Conversation with Bruno de Caumont: "No Concession to Mediocrity"

In a January feature story, TT promised to share any news on our favorite interior designer and reluctant Count, Bruno de Caumont, about his pending move to this side of the pond.

The rising international design star cast a little ray of his brilliant light in our direction recently, when we received an email - straight from the source. And who could have imagined, what a charming correspondent he would be. Apologizing profusely for delays in writing, offering to answer as many questions as we could come up with. Now, if we weren't already impressed by Caumont's design genius, his gorgeous color-saturated furniture designs, his aristocratic lineage and international élan (and dare we say, mysterious, smoldering looks), we now are truly smitten. But then, of course, he is French.

Caumont put me at ease right away, explaining his heritage and how to address him. (He must be accustomed to questions from Americans who don't know the ins and outs of European aristocracy.) He suggested I call him "Bruno", "Caumont" or "Bruno de Caumont." So, of course, Bruno, it is! Bruno's English is not perfect, but that only adds to the charm - that and a seemingly genuine warmth and earnestness.
..................................

We asked Bruno about his background:
{I'm born French, from a French family in Brussels. But my origins are Normandy, Paris and, from my mother's side, Algeria, when it was a French country.}

Please click on any image to enlarge.

The uncropped version of the portrait published in House & Garden, April 06, when Bruno was named one of their "50 For The Future of Design." This is Bruno's apartment in Brussels, and most of the furnishings shown are his designs. Photograph by Pascal Chevallier for House & Garden magazine.

What kind of home did you grow up in and how did that influence your interest in interior design and antiques:
{As my father was an Officer of the French Army, we were always on the move. Every two years. Then my parents decided to stay in Paris to assure their children the best schools (I have one brother and one sister, both younger than me). Our apartment was a real Parisian one, in one of those buildings from the late 19th century. I guess the influence came to me from the Paris Flea Market, where I went every weekend once I had my first apartment.}

And, what about your reported move to the U.S.?
{So, the plans have changed. I'm not going to move definitely to NYC, that's why I didn't purchase a home in town. I want to work here from time to time, especially to promote my furniture line and be able to offer my 'French touch' to the New York world of interior design.

For the moment, I only have an apartment in Brussels, and I'm traveling from Belgium to the States about every two months. If the need comes to move to NYC in the next years, I'll definitely make it for good.}

Tell us about your famous association with Madeleine Castaing:
{I met her once, in her shop, and we had a long talk about the Paris Flea Market, not at all about interior design. She hated to talk about interior design, because for her, "it was not such an interesting conversation."

Then a few years later, one of my friends in real estate proposed a visit to her private apartment, located above her shop on Rue Bonaparte. That was a few weeks after she died. During the visit, I immediately got the atmosphere of the home, and I was totally seduced by the place. It was then I discovered who she was, and that she was such an important interior designer.

During the years between her death and the Sotheby's auction of the contents of her country home and shop, I had begun working with Edmond Petit on the Castaing fabric collection, and had come to be considered in Paris as Madeleine Castaing reincarnated.} Here Bruno interjected an LOL. {Sotheby's asked me to set up the exhibition for the auction – where I bought several items for clients, but none for myself. Interestingly enough, the auction took place at the same time as the Maison & Objet Paris decorative show where I was setting up a double booth for Mariage Frères and Maison Madame Figaro, in the taste of Madeleine Castaing!}

The Mariage Frères tea company booth Bruno designed for the 10th anniversary of Maison & Objet Paris, in the taste of Madeleine Castaing.

Do you prefer interior design or furniture design?
{To be honest, I love interior design, but I can't live without the work on my furniture line. The funny thing is that the two are so different ... but I'm coming to a much simpler place where my furniture has its own identity.}

Of all your design projects, which is your favorite?
{An apartment in Paris where I recreated some of the Louis XV period details – most of the flat still had the original details. But I integrated them with flashy colors and unusual materials, fabric and stone.}

Photo from Bruno's last apartment, showing the Madeleine Castaing fabrics he designed for Edmund Petit.

