Interview
with François Catroux
Image provided by François Catroux. All rights
reserved.
This exclusive interview with interior decorator
François Catroux was conducted in Paris by Nicola Linza and Cristoffer Neljesjö
during January 2017
What
inspired you to become a designer?
My parents’ ghastly house in Algeria. At 5 years old I was doing some
decorative changes in my room.
How would
you describe your style?
Disciplined and architectured hopefully timeless!
You are a
Master at mixing 18th century with Modern pieces what started this
juxtaposition for you in terms of design?
I began my career being
quite Zen, then I discovered the modernity and purity of the eighteen century
and realized that every style could be mixed as long as one knows how to master
the balance.
How was the
work for Yves Saint Laurent unique for you?
Super sophisticated androgyny was what I liked best about his style.
In terms of
selected artwork for an interior what criteria do you use?
Depends of the space but mostly few but large and important pieces.
Your clients
are ready, willing and able to purchase the finest items on earth. How do you
begin to decide what is right and what is wrong with such open options?
Most of them already have
only nice art pieces and I help them choose the best location to live with
them. Otherwise, for the ones having few things or too young, I tell them
what’s coming up in auction or available on the market that will be suitable
and great for their place and usually, they follow my advice.
Of all the
people you have worked with does one particularly stand out for unique style
and taste?
Many of them. It’s difficult
to name a few...
What were
the similarities and differences working on a project with Renzo Mongiardino?
I only did it once.
Similarities were professionalism. Differences were huge: he was a truly
decorator, he didn’t need any pieces of art as he was stenciling, painting,
gilding, every inches of the space, floors, walls, ceilings making out of it a
total recreation of the past with an unmistakable taste and patina. I am the
opposite, I like bare spaces with good architecture and when missing, I’m
always trying to structure the spaces I am dealing with. Floor, walls, ceilings
are very simple and neutral, never too present and never overcrowded in order
to highlight art pieces. Even when using antique pieces, I manage to keep a
modern atmosphere around and livable today.
Do you have
a particular designer past or present you would have design your own house?
I have two: Pierre Yovanovitch to do an apartment in a city and Axel
Vervoordt to do a country house.
What is the meaning of life?
To me life means the best
thing ever offered to anything.
The above interview with François
Catroux 2017 © Manner of Man Magazine. All
rights reserved. Reproduction is strictly prohibited without written permission
from the publisher.
