DORÉ

Hugo and Nicolas do many things well. Design, decor, and work-life balance residing at the top of the list. The Paris based bag designer (Hugo) and calligrapher (Nicolas) have that rare ability to carry out two very creative careers in the same space in which they live.

Stepping inside, you realize it’s the ultimate work-from-home set up: Separated in all the right places, mostly organized, a little cluttered but in that perfect way. It’s a beautifully unique space of imagination and inspiration.

How did you come to find your home?
By a very good friend, an amazing stylist called Mélanie Huynh that you also know.

Can you explain the dynamic of living and working in this space?
Nicolas: As we work a lot, we try to take advantage of the added value of everyone as a family.
Hugo: The idea is to create a true artist collective.

Do you have a team that comes to work here as well?
Yes, we each have a team that helps us every day. Our customers come here, we also organize dinners combining work and friends.

The atmosphere and human warmth are the two most important parts of making a space feel welcoming.

What was the process of decorating your shared home / work space like, did you have a particular vision in mind?
We used to hunt design objects, vintage one; we like the idea of creating a cabinet of curiosities. We have carpets from our travels to Marrakech, the Beldi glasses. We also love Astier de Villate or Scandinavian furniture. We use Hugo Matha’s set design to display pieces we create in our atelier.

How important is it to have art – may it be your own or otherwise – around you?
Art has a central place in our life and work.

Where do you find inspiration – for your home, your style and how you live your life?
Like everyone else, we find our inspiration in museums, in books, in music. But it also comes primarily from our friends, as Marie-Agnès Gillot, prima ballerina, or Josephus Thimister. We also need to recharge in nature or in our travels, as in Rajasthan, Lebanon, Pantelleria, Marrakech and Tanger, Cairo, Brazil, Copenhague or very simply in our French countryside where we work a lot with artisans, particularly in the Hugo Matha wine family estate.

Work-life balance is a state of mind. Each respects the other naturally.