When interior design, art and design come together. Marine de Beaupuy’s unique profile reveals a multifaceted talent: initially a decorative painter, she trained in interior design and developed a passion for design. The call of creativity and the desire to bring everyday objects to life led her to design mirrors, desks, coffee tables and stools with graceful, refined lines.
Marine de Beaupuy
Marine, can you introduce yourself?
My name is Marine de Beaupuy, and my main profession is interior design. I initially trained as a decorative painter at the Van der Kelen School in Brussels, a profession I practised for many years. I am also interested in object design. I believe that we have several cards to play in life, that nothing is set in stone and that we can have a variety of professional experiences.
Your decorating mantra?
I strive to ensure that my creations are joyful, to find clever solutions, and to pay attention to circulation and perspective. And it is essential to consider the spirit of the place.
What do you think of the
concept of good taste?
That’s not really my language, because good taste often refers to a social sphere, to education, to the idea that “you must have this in your home”, which I don’t find particularly interesting. I’m more drawn to interiors that are very personal, embodied, different. And good taste implies bad taste, which is a somewhat judgemental term. Often, bad taste is something that is chosen, that pleases the person who dared to do it, so I’m rather fond of bad taste. I am very happy with my recently purchased fake hydrangeas – I feel like I’m in Belle-Île all year round – and yet it seems that fake flowers are out! Too bad! Isn’t cultivating your difference what good taste is all about?
If you were a room in the house?
It’s a cliché answer, but obviously cooking, because I love cooking for the people I love, bringing friends who don’t necessarily know each other together around a table full of joy and flavour, perfect for putting the world to rights. It’s all about combinations, ingredients and energy!
The top 3 things on your bucket list ?
I would like to quote José Martí – a quote that, in my opinion, should be interpreted figuratively – who said, “There are three ways to achieve immortality: plant a tree, write a book, raise a son.” It inspires me to think that we are only passing through this world and that if we can leave behind and pass on a small creative and respectful contribution, that’s already quite something!
Otherwise, more specifically:
- make a long journey on foot and by train,
- have a tiny house on an island,
- return to the countries where I lived as a child and teenager.
If you were an artist?
Photographer Joel Meyerowitz for his brilliant book in which he presents the same subject photographed in black and white and then in colour. It’s amazing to see how two images that are so similar tell a significantly different story when you switch from one to the other. I would also have loved to have exceptional talent and be a virtuoso pianist – I don’t know much about classical music, but there is something perfect/imperfect about Marcelle Meyer that particularly moves me.
Your dream project?
A project surrounded by nature, with a view. A project for and with people I appreciate.
Your current obsession?
I have several! Benches, beds overflowing with cushions, brightly coloured candles and what I call “little palaces”: tiny spaces that are perfectly designed.
Your commitment to a better tomorrow?
With life expectancy increasing, I often ask myself how we can rock our lives. I feel that there is something to be invented in terms of housing for people aged 65-90 that would be beneficial for everyone. I bore my friends with questions about phalansteries, reinvesting in deserted hamlets, continuing our activities, and imagining renovations along these lines.
Marine’s world
“Colour is like a revelation, an accent, a wink; it allows you to create contrast, personality and joy!”
The interior, a reflection of personality
It is true that our universe is often an extension of our desires, our memories, our daydreams. However, this should be taken with a grain of salt, as highly refined individuals with whom you discuss literature may have functional interiors devoid of charm simply because they have not expressed any desires in that place.
Colour range
Colour is like a revelation, an accent, a wink; it creates contrast, personality and joy! The feeling of having a colourful interior does not necessarily come from coloured walls; it can also be expressed in a space with off-white walls through colourful furniture or accessories that enhance the overall look.
Travelling at home
From my years spent abroad (Iran, Jordan, Russia, Senegal), I have retained a certain taste for combinations, a hint of the Orient, uniqueness, and skills that are being lost. I love difference, the unknown, and being surprised.
Inspiring materials
I love the softness of plaster, polished concrete, plant-based or woven materials such as linen, and warm textures such as velvet. They bring a certain grounding and softness.
Designer’s soul
I was led to create small series of objects. What interested me was this work of zooming in on a subject, a mirror for example – an object that has been treated a thousand times! – asking myself what other form it could take. What does roundness bring, what does the choice of this or that material tell us, what do the choices of thicknesses imply? You realise that everything is significant. It’s a completely different profession that requires total dedication; I’ve put it aside for the moment – but I haven’t said my last word!
Professional projects or private clients?
I work for both private and professional clients. In general, it’s true that I prefer projects with people I like and respect; I put a lot of emotion into these working relationships because we spend a lot of time together. I try to offer respectful support. I am fortunate to work on certain projects for Sport dans la Ville, a wonderful association that promotes reintegration through sport (offices, holiday homes, seminar spaces, hospitality).
Artistic collaboration
I have worked with art galleries to recreate highly elaborate settings for displaying furniture and objects, with highly decorative walls: frescoes featuring birds, imitation wood and marble, wax patinas.
What inspires you?
I love flea markets! I love objects that bring an apartment to life, that reveal a little bit of each person’s personality, that transport us elsewhere. Little things can tell stories and evoke emotions. It could be a drawing by a stranger that we found at a flea market and touched us, a pebble picked up somewhere, or a handcrafted object brought back from a trip.
What does Le Monde Sauvage inspire in you?
Le Monde Sauvage perfectly embodies interiors made up of mixtures and found objects whose origins cannot be precisely identified, interiors imagined in several stages, with objects and weavings that are added, assembled, dismantled and rearranged differently according to our moods over time. It is as if all the beautiful details tell an additional story, that of the person who decorates their home, but not only that. I see the weaves as a ploughed path, a trail, like an episode in the life of the craftsman that we can imagine. These creations bring depth, something alive and embodied, timeless.
