Valerie Pasquiou: Interview by Julia Takahashi for Diisynology

Part One (continued next issue)

Valerie Pasquiou has a sophisticated, and at times avant garde, take on contemporary design that is propelling her to international importance. Despite her reputation as “designer to the stars,” Pasquiou dislikes the perfect, high-style, “showroom” look that is the mainstay of interior design magazines. She says she finds that approach soulless and stiff. Rather, she leans toward a warm “lived-in” look and has a passion for helping her clients translate their personal stories into beautiful, inspiring and comfortable spaces.

Diisynology recently had a unique opportunity to conduct an in-depth interview with Pasquiou. We particularly appreciated her willingness to delve into the philosophies and influences that are behind her stunning design work. In the spirit of clarity and brevity, we have edited Pasquiou’s responses to our questions.

Diisynology: I have been looking at your work and trying to determine the essence of your designs, and I am struck by two things: One, a sensuousness, meaning that even if my experience is visual, I imagine all of my senses engaged in interpreting the space; and two, the easy, comfortableness of your designs, even though they are very contemporary and in some cases cutting-edge. Can you explain to us how your approach to design results in such stunning spaces that are livable and not “showrooms?”

Pasquiou: What I am definitely trying to achieve is space that feels very natural, like it has always been there and came together in an organic way. The key words to my philosophy are timeless, personal, warm, inviting and visually stimulating. I do not like spaces that are overdone or require a lot of money or are very stiff and trying too hard. I believe that you have a chance and an opportunity to bring a soul to the space and to really get a sense of flow by interacting different architectural elements and a surprising mix of materials, lighting, furniture and objects. It is almost like a dance between the elements, and you create a flow that also reflects the personality of the clients. Once you do that you have a successful project.

Diisynology: You have said before that Andrée Putnam is your favorite designer, and I can see many similarities between her work and career and yours. She has been called the Coco Chanel of interior design. Your work has an edgier element, and I was wondering how current fashion trends inform your designs.

Pasquiou: I am very flattered to be compared to Andrée and can only wish that I have a career as long and successful as hers. Fashion has always been inspiring to me. I grew up with a mother who was really into fashion, and that was a big part of my life. For example, you wear a jacket and you look inside, and there is this beautiful detail, such as a hand-stitched seam. You may be the only one who knows, but you know that the detail is there, and that is what defines quality for me. It makes you feel good. When you go into a space that you know is well-done all the way to the minor, minor details, you feel good as well.

I am inspired by some fashion designers that are using new materials and trying new things out. As designers and interior architects, we have an obligation and responsibility to educate people –- this is what can be done with these new materials and new things; teaching people how to put things together that feels natural. That is the way fashion has been inspiring to me.

Diisynology: Are there any particular new materials that you find exciting?

Pasquiou: There are a lot of new materials coming out that are green and sustainable. A lot of fabricators and inventors have been researching new materials and products. We have to use these products to help the planet. It is important to educate yourself about these new products and to use them in a very smart way. Some years ago, it was very difficult for us to use a green material because the choice was so limited and they were really expensive. Now we have such an incredible selection of materials.

I did a project in New York in collaboration with an architectural firm for the MTV Networks headquarters. I did the design concept for ninety thousand square feet of space on two floors, and we got LEED-certified. I worked very closely with the MTV in-house design team, and they insisted that one hundred percent of the project had to be recyclable. That was a real challenge to accomplish, and we did get ninety-five percent of the materials recyclable. It makes you feel so good to work on a project like this because five years, ten years or two years from now, when the space is being demolished for new tenants, you know that all the materials are recyclable. It is very important that people in residential design start thinking this way as well and start participating in this mission. It is an obligation for architects and designers to use as much green products as we can.

Diisynology:We also understand that you are working on a new furniture line, is there anything you would like to tell us about it?

Pasquiou: It is something I have wanted to do for years, and I never really found the time to do it. Also, I think that a project like this has to come with experience and feeling more mature and confident about your work. I am working with a friend of mine, a wonderful French fashion illustrator, very well-known in Europe and also here. We had brunch together, and I said, “I am so ready to do my furniture line, but I don’t want to do it on my own because it is boring. Do you want to have fun with me?” He said, “Ok, let’s do that.” So we came up with this line of furniture that is quite high-end. We are going to use raw steel, bronze, leather and wood. The line will have some very simple, but timeless, pieces. Right now we have sketches, but will have the first prototypes finished in the next six months. There are a lot of details going into the line. It will be simple, but there are still a lot of technical things to work out.

The second part of this interview,” Our Stories, Our Design,” will run next month in Volume 04.2010.

Valerie Pasquiou is the founder and principal designer at Valerie Pasquiou Interiors + Design in New York and Paris. Her company is working on both residential and commercial projects in New York, Los Angeles and Paris and elsewhere in Europe. Pasquiou is an inspired designer whose client list includes notable film and fashion industry figures. Her website is www.vpinteriors.com, and she can be contacted at 212.227.3983.

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