Atelier Doré

Some women are just dripping in cool. Cecilia Bonstrom is one of those women. She is the creative engine of our dreams and the artistic director for the clothing brand, Zadig & Voltaire. Today she’s letting us peek inside her Parisian home and chat all things style.

What is your favorite thing about your home? What is your favorite thing to do in it?
My favorite thing about my home is that it is a ground floor apartment with a private, small garden, so it feels like a house.
What I prefer to do most in my place would be cooking for my friends or listening to loud music while dancing alone in my salon …

How does your interior style either differ from or align with your clothing style?
I think my interior design is very aligned to what I design for Zadig. It is all about a balance. Zadig & Voltaire is timeless, classic clothes with a twist, and my style at home is like that. I mix very strong pieces like the brass bar from Ilse Crawford, the Prouvé shelf, the UgoRondinone art piece or Jeanneret office with very simple furniture or lamps. The walls are just off white, the vintage, wooden floor is a bit beat up and the curtains are in a slightly wrinkled linen fabric. It’s very pure and laid back feeling in contrast with the more elevated pieces. My home has a very relaxing energy and you can also find that in the clothes that I design, because they are supposed to be comfortable for women.

Do you work from home? If so, how have you managed to separate your work from your home life since the pandemic?
Since the pandemic my working life has not changed because I need to touch the fabrics, do the fittings, see the colors in real life and interact with my stylists. So I have been going to work every day, except for the first months of total look down of course.

The studio of our headquarters is actually around the corner from my apartment. But that doesn’t stop me from constantly working in my mind, from home, because when you have such a creative role, your brain never really stops. So I take notes and write down my ideas, whether I’m in my sauna or just sitting down in my salon.

As the Creative Director and Head Designer at Zadig and Voltaire, how does the brand influence your lifestyle? What crossover do you encourage and allow?
I think that when you are passionate about what you do, there is no feeling of crossover but just a natural feeling that your private life and work life are totally linked. I often invite my stylists for lunch or for a drink at home. And as I am head of design of Zadig & Voltaire, I invite journalists into my home so they can feel the lifestyle of the brand. And I also often bring home work things, that I can do during the weekend just relaxing in my bed.