How do you approach a design project?
{For me, there are two periods in a design project. The first one is all about removals ... electricity, bathroom, kitchen, lighting, colors, curtains ... all that you absolutely need to have in your home before you move in. I work very hard for weeks and weeks to make the best choices and decide about all the details before starting the work. This is essential, because when the work starts, it costs too much money to make changes. It's always a big surprise to me when I hear from people that their designer realized, after the walls have been painted, that they forgot about the electrical plan.

The second period is when my clients have moved into their new home. Then, step by step, we decide what to buy, what they want. You can't decide months before you live in a place, the way you are going to use it. And a designer can't decide for you. You have to feel the interiors, because it's your own space, and it needs to be peaceful and warm. You should love to be at home. And that is my mission when I'm working on a home. My motto is "No concession to mediocrity!"}

Dinner at Bruno's. What a treat it must be to get an invitation. The understated but elegant tablesetting includes monogrammed white napkins and embroidered tablecloth, gold-rimmed white china, simple flowers (orange poppies) that match the decor, and a couple of decanters of wine.

These two photos are from Bruno's first apartment in Paris when he was a 'fleamarketer.'
You can see Bruno's penchant for classical design elements - in vases, artwork, statues and columns. Lovely architectural details and chevron wood floors provide a stunning backdrop. See an informative post on Things That Inspire about chevron and herringbone wood floors.

Tell us about your daily routine:

{I wake up every morning around 7 am, and start to work before 8 am. I like to write and send letters, then I check my e-mails. After that, I may have meetings, or I stay home to design. I need to be up-to-date on books, architecture, and painting, so I do visit a lot of galleries and antiques dealers. At night, I usually have a dinner party at my place or at my friends' places. I don't really like restaurants, as that is the only way for me to meet people when I'm traveling.

In fact, I'm traveling at least 7-8 months a year out of Belgium: New York, Paris, Saigon (where I manufacture my furniture because of their traditional methods of producing lacquerware as in the 16th century), Dubai (I'm the Fair Curator of the Art + Design Fair which will take place in January 2009), and London.}

Bruno's musings about Dubai:
{The only difficulty with Dubai is that there is no point of comparison. You have desert and towers, skyliners or buildings. And the sea. But you can't really see the sea because of the buildings ... It's the new New World, and it's not the best I know.}

What are you working on now?
{I am still working on the Madeleine Castaing fabric collection, but am working more on my own projects. I'm designing a new collection of fabrics for Edmond Petit, I have new designs for my furniture line, and I am working on the interiors of a flat on Madison Avenue in NYC.

The new fabrics and furniture will be presented in a New York showroom in late September or early October. The Madison Avenue apartment will be designed VERY much like my Paris apartment – in the style of Madeleine Castaing – but we are just beginning.}

What do you like to do when you're not working?
{I haven't had a vacation in 4 years!

But I cook a lot ... and quite well, if I listen to the compliments and the joy of my friends when they are invited!}

..................................

A very busy count who writes letters and cooks, too ... we're in awe!
Thank you so much, Bruno, for taking time to share your thoughts and a glimpse of your life.
..................................

Note: Bruno says his Brussels apartment will be photographed by French Elle Decoration in September. So keep an eye open, and we'll try to get more details on the publication date. Also, more to come on the New York showroom that will present Bruno's new furniture and fabrics.

For more about Madeleine Castaing, check out An Aesthete's Lament.

All photos © Bruno de Caumont

..........................................................................................................................................................................

Sneak Preview I: "Liaigre" May Change Your Life

I do believe that design can change your life, and also believe that Christian Liaigre may change your ideas about design.

Liaigre, (hereafter CL), came to the attention of the design world in the late 80s. But TT was a bit curious about what he's been up to lately. His work is not often covered by design magazines. It's difficult to find much information at all about the Frenchman who seems to shun publicity and self-promotion. His website has no bio, no portfolio - only links to stores where his furniture line can be purchased (Holly Hunt). His 2004 book, Maison - Christian Liaigre, covered eight design projects, but didn't include a bio or photo of the designer himself.

Now, if you think you know
what to expect from CL,
get your hands on his newest book,
due out in October.
You just may be in for a surprise.

