furniture shopper and that, unfortunately, I cannot expand this activity. So I had to decide how to proceed. During this time, I also got an offer to design the first restaurant as Otto von Berlin. When we successfully completed it, the direction of the interior opened up for me, where I sailed at full steam. Unfortunately, today I had to put my passion, apartment design, on the back burner because I am currently involved in larger projects such as restaurants, cafes and shops, although I would never defend myself from designing an apartment or a house.

Otto von Berlin - Gregor and Otto — Otto von Berlin – Gregor and Otto

How is the communication with the client? Do your customers really give you free rein?
Communication with the client is very important to me. Before we start a new project, it is very important to discuss why the space will be used, what the idea is, who will live in the space. Only when we have worked out all the functions down to the last prime factor can we start with the design. I can't say that the clients leave me a completely free hand, because I have to take into account their wishes and ideas, but I always do my best to ensure that in the end the project is completed, so that Otto von Berlin signs under it without any problems.

How much do you allow yourself to experiment in your own apartment?
An interior designer's apartment is an eternal playground. With me, visitors often sit on new chairs, or the sofa is completely on the other side, as it was on the previous visit. The apartment I live in is great and optimally designed, but considering that I am in this profession, I would prefer to close it and start designing something new. I feel like a painter, because I would rather take a new white canvas and start painting anew.

Do you perhaps have a desire or are you thinking that one day you would design, design a house or a building?
The desire to design the first building will always be in me. I would like to connect the Otto von Berlin brand as interior and exterior. I am currently in the process of building the first house with my signature, and I hope that this wish will come true soon.