When emotion meets precision. Maïa Descombes, founder of Poësis Studio, has implemented her sensitive and poetic architectural vision to design spaces that reflect her clients, combining functionality and timelessness. Thanks to this sensitive approach to space, everything is designed to reveal the unique character of each place and reflect the lives of those who inhabit it.
Maïa Descombes
Maïa, can you introduce yourself?
Poësis is a human-scale interior design agency, born from a desire: to create spaces that resonate with those who inhabit them. Each project begins with a meeting. We listen to needs and desires. Then comes the moment when a color, a material, a detail emerges as a guiding thread: it is often there that the story of the place is born.
Your decorating mantra?
Finding the balance. Between comfort and elegance, between precision and emotion. Never simply following a trend, but listening to the rhythm of the home and those who live there.
What do you think of the concept of good taste?
There are no hard and fast rules. Good taste is when the space feels natural, when it tells a story that’s consistent with its inhabitants.
If you were a room in the house?
Perhaps the entrance. Because everything starts there: a first impression, an atmosphere that sets the tone.
Three fixed ideas?
First, I’d say rounded corners. They completely transform a space, softening the proportions and creating a more fluid flow.
Then, I always like to incorporate a graphic material that creates contrast. For example, if the floor is light, I’ll choose a darker table; if the kitchen is black, I’ll balance it with a lighter backsplash. It’s this interplay that creates rhythm.
And then, once we’ve worked with the curves and selected beautiful materials, lighting becomes essential. It’s what reveals the atmosphere and enhances every detail.
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If you were an artist?
I would choose Tadao Andō. I like the way he works with concrete, a raw and cold material at first glance, which he manages to warm up by creating openings and letting in natural light.
Your dream project?
Building a yacht is a completely different world: you have to consider every element so that it stays in place, even in the middle of a storm. It’s a real technical challenge, almost like an engineer’s job, but with the possibility of creating something poetic and vibrant
How to separate without closing?
Right now, I’m really enjoying working with terracotta screens. Playing with the light that filters through them, creating graphic shadows, it truly transforms the space. I also love exploring textures and how materials interact to give character to a room without ever overwhelming it
Your commitment to a better tomorrow?
I pay attention to the materials we use and favour those that are meaningful and durable, so that each project is designed with the long term in mind.
Maïa’s world
Your architectural vision?
It is poetic in the sense that I always seek to reveal the uniqueness of a place. Capturing the light, highlighting an imperfection, emphasizing a striking color: these are the details that guide our choices.
Your creating process?
It begins with listening. Then come the sketches, the materials, the tests in our materials library. It’s a process of constant exchange, where each step is shared with the client.
Your signature style?
Clean lines, softened by warming shapes, textures and colors. Balanced spaces, both refined and easy to live in.
Inspiring materials
This is our playground. We bring together colors, fabrics, wood, and stone to compose, test, and adjust with our clients. It’s a place for dialogue, where projects take concrete life.
Details that matter
Always. The color of a joint, the height of a baseboard, the softness of a textile… It is these invisible details that transform a project into a living space.
Sleek or maximalist decor?
Refined, but never cold. A clean, lived-in style that leaves room for materials and the personality of our clients.
What does Le Monde Sauvage inspires in you?
Le Monde Sauvage is a world that inspires us. You have this boldness of colors and patterns that we like to incorporate in touches in our projects to reveal an atmosphere, create a contrast, give depth.
Maïa’s shopping list
@poesistudio I poesis-studio.fr
📸 Florian Wattier