Liaigre
by Christian Liaigre, with text by Thomas Luntz, and photography by Jean-Phillipe Piter, Eric Morin, Patrick Demarchelier, and Peter Lindbergh. Flammarion (distributed by Rizzoli through Random House). Available October, 2008. Preorder now.

Courtesy of a sneak preview from the great folks at Rizzoli, TT was enthralled by page after page of the most elegant and sophisticated, yet somehow understated, interiors imaginable. This luxurious 300-page volume, is designed to perfectly mirror CL's style. Large overview images are juxtaposed with detail photos of six stunning new projects. Here are just a few peeks at a villa in the south of France, a mansion in Toronto, and a Spanish townhouse. But you must see the book to get the full picture.

Click on any image for a larger view.

Entrance of villa in Mougins, France
CL "completely reviewed the architecture of the house, rethinking the placing of every door and window. Conceived as picture-frames, the openings provide views of the garden from every part of the house."


The interiors of the villa were designed to play up the stunning views.

The double staircase, created especially for the house, provides an open view of the garden from the entrance hall.

In the master bedroom, the headboard and bedside tables are covered in glazed tulle. I'd love to know how CL accomplished this finish, and to see it up close. This room reads more feminine than most, and I think the tulle could be a subtle reference to a bridal suite.


Approach to Rosedale, a 19th c mansion in Toronto.

Stairwell of Rosedale, with the 6', 200-lb. chandelier designed and made to order in CL's own workshops in France.

The large bronze wall in the master bedroom separates the doors leading to each dressing room. All the fireplaces in the mansion were designed by CL's team.

Another custom fireplace in a room that artfully mixes CL's low-slung, clean lined furniture with a smattering of antiques.

CL has been called one of the most influential designers alive today. In his spaces, you won't see clashing colors and patterns, or 60s and 70s influences that have recently become so popular. You surely won't spot the lamps, tables and accessories that seem to be ubiquitous from one magazine feature spread to another.

What you will see are furnishings made of the highest quality materials and fabrics, many custom-created for each project. Embossed leathers. Velours, silks and linens. Exquisite woods and surfaces. Doorknobs so beautiful they rival works of art. His rooms at first overwhelm with the strength of a singular, consistent vision - then the details slowly reveal themselves, like good, aged wine. Just enough decorative flourishes are thrown in to provide a thrilling surprise around every corner. That surprise could be a jewel-tone accent that glows against the mostly neutral palette. Or a singular swath of exquisite velvet. Perhaps a sparkling, curvy chandelier that plays off the dominant masculine shapes. Color is used sparingly, but to great effect. Everything comes together in perfect harmony in Liaigre's world. And it's a world that we would love to inhabit.

CL designed the glass and bronze lanterns in a hallway of Alta Gracia, a Spanish townhouse.

The dining room of Alta Gracia is also a reading room.

Master bedroom vignettes.

A bathroom vanity, luxurious in its simplicity, overlooks the gardens.

Chandelier in a bathroom.

An excerpt from the text of Liaigre: "Asked how he likes to define his work, Christian Liaigre will answer that he is an interior designer in the most complete sense. By which he means that nothing in his work is left to chance: from the positioning of the windows to the shape of the door handles, not forgetting furniture, lighting, woodwork, plaster moldings, seating, or the selection and colors of materials and fabrics. Everything is considered and planned down to the last detail. In this, Christian Liaigre is clearly working in a particular French tradition, the same tradition that made Versailles famous, where no detail was neglected."

Admittedly, CL's interiors are probably out of reach for most people (myself included), but there is plenty of inspiration here - even for those who don't consider themselves modernists or minimalists. I think his work goes beyond those simple categorizations.

As an example, my husband was looking over these book images with me and declared that he really liked the decor. Now, first of all, he normally isn't too interested in interior design, and secondly, he has never liked modern at all. But he made some great observations about the way CL uses natural, rustic elements to soften the clean lines. CL's work is overall masculine, so I really shouldn't be so surprised, but the fact that Tim showed interest was pretty remarkable.

I think any serious interior designer, design fanatic or architect will find much to look at and learn from Liaigre.


© Liaigre by Christian Liaigre, Flammarion, 2008. Images provided by Rizzoli.

