DSCENE Editor Anastasija Pavic sits down with Monika Szyca-Thomas, the visionary founder of The Good Living & Co., to explore her remarkable transition from the world of criminal psychology to the forefront of innovative design. Monika shares insights into how her deep understanding of human emotions and her personal aesthetic influences have shaped her approach to creating functional yet emotionally resonant living spaces.
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With her unique blend of psychological insight and design prowess, Monika has carved a niche in the design world that celebrates both the beauty of individual expression and the functionality of modern living.
Monika, your journey from psychology to design is fascinating. Can you share more about the moment when you decided to transition from planning a career in criminal psychology to founding The Good Living&Co.? – Criminal and penitentiary psychology became my great passion around my fourth year of studies. I devoured many books on the subject, enrolled in additional classes and courses, and even completed a six-month internship at a Detention Center. While this topic fascinated me greatly, I also noticed that it didn’t necessarily have a positive impact on me—I am a person with very high empathy, I carried many issues home with me, and sometimes I couldn’t find my place in my everyday life, which was so different from the one I wanted to pursue professionally.
On the other hand, the idea of my own brand had been germinating in my mind for years. Even as a little girl, I was interested in everything I found beautiful—my mom subscribed to American interior design magazines, had many books on art, and at one point even ran a small interior design shop. However, I never found the motivation and courage to do anything with this interest until I realized that maybe it was worth showcasing the things I came up with on Instagram. It wasn’t easy due to fear of judgment; I felt very insecure because I didn’t have a specialized education and might not be taken seriously. However, I took the leap, the response was overwhelming and exciting, so naturally, a question arose in my mind— which path to choose? I decided to focus on my brand because I figured I could always return to psychology, but 5 minutes of The Good Living could pass irretrievably if I postponed its development.
The story of your Meadow chair on Instagram is quite inspiring. How do you think social media has changed the landscape for designers, especially for those starting out? – I think Instagram is an amazing platform that helps people to develop themselves in ways they never imagined they could. Sometimes I meet people who recognize my brand long before they meet me—it’s an incredible feeling, but that’s the power of Instagram. Thanks to this platform, independent creators have almost direct access to influential people in the industry, making it easy to be noticed and appreciated. In the past, these pathways were very closed off and reserved for only a handful of individuals.
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Your family’s metal workshop played a crucial role in bringing your designs to life. How does this heritage and hands-on approach influence your work today? – It might sound cliché, but finding my place in this strictly male-dominated family history makes me feel even more connected to my family than ever before. I never met my great-grandfather, but being a part of his legacy now makes me feel like we knew each other perfectly. The workshop has a very familial atmosphere, which fosters creativity—nobody ever says no, complicated furniture can come together in just a few days—like the case of the dresser created for The Collective Matter, which is a subsidiary brand of The Good Living. Creating there, I feel comfortable and in my element; I think if it weren’t for the workshop, I would never have dared to step into the world of design—I have solid foundations, and they motivate me to act every day.
My design philosophy is a reflection of who I am as a person, shaped by my experiences, values, and aspirations. It is a continuous journey of self-discovery and creative exploration, where each project becomes an opportunity to translate personal narratives into tangible expressions of beauty and functionality.
The Good Living&Co. boasts a diverse catalog of designs, from industrial-inspired chairs to sculptural daybeds. How do you maintain a cohesive brand identity while exploring such varied stylistic influences? – I’m someone who couldn’t design something that I don’t personally like. Everything created for The Good Living reflects what resonates with me at the moment, influenced by various factors. Global trends, movies I’ve just watched, hotels I’ve visited, or albums I’ve read—all these play a part. People are complex beings; within me, there’s a constant battle between my inner minimalist and maximalist. I believe everything can be combined, but it must have a common characteristic—in this case, it’s one person, which is me. That’s why I think every piece of furniture fits together, and even after years, I don’t get bored of them.
Can you discuss how personal experiences shape your design philosophy? – Personal experiences play a significant role in shaping my design philosophy. My upbringing, cultural background, travels, encounters with diverse people, and exposure to various art forms all contribute to my perspective on design. My design philosophy is a reflection of who I am as a person, shaped by my experiences, values, and aspirations. It is a continuous journey of self-discovery and creative exploration, where each project becomes an opportunity to translate personal narratives into tangible expressions of beauty and functionality.
