Name: Meet Silvia Antunano
Job title: London Design and Specification Centre (LDSC) Host. Basically I take care of everything showroom-related.
Tell us a bit about yourself
A lot of people think I’m Italian, but I’m actually from a small town in Basque country named Portugalete, near Bilbao. I came here in 2011 and became a Londoner quite easily, until last year, the day after the announcement of the first lockdown I was taken to Godalming, a little town in Surrey. Yes, it was kind of ‘kidnap’ in the darkness. At least, that is what Jonathan, my partner, likes to say.
So, my English family is Jonathan, his 15-year-old daughter Lily and, sadly until last week, our hamster Egi (RIP the hamster). Godalming is the lovely little town in the Surrey Hills where The Holiday was filmed… sometimes I like to feel like Cameron Diaz!
I commute every day to the showroom with my bike. I love fashion, particularly shoes and big earrings, and I usually dress with all colours but black (I sew some of my own clothes). Also, I enjoy cooking and, sometimes, I recreate signature Basque recipes with English ingredients…not bad!
Describe your job to a five-year-old
When someone needs to change the bathroom, he/she will come to my showroom and I will invite them to a coffee.
What do you like most about your job?
About my job, I like that every day is different. The showroom day-by-day is unexpected and I have the opportunity to explore new tasks and learn different things which take me out of my comfort zone. I even like SAP!
How did you get here?
I’ve been very adaptable working-wise, starting with selling encyclopedias and perfumes while studying, then I was working at a printing company, and, in the seven years I lived in Barcelona, I was working as an interior designer in some practices. When I came to London, I enjoyed the fashion vibe and worked for few high end fashion companies until it arrived a time to leave the retail environment and the possibility to work in the showroom at Ideal Standard came across. Just before joining IS, I worked in the film industry as a draper person in the Kenneth Brannagh production of Death on the Nile.
What motivates you?
I get motivation from doing the things as good as I can, and learning from mistakes to do them better. I’m a freaky perfectionist. Also, I like helping people in general. And a sincere chat with a friend when I’m a bit down, it’s nice.
If you could swap jobs with anyone, who would it be?
I would love to work as a handmade artisan recovering ancestral craftsmanships to save them from disuse, like hay basket to make bags or hats, woven silk or wool, pottery, needlework…
Your favourite song lyric or line from a film
I suppose I should say something from The Holiday film, but I don’t remember any memorable line there, sorry. Is not from a film, but I find amusing a singer and composer from Bilbao, Fito y los Fitipaldis, whose lyrics are pure poesy (It’s difficult to translate to English). Recently I found the soundtrack of The French Dispatch, the film by Wes Anderson, very consistenly nice, all French songs.
Your favourite app?
I love Instagram, it’s very tempting but you can discover interesting products and people, art and design related…well…also fashion related.
Biggest facepalm moment at work?
On my third day at Ideal Standard there was the big Atelier presentation at the LDSC, with all the UK company attending. I was very excited to meet all the colleagues in sales and marketing, but it was overwhelming. After introducing myself to more than 40 people (and making coffee for them), I ended asking a guy for his role in the company. It turned out he was… Roberto Palomba! I believe he wasn’t very impressed with the welcoming committee!