..........................................................................................................................................................................

What we did find out about CL:

He was born in the west of France and studied at the Paris Academy of Fine and Decorative Arts. After teaching drawing at the Academy Charpentier, he left Paris for 10 years to devote himself to horse breeding. In 1987, CL opened his first showroom in Paris, and now employs 13 interior designers and architects in his studio. Today, he divides his time between Paris and two islands: Saint-Barthélemy in the French Caribbean and the Ile de Ré, off the western coast of France.

..........................................................................................................................................................................

Find of the Week

Brahms/Mount Textiles, Inc. founders, Claudia Brahms and Noel Mount, design and manufacture original textile fabrics using antique shuttle looms, working in a historic granite factory in Maine (which they restored). The company specializes in linen and cotton blankets, baby blankets and throws.

We love their linen-covered Balsam pillows, which are filled with 2 lbs. of fresh Maine Balsam, 13"x8," $75.

And if you love the look of linen, as I do, their linen blankets might be just the thing for a simple European-look bed covering. The king size is a bit pricey for me, so I'm going to have to ponder this, but they are machine washable. From $369-563.

As seen on Style Beat

Topsy Turvy Cottage

The lovely and talented Patricia Van Essche just sent over this absolutely charming watercolor illustration of our cottage. We were, of course, thrilled! Patricia is such a doll, and her home portraits are quite affordable.

Be sure to take a look over at pve design to see her newest post of the pen and ink drawings of the rooftops of Strasbourg, France. C'est magnifique!

Patricia, thanks so much!
..........................................................................................................................................................................

Axel Vervoordt + Venetian Palazzo = Heaven On Earth

Design genius Axel Vervoordt has fallen under the spell of Venice, and taken an apartment in the piano nobile of the 15th c Palazzo Alverà. Not surprisingly, it is a wonder to behold.

Please click on any image to enlarge for a better view.

All photos by Mario Ciampi, for Architectural Digest.

The entrance to the palazzo is on the Grand Canal, but Vervoordt says "you live on the back side, with its garden, its silence, its big open windows.
It's bliss."*

The home, his 4th residence, is apparently M. Vervoordt's
60th birthday gift to himself.
We love the poetry of his reference to the crumbling plaster walls
of the structure, as "beautiful damage."

With splendid architecture to work with, Vervoordt only did "gentle" renovations, taking out more than he put in. The living room, above, was originally a bedroom with vividly painted ceilings and modern parquetry flooring. He replaced the flooring with wide-plank poplar, and painted the walls terra-cotta, "to set off the elaborate woodwork." The painting over the sofa is by Jef Verheyen.

The previous formal dining room became the breakfast room, above. Vervoordt designed the table - made from a type of pine that only grows in the Alps - and then left it outdoors in the weather to achieve the desired patina. The circa 1720 mirror, from the Piedmont region, is from the Vervoordts' collection. We're guessing that the floors are terrazzo,** and original to the home.

Vervoordt brought the Venetian chandelier from Belgium for the new dining room. The 19th c frescoes and the suite of Venetian chairs are original to the palazzo. The wall-size mirror reflects the shimmering candlelight and the magnificent leaded windows and doors opening onto the loggia.

Two steps up from the dining room, is the loggia, where the Vervoordts like to open up the windows to cool breezes.

Another view of the loggia. May Vervoordt upholstered the furniture here and throughout with a neutral cotton. Apparently, Axel's wife is also involved in the decorating.

Vervoordt has a knack for finding fabulous architectural gems for his homes and studios. Axel Vervoordt, The Story of a Style is a book about two of his properties: a castle near Antwerp, and his Kanaal gallery in a restored industrial complex on the banks of a canal. And, At Home With May and Axel Vervoordt is a luxury edition about their castle. Both of these books appear to be out of print, however a few second-hand copies are available if you have $750-950 to spend on a book. We think a second printing is in order for both.

..........................................................................................................................................................................

