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.

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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.

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