Alexandra Vincent, interior architect, has only one ambition: to help her clients feel good at home. And to feel good at home, it’s not just about aesthetics and decoration, it’s also and above all about the need to live in a healthy environment that protects the environment but also and above all its inhabitants. Immersed in a fascinating world where you have to juggle many constraints for the well-being of the greatest number.
For you, is the world of interior architecture a vocation or a coincidence?
My father was trained as a carpenter, my grandfather a mason, and my grandparents had a strong artistic streak. As a child, I had a very technical side. I loved taking things apart. I was already fascinated by Leonardo da Vinci who combined all these elements in himself ; technique, drawing. So at college, I went to the Guidance Center and discovered furniture design and I said to myself, this is what I need.
I entered the Boulle School to do furniture. During my Manaa (foundation year in applied arts), I was directed towards interior architecture which was much more comprehensive: it touches on furniture, decoration, and also technique. Not to mention that the professional opportunities are much broader. And it’s true that thinking back, as a child, I spent my time constantly moving my furniture, and I loved looking at people’s interiors.
After my BTS, I had the opportunity to travel to continue my studies and I chose Quebec, because foreign languages were not really my thing. I landed in Montreal at UQAM (University of Quebec in Montreal) and with my university credits, I was given full freedom to devote myself to furniture design. I really perfected myself in that as well as in software, I participated and won in competitions; a swivel chair, a radiant heater, among others.
You practice interior design in a very original way, what characterizes you?
After my studies, still in Montreal, I started working. First for nightclubs and restaurants. An exciting and stimulating job where you can be bold but which quickly showed me its limits. Because in this field, decoration is quite ephemeral. It lasts three at 5 years and we change everything, we throw away. It was at that moment I understood that this went against my values. And that my challenge would be to pursue this passion with a certain ethical approach.
I then worked on renovating apartments for a landlord with several properties, first as an employee, then once on my own I was able to have a new clientele. There, I had access to all kinds of materials, notably from the American West Coast, very advanced in this ethical and ecological field. And I had formed partnerships with the first ecological cabinetmakers in Montreal. And again, I thought there must be a way to use more local resources and to implement a true ecological vision. I believe I was one of the first even there to define myself as ecological architect.
Then, you come back to France and create Hava Design. What does Hava Design mean? “Hava” in Turkish means “the one who brings help”!!! Did you choose it deliberately?
I decided to return in 2013 because even though it’s a country I really love, it’s hard to live so far from all your family for a very long time.
I rediscovered France, its cultural richness, its variety of landscapes that you don’t have in Canada where you can drive for eight hours without the scenery changing.
I chose to settle in Lyon, a lively city full of culture and music, but it took me a while before I restarted on my own. I created my company in Quebec in 2006 and looked for a logo that could synthesize my initials and housing and furniture, Hava was born.
On your site, one can read, “Ecological and therapeutic interior architecture - Slow design.” What is this really about?
Interior architecture will take care of the ergonomics of the space.. The The decorator will take care of the aesthetics. Our profession as interior architects includes the decoration aspect because it is difficult to arrange a space without envisioning it as a living place; this is what our clients expect—that everything is designed for physical and aesthetic comfort.
Therapeutic design will take into account an additional dimension. Environmental psychology. How people live, what they will need. The goal will be to take the time to understand and see what is important. I have an example to give you. One of my clients was complaining about not seeing her daughter who stayed confined to another floor. By creating a space for her in the common room, her daughter came back to work next to her mother and their interactions resumed. For this, it is essential to be extremely attentive to clients and spend a lot of time questioning them about their lifestyle and their expectations and needs.
Slow design will require a return to work on a human scale. We will have to combine well-being, environment, durability, authenticity. The notion of time will be crucial. In this field, everything will take longer, you have to be aware of the time it takes for the craftsman to make the furniture, for the right material to arrive... But waiting is also a way to make things your own.
I present myself as a technician of reality; I can sometimes also call on engineers to secure a detail if needed.
But be careful, I obviously give great importance to aesthetics, colors, and materials in terms of decor, in addition to its "non-toxicity" and environmental impact.
My ambition is to understand my clients' expectations : do they want materials that are healthy for their health or do they prioritize environmental impact, or both?
What are their ecological values ?
What advice would you give our readers to live in a healthy environment?
In the home, there are two things to consider:
- The habitat itself, that is what is specific to the house. It can be humid, poorly ventilated, etc... These problems can be easily addressed with very good ventilation, a double flow system, and proper maintenance.
- And what we bring into the house : furniture, paints that could potentially be harmful. Here, it is important to be very careful about what we bring inside our living space. There are many certifications that help verify this; the label Oko test Oeko Tex for example. PVC free, Safety of toys, Evergreen, Ecocert, l’Ange bleu. However, be aware that there are differences between labels and certifications, and it is important to understand that all are based on and evaluated according to our current knowledge of toxic compounds. L'Anse, for example, studies an average of 3 compounds per year... there are more than 2000!!! That is why materials that are as little processed as possible and with natural finishes are healthier.
We really need to see our home as our body. The interior designer dresses the structure, but if you don’t maintain the structure at the foundation level, the mold, the waterproofing of the windows, no matter how many beautiful jewels and clothes you put on it, a nice decor overall, you won’t necessarily be healthier. And the body must be well dressed too, otherwise if you go out without clothes, it’s going to be complicated. And finally, we want to be beautiful, so we decorate!
As in the kitchen, we will need to bring materials into our home that are as unprocessed as possible.
Another tip: favor second-hand which allows choosing furniture that no longer emits. However, be careful that the foams and padding are not degraded or that old lead-based paints and varnishes are not present before restoring a piece of furniture.
What should we be most wary of?
The famous VOCs, volatile organic compounds, and SVOCs semi-volatile organic compounds, humidity, electromagnetic fields. Again, we are