*Architectural Digest, Sept 08
**Terrazzo flooring was named after the Italian terrazza (terrace) and was first used in Friuli in the north east of Italy in the 16th century. Andrea Palladio used Fruili craftsmen to lay terrazzo floors in the villas he designed in the areas around Venice during the 1560s. More information about the history of terrazzo floors can be found here and here.
If anyone is familiar with "Decorative Floors of Venice" by Tudy Sammartini, I'd love to know if you would recommend it. It looks like a great resource for the study of mosaic and terrazzo floors, and I've added it to my Amazon shop. If you're interested, take a look or buy it here.
..........................................................................................................................................................................

Art installation over an entrance to the Fortuny museum, for
Artempo: Where Times Becomes Art.

Once establishing his residence in Venice, Vervoordt mounted a critically acclaimed art exhibition at the Palazzo Fortuny, the former home and studio of Mariano Fortuny.* Read and see more about Artempo: Where Time Becomes Art here. There has also been a book published on the show, which you can see here.

..........................................................................................................................................................................

Mariano Fortuny (1871-1949) "was an innovator in fashion, textile and lighting who was also a painter, photographer and theatrical designer. He lived, worked and experimented in his 16th-century Venetian-Gothic palazzo for the last 49 years of his life, creating a universe that remains very much intact today. The most ostentatiously Fortunian space is the grand middle floor of the palazzo, draped with the designer’s textiles and lighted by his ornate parasol-like painted silk lamps, which served as a studio-salon-showroom."*

*The New York Times

Fortuny lamps, like these spectacular examples, are still sought after today.

...........................................................................................................................................................................

Like Father, Like Son

Photo by Magenta Livengood, for Washington Spaces.

This suave and savvy father & son duo accounts for much of the brains and talent behind the newest online antiques marketplace, Bond & Bowery.

The new competition for 1st Dibs is off to a running start with dad Ben Spaisman (above, left) in charge of marketing. When he contacted us recently, we headed over for a look.

The Bond & Bowery concept - developed by Elliot Spaisman (above, right) and partner George Evans - is to keep it simple. Where 1st Dibs includes ads and editorial content, Bond & Bowery is focused solely on the antiques and art offered for sale. Simple navigation makes for quick and easy shopping. And B&B offers a wider price range than we're used to seeing on 1st Dibs.

One feature that I love, and that is unique to B&B, is the search by styles & periods. If you're like me, and are a bit foggy on furniture styles and origins, this is a great place to do a little brushing up.

Just for fun, while you're perusing the site, take a look at the 'Most Viewed Items' to see if your own tastes are in line with other shoppers. (TT didn't fare too well in that regard. Hmmm, we've always suspected that we're in our own little world ...)

Here are five of our top picks, from Bond & Bowery ...

18th c Gustavian bench, $15,950

Occasional table by Jean Royére, $15,000

Desk from Tibet, $4,300

Contemporary French rug, 13'x16', $35,000

195os polished steel, perforated globe, 22" d., $1,200

.............................................................................................................................................................................

Read an interview with the Spaismans and Evans over at Washington Spaces.

And, Ben, perhaps we'll meet up in DC in October ...
.............................................................................................................................................................................

Design Challenge

The funny and fantastic Christian over at Maison 21, recently threw down a challenge: design a room around this massive chandelier that screams over-the-top, on the order of a Russian mafioso. After checking out the other entries, we were feeling quite out of our league. Take a look for yourself over at Mrs. Blandings, House of Beauty & Culture, Katiedid, Charm Hill Interiors, pve design, tobi et al - and of course Maison 21 himself. But, of course, as it turns out, we couldn't resist an opportunity to design a room with an unlimited budget and no pesky client. We decided to go for a lot of glamour and just a little glitz, to create an homage to our own version of a Russian mob boss, one who just happens to have a little style. Gulp! This is all about fun, right?

We think design should begin with good architecture. And, I've always loved follies, maybe because there is a kind of whimsy and luxury in focusing extensive architectural details on such small structures. So, what could be more fun than placing our chandelier in a folly, similar to this one! But, let's change out those green roofs for something more elegant, say, some gold-plated tiles. Hmmm, we might have to design our own.

Next, we'll plop our folly down in the middle of northern Italy, near the Alps, and surround it with formal French gardens with elaborate mazes and knot gardens and gravel walks.

