Working at Pfister since: June 1997
Favourite space: The living room is the space in the home where residents truly live their lives – they spend time together and welcome guests on comfortable sofas, around a meal, or even in front of the television. The room should be arranged in such a way that the space feels convivial and comfortable. The living room is the place for discussion, for laughter and for relaxation: in short, it is the place for living.
Favourite colour: The colours that I like and use most often are neutral tones. These colours serve as a base for decoration, all while adding a certain finesse. They can be employed as a sort of backdrop, blending with all decorative styles as, by definition, a neutral colour contains no or little colour. These tones typically bring delicacy and elegance to decoration. Neutral colours are also able to create a calm and relaxing environment, while exuding feelings of comfort and warmth, as well as energy. These palettes of neutral tones, which have rather classic origins, can transcend eras and help create harmonious environments. They adapt to all styles, from the most contemporary to the most classic of designs and are even more effective when used across all the rooms of your home. A neutral colour also has the benefit of blending with almost all other colours without risking bad taste. They can be married with brighter or stronger colours, and indeed, showcase them better through contrast. A neutral colour brings serenity to more colourful decoration.
Style: The interior design is modern, which does not adhere to the limits of defined styles. Respect for contemporary ideas on comfort and convenience is conveyed through the use of accessible materials and the possibility to choose between several trends. The resulting creations in this style are not intended to be the finished work – you can always buy a rug or some accessories that you like.
Which aspects of your work do you particularly enjoy? I like seeing the client’s reaction when they see a project in 3D that they never thought possible. It inspires me to take on new challenges.
Most impressive project: One of the projects that left the greatest impression on me was the interior renovation of a villa on the banks of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, for a Singaporean family who gave me free rein across the whole project, seeing it only when the keys were handed over.
Memorable experiences: What sets this trade apart is that the client who entrusts me with virtualisation of a project often becomes incapable of moving a single piece of furniture without first seeking my opinion. It’s rewarding. Self-taught, I have understood that the essence of design is not learnt at school! At school, we are taught the theory: art history, design, architecture, standards, and so on. But the real essence of it all was learnt while developing my skills with clients, across hundreds of building sites, numerous projects and in my own apartment, while observing how my family went about its day-to-day life. I learnt by taking an interest in all the sciences and arts centred around the study of layout: design, ergonomics, feng shui, the art of tidying up, and above all, the art of listening. I learnt that interior architecture alone – plans, aesthetic decoration – was not enough. Instead, a concept so often omitted from magazines and literature, the client, should be brought back to the heart of the process. I immediately developed an interest for these human beings who arrange their homes and live within them more or less harmoniously. I wanted to place the human at the core of every situation. This approach to my work allowed for bespoke refurbishment of dozens of homes, and to my great pride and even greater joy, it led to this notion of having helped others feel good at home.