Maxime Bousquet's Clients Are His Muses
Parisian architect and interior designer Maxime Bousquet focuses on the personality of each client and the history of their space, with influences from fashion, cinema, and the art world.
It's the opening day of Paris Art and Design (PAD)—a fair devoted to modern and contemporary furniture and design, established in 1998—at the Jardin des Tuileries. L’OFFICIEL catches the 35-year-old architect and interior designer Maxime Bousquet in a hotel not far from his office, a stone's throw from the Porte Saint-Martin, to talk about his work. Bousquet is one of most exciting young talents in interior design right now, with his work on the rise stateside: last year, his work on an apartment in a grand 17th-century Parisian building was featured in T: The New York Times Style Magazine. In 2012, a fresh graduate of the National School of Architecture of Versailles, Bousquet’s first job was as a designer at Kenzo, when Carol Lim and Humberto Leon (founders of the Opening Ceremony concept store in New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo) had just been appointed creative directors. “As soon as they arrived, they created architectural imagery in order to rethink the visual identity of the brand and its retail concept,” Bousquet says. He stayed at Kenzo for more than two years, and credits the role for balancing attention to detail and the ephemeral, and helping to inform his use of movement, light, and narration. “Designing the perfect piece of clothing only really takes on meaning once it is worn,” Bousquet says. “Fashion designers often have women at the center [of the design]. An interior is the same thing. No matter how much you imagine the most beautiful interior there is, if it is not embodied, it will never completely work. My clients become muses for whom I imagine and suggest references, attitudes, and feelings. I work on their life scenario in space so that the projects are truly inhabited settings.”
Designers often have women at the center. An interior is the same thing.
“When I bought this apartment, it was soulless, completely painted black even though it is located in a very beautiful private mansion, which historically belonged to a cocotte,” Bousquet says. “We made a clean slate of its recent past, removing the moldings and the uninteresting parquet to return it to a state of old fantasy. The walls are weathered and aged, indicating the passage of time. There is a fabulous 1940s rug, which adorns the room like a painting. The armchairs are dressed to the nines. A bit like in a precious hotel suite, with its pretty parchment bar, we have time for a drink.”
Another source of inspiration for Bousquet is cinema, including Italian director Luca Guadagnino [Call Me By Your Name, Challengers], whose intimate, romantic settings he always finds “so right.” Most notably, David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune served as a cheeky inspiration for the font Bousquet chose for his studio logo. Take a quick look at the film’s posters and Bousquet’s website, and you’ll see the resemblance: font leaning equal parts ancient and sci-fi.
After his stint at Kenzo, Bousquet worked with renowned French architect Joseph Dirand for a little over a year, then joined the Paris-based firm Studio KO. “I learned excellence, the precision of volumes, the richness of materials, and artistic craftsmanship,” he says. “It’s ultra-luxury.” After two years with Studio KO, Bousquet started his eponymous firm. “My first project was an attic duplex in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, with a very beautiful terrace, a luxury in the neighborhood,” he says. Bousquet’s designs are often pieds-à-terre designed like hotel suites: it is a way for him to immerse himself in the hospitality universe. “Everything must be precisely thought out, perfect, and available. ” he says.
“I obviously love carte blanche, when a client comes to me with a completely crazy place with impossible requests,” Bousquet tells L’OFFICIEL. His creations are inspired sometimes by the place, sometimes by the client. “There are no rules,” he says.
My clients become muses.
Rather than restricting himself to rules, Bousquet allows his client and the space to be his guide. “One of the things my clients have in common is their strong personalities,” he says. “They are full of desire; they are daring and want to be challenged, pushed around sometimes.” And speaking of challenges, one of his current projects is certainly one of the craziest ever entrusted to him: the top two floors of a beautiful 19-century building in the 8th arrondissement. “These are very ambitious clients who luckily dream very big with me.” The clients became obsessed with the idea of enjoying the rooftop, so the roof was removed to create a roof garden with a view of all of Paris.
While Bousquet always puts the client and space first, he has his own obsessions that translate into his work. “At the moment I am in a big contemporary painting phase; I find the work of Tim Breuer to die for, and that of Issy Wood and Sequoia Scavullo stunning. I am also very compelled by the work of Max Lamb and Sigve Knutson; I like their approach to design and material.”
One of the great pleasures of Bousquet’s job is when clients trust him to source art himself. “A collection is made to live. The works move, change…” He discovered his favorites in the Parisian gallery Sans Titre, which focuses on showcasing international artists. “Their programming is fabulous. They have a singular eye, an ultra-coherent vision.”
I obviously love carte blanche, when a client comes to me with a completely crazy place with impossible requests.
“This is a duplex on the Quai de la Seine, on the Left Bank in Paris,” Bousquet says. “It is owned by young collectors, who like to host.” We rethought everything and played on all the details to recalibrate like a jewel box. The shades of the project are inspired by a painting by [Spanish Cubist painter] Juan Gris that captivated us during a trip. We find a very beautiful cream, a variation of gray, a sky blue, and a deep green which also recalls that of second-hand booksellers on the banks of the Seine, just under the windows.”
