Jean-Louis Deniot
photo by christoph theurer
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? On the moon. So that I can observe the rest of our solar system from a distance.
What are three words to describe your style?
1. Chic
2. Creative
3. Lively
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? Of course, my room was pale blue. As I was already a heavy-duty collector of vintage pieces, very early on, it looked already like something between an art studio and an antique store. It was full of sketches, canvases, vintage candle sticks, vintage paintings, and a pirate ship model that I loved.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? It was early on when I was a student, I bought a painting for 2,000 francs, it was a still life of a landscape with an empire frame, and I still have it. I was probably 18 when I bought it.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? Henri Samuel, because his interiors were chic creative and lively. His designs are as eclectic as their level of quality.
No room is complete without a candle. I think you can be in an empty room, light one candle and its magic.
People think of me as quite formal, but I am really super informal.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: 3 different colors together, 2 is my max
An hors d’oeuvre platter: cheese (it’s too heavy for an hors d’oeuvre)
A bar cabinet: screw-top bottle
A song for:
Dinner at home: the verve bittersweet symphony
Working at your desk: the verve bittersweet symphony
Going for a run: the verve bittersweet symphony
Biggest Vice? Work. Designing and producing non stop.
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? Antiques, vintage everything!! Anything!!
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? No, I take clothes more like a uniform in a way. It’s not a personal choice at all. Karl Lagerfeld said once “Tout dans le look, rein dans le book” and I subscribe to that. For me I put on my uniform, depending on the area, and I play with clothes depending on the occasion; but the clothes reflect the occasion more than the design or my personal taste.
Who is your star crush? Probably the Queen of England. She has that sense of history, of legacy, the many countries they were involved with…I loved the fact that she ruled for so long and covered so much, it was unbelievable.
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? Minimalism.
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? The Chateau de Groussay Sotheby’s Auction catalogue. It was a very famous house in France, my best friends organized the auction, and it’s probably the most historically referenced designed house ever.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? For being constantly on point, and to remain forever relevant in the history of design.
photo by stephan julliard
Your Favorite:
Movie: Dangerous Liaisons by Stephen Freas
Book: My new book “Destinations”
Scent: Obsession by Calvin Klein
The fabric you always come back to: Tweed and velvet
Dream project: Any new project is a dream project
Meal: Impossible burger
Drink: “Pouilly fuissé”
Hotel: Rajvilas Jaipur
Travel Destination: Morocco
Artist: Hans Hartung
A cause near and dear to me: Ecology
Thing to collect obsessively: Vintage everything
Era in the history of design: The nineteen thirties (1930)
Museum: Louvres
Paint Color that always looks great: Eucalyptus
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: Jennifer Coolidge
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Both and many of them