An important factor to consider in any design project is scale. And this chandelier calls for a large-scale room with a soaring ceiling. The interior of this folly is one very large octagonal room, open all the way to the top of the tower. And from these upper reaches, from a very, very long thick silk rope, hangs our chandelier.

We're going to use the space as a salon/library by day and a ballroom by night. The interior will be finished out like this French apartment below, with elaborate wood paneling, moldings, and fireplace surround, all painted out to a creamy white. The floor is wood, laid in the classic herringbone pattern typical of Parisian apartments. It is worn with age, but polished to a high sheen (just right for dancing.) There are tall french doors (like those seen below) surrounding the entire room, except for the back wall with the fireplace. A spiral staircase leads up to a balcony 30' high, which encircles the room. Bookshelves line the walls of the balcony. We'll have the books in the balcony/library slipcovered in white parchment, and all the page edges gilded. (We do need to maintain a little bling.)

We'll add some ambient lighting with these gilt bronze sconces.

The french doors are to be curtained with heavy, cream-white linen, with an 8" wide embroidered panel (like this Holland & Sherry pattern) running down the lead edge. The embroidery will be a pale gold color, and the draperies will kiss the floor, plus 2", for a slight break.

We'll place a couple of these B&B Italia chairs and ottomans (with cream-white linen slipcovers) in front of the fireplace.

And, we'll add a Champagne Shimmer metallic leather pillow by Michaela Scherrer for each chair. We've always kind of liked the idea of mixing metals - silvers, pewters, golds, and bronzes.

Between the chairs, we'll place this limed oak coffee table. And we'll change out the smoked mirror top to antiqued mirror, which will have hints of gold.

On the table will go one of these quite large chinese wood sculptures - we'll place the other across the room on a bench.

We'll copy this 30s French Jules Leleu daybed, but make our version much, much longer and have it upholstered in luxurious, creamy white linen velvet. We'll also make the seat cushion thicker, and darken the wood on the legs to match the B&B Italia ottomans. We think this lounge will be just right for perusing periodicals from the vast balcony/library, doing crossword puzzles in three languages, or perhaps napping. Later, when the dancing begins, it will provide the perfect perch for people watching, sipping iced vodkas, or taking a breather between sets. Actually, we'll have two of these made, and we'll place them against opposite walls.

On the daybeds, we'll have some large luxurious throws, all made of nice quality faux white mink, backed with silver-gray linen velvet. We'll make a few matching large, loosely-filled down pillows to toss about.

For a couple of small accents on the daybeds, we'll have two (10"x14") pillows made, hand embroidered with these crest designs from The Florio Collection. One, on icy-blue silk, and one on silver-gray linen velvet.

We'll place one of these Chinoiserie carved-wood benches in front of each daybed. They can be used as tables, or fill in as extra seating, if needed.

We'll hang some of these silver-leafed wall panels from Ochre.

This Line Vautrin mirror reminds me of an elaborate Fabergé egg. We'll hang it over the fireplace.

Since our room has multi-purposes, the furnishings are easily movable, and we've kept the floors bare. A huge Astier de Villate octagonal table will take centerstage, directly under the chandelier, acting as a center hall or library table.

A pair of comfortable-looking Napolean III armchairs, upholstered in this icy-blue quilted silk, will pull up to the center table for reading ...

... along with several of these stools, which we'll have covered in the creamy white linen velvet.

On the table, we'll place a large Sprocket sculpture by Pamela Sunday. One could get lost in its peaks and valleys and textures whilst pondering the meaning of life.

A pair of these Italian neo-classical benches can be placed in front of french doors on either side of the room.

And for a final gesture, we'll hang this Pucci De Rossi sculpture above the french doors that act as the main entry to the room.

Our intent was to tone down the furnishings and accessories, so that the main light fixture could be the "star," but we wanted the room overall to have enough style to stand up to the megawatt glare of the moscow mafioso chandelier. How did we do?

...........................................................................................................................................................................

All images from 1st dibs unless otherwise indicated.

...........................................................................................................................................................................

Find of the Week

For a modern twist on a curvy classic, we love this Rokokó mirror from GlasItalia. The transparent, extra-light glass frame is cut with a water jet.
............................................................................................................................................................................