How do you see the influence of past designs and trends in your current work? – I believe that everything currently emerging in design has solid foundations in the past. We observe how trends resurface, either in a more modern form or as a mix of several characteristic trends from the past that were never combined before. I, for example, find immense inspiration in albums showcasing interiors where people lived over 100 years ago. I believe that inevitably we are inspired by things we have seen before, even unconsciously—we store in our minds a certain image that over time gets distorted by the imperfection of our memory, the brain itself adds or modifies certain elements, and something completely new emerges. Or we combine certain elements together. There is no possibility of working creatively without things that we have soaked in before and that have caused us to feel that accelerated heartbeat. It’s this continuity and evolution, from distant times to the present, that makes design so fascinating and diverse and I certainly find it significant for my creative work.
Sustainability and craftsmanship are evident in your approach, with all designs crafted in one-man workshops. Can you elaborate on the importance of these values in your design process and brand ethos? – Craftsmanship is a part of my heritage, personally, I’ve always been interested in human capabilities as such and I believe that handmade things have a unique value. It’s very personal to interact on a daily basis with an object that has been carefully crafted specifically for you by another person. I am deeply connected to objects; what surrounds me has a huge impact on my well-being, and objects give me solace and a sense of satisfaction. However, I couldn’t feel this knowing that a particular item was produced anonymously, en masse, without much concern whether it will find its new home at all. In times filled with mediocrity, we should seek genuine craftsmanship, energy flowing from one person to another. Support craftsmanship, sustainable development, and make thoughtful purchasing decisions. This is extremely important to me, and I try to support this approach.
It’s this continuity and evolution, from distant times to the present, that makes design so fascinating and diverse and I certainly find it significant for my creative work.
The rapid growth of The Good Living&Co. and its embrace of international trends mark an exciting time for Polish design. How do you view Poland’s evolving design scene, and what role do you see for yourself and your brand in it? – Polish design is thriving, and I believe we’ve always had great designers and very good production facilities. I’ve recently noticed a huge interest in things Made in Poland, which brings me a lot of joy and fills me with pride. I can’t say for sure what impact my brand has had on this, because establishing it wasn’t based on market observation, but rather on a momentary need. I think I just got lucky. I remember wondering if people would even be interested in Polish craftsmanship; I didn’t do any research, yet it turned out that most of my first clients were people who cared about something designed and made in Poland. I think the development of Polish design has gained such momentum because Poles really appreciate it. This provides a serious motivational boost when you feel appreciated in your own country. Because Jakub Szkaradek, Monika Kolasa, and I believe that Polish design is excellent, COMUNE was created. We truly believe that as Polish designers, we have a lot to offer, and it’s a huge breath of fresh air for the industry.
Could you share the story behind the creation of COMUNE and its first edition in Gdańsk? How do you see this initiative shaping the local and international art and design communities? – COMUNE took place in an 18th-century villa in Gdańsk—later there were two more editions—in Warsaw and Milan. The space in Gdańsk was a kind of pop-up, an experiment made for fun, from which something amazing was born—a community. COMUNE emerged from the need to interact with other people who are engaged in similar things to us, from the need to showcase our work in an unusual way, to build our own narrative and stories about the objects we create. We felt that locally there was no similar gathering, no one who would create such an exhibition for us and invite us to it, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and create it ourselves. COMUNE doesn’t have one definition, and we want it to stay that way—there’s no one form, because COMUNE is primarily about the people and things that they create. If our initiative were to inspire anyone to anything, in my opinion, it would be about creating even stronger communities based on mutual support, and doing unconventional things.
How do you navigate the balance between personal taste and market trends or demands in your design process? – As I mentioned, I wouldn’t be able to design something that I don’t like, so my personal taste is always prominent. Of course, trends influence it, but currently in the industry, we can observe many trends simultaneously, which often contradict each other, so it’s not the case that every trend affects me. There are those that make my heart beat faster and inspire me to create, and there are those that I can appreciate but aren’t for me. It’s never a calculated process aimed at fitting into or conforming to these trends—I feel responsible for the things I create, and it’s very important for me to be able to tell from the heart where the idea for a particular object came from and what makes it unique. Otherwise, I would feel like a fraud—a sense of authenticity is crucial in my approach to design. I want my projects to reflect not only current trends but above all my own beliefs and aesthetics. Creating things I don’t feel would be like acting on the principle of fraud, which is completely contrary to my creative philosophy. That’s why I strive to create things that are genuine and reflect my own values and taste.
What’s next for you? – I don’t want to know because it would spoil the whole fun. 🙂 I always say that things in life just happen to me—I meet the right people who offer me the right things or we make up amazing things together and all of this propels me forward. I highly value this unpredictability that triggers excitement and a constant desire to discover what tomorrow will bring.
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