“Making Dreams Come True”

For Valentina Doncevic, founder of Valternative, creativity, curiosity, and a deep desire to learn has made her the pioneering leader she is today. “I thrive in situations that are unstructured, complex, and where I am driven to think how to make things better, and often with very little to work with,” she says. “Valternative is an organization where we embody my personal philosophy of constantly learning, adapting, and not merely keeping to norms and old ways, all the while allowing space for flexibility and innovation.”

"I ensure that my team and I embrace the unknown, which can be exciting, and not necessarily scary or unattainable. Therefore, when one trusts that things are possible, we eliminate obstacles from our path, and create opportunities to achieve great success."

Everything is Possible – this is the motto that Valentina lives and works by - this is the starting point of approaching any task. “I ensure that my team and I embrace the unknown, which can be exciting, and not necessarily scary or unattainable. Therefore, when one trusts that things are possible, we eliminate obstacles from our path, and create opportunities to achieve great success.” She advises all the women who choose to become leaders of tomorrow to be daring. “Keep trying with an open mind, and be willing to go out of your comfort zone to learn; surround yourself with people who have different outlooks and attributes that can complement your own and thereby create powerful synergies.”

For Valentina, the inspiration for the inception of Valternative takes her back to her early childhood years. Just before conceptualizing the company, Valentina says, “I closely looked though each year in retrospect and sought to identify the thread that unified - the one constant was the creative force which was and is omnipresent in me throughout.” She adds, “I have worked in many industries and in all these my creativity and the love of applying it to the places that we inhabit was the constant driving force.” Valternative was the vehicle that Valentina realized would allow her to offer her best creative capabilities to benefit others by creating exceptional homes and workplaces.

According to Valentina, the first step in any effective design is to listen to the client and see things from their viewpoint. Sometimes this can mean translating unfocused or even confusing nuances into a clear vision or solution. “We help every client we work with vocalize their design vision. That way we can transform the client’s needs into a design for the space in which they want to live or work in,” she explains. “Our approach is holistic and our final design encompasses the life story, cultural background, and passion of the clients. Moreover, we also add our unique design ethic to the projects and weave it into the client’s own essence as a harmonious whole.” For the company, partnering with the right and like-minded professionals is the key to delivering exclusivity, impeccable detailing, and seamless execution.

The company is currently present in Singapore, India, UK, and Croatia, with plans to expand into Malaysia in the coming year. “We are extremely grateful to our partners and clients, whose networks and referrals are highly regarded.” In the UK, Valentina’s real estate company “Longwalk” keeps her busy with the design, refurbishment and management of prime Central London properties. Her newest project, “mala vila”, which comes on-stream in 2023, is currently evolving in Croatia – this is a unique forest retreat in a small village, focusing on nature, biodiversity, food heritage, local produce, green infrastructure, and healthy nutritional produce. Valternative is at the helm of the entire concept, from inception through to design and build. “I firmly believe that the forest is the place where one can truly relax, and nature is the best healer. Tying together my extensive experience in hospitality management and interior design, I am creating a home away from home for all who want to spend time with nature in a comfortable and warm setting,” elucidates Valentina. IE