IN THE MIND OF A DESIGNER:
the creative process dissected to make happy choices
It's somewhere at the end of 2020, between an unhappy press briefing by the PM and a school day at home that my boyfriend and I decided to redo our bathroom.
Her condition was terrible and we knew she needed a lot of love since we bought the house 8 years ago.
But it was probably the underlying uncertainty that reigned, mixed with the fact that we were seeing her more and more often, that gave us the pat on the back to start this major project.
How depressing it was...
Everything was demolished, giving way to a completely blank canvas.
And the famous question: “what am I doing? " has quickly surfaced.
When we start a project, we, the artists/creatives or whatever hat we wear, we start from an emotion to be translated, it's our own language.
More than a style to copy, we ask ourselves the question: how do I want to feel here or what kind of atmosphere do I want to convey.
And me, when I started to put all this in place, I had this insatiable need to have a haven of peace; a place where I could rest my head, rest and rise.
Once the Ideal has been established, it is then time to release our secret language. Not the verlan, nor the Aurebesh, but that of colors, textures and shapes to express this quest for comfort.
Yes, we speak in image and in feeling. It's quite strange, I get it.
I would tell you that to recreate that, natural materials and tones were my favorite choice. Because we know that nature has this unique power to soothe us.
DESIGN:
So I used 3 bases:
- I knew I wanted to use lime paint from day one. Its old European castle look was love at first sight. This is because it is water-based and colored with natural and organic pigments (limestone mineral extract reduced to powder). This explains its magnificent matte and sober natural texture.
I chose the Pure & original one and the old linen color in the fresco finish to make everything more enveloping. I even ventured to put some on the ceiling. And, in my humble opinion, that makes all the difference.
02. I like things that are of quality, that are prestigious and that will last me. I firmly believe in the long term and this is the very essence of Sur mon x. So when I came across these beautiful 24 x 24 black slate tiles with their exposed strata from La Tuilerie, I knew I had found THE perfect piece.
03. As my idea was to create a sanctuary, to balance the robustness of the dark natural stone, I started looking for more lightness. So, when I discovered the sublime white painted brick imitation tile , I knew immediately that I had a winner. And everything fell into place.
Three hyper-textured natural materials, I couldn't be more fulfilled to create what was to become the basis of my sacred place.
ACCESSORIES
Once the basic elements have been chosen, we come, as with a dress, to put personality with accessories.
According to our personality, we go with something playful, unique, classic, elegant… it's according to what we want to project.
No one will be surprised to find that for my part, I put vintage finds.
Because it adds so much texture to a new room.
And maybe you want to know, what is the famous “texture”??? This term that all designers use, but no one seems to grasp.
Well, to make a room interesting it takes several things, the first of which would be contrasts.
Contrasts are for example:
- Marble versus wood
- Black versus white
- The soft versus the rough
- The worn, the scratched compared to the smooth and new.
It gives a rich dimension to the space and it is in these details that we recognize a design that rises unlike another that is poorer or boring.
It's also why vintage is BIG, BIG at the moment. It alone adds a patina, a relief, a color, a story that contrasts the rest and elevates it to another level.
That's why ALL famous designers use it, to go from ordinary to extraordinary, but don't tell anyone that I revealed it to you...
Now you know how it's done. So, if you ever have a big renovation project or even just a little corner to redevelop, the key is to choose elements not for their popularity at the moment, but for how they make you feel and to highlight them. compared to others.
With this in hand, you are certain to invest in pure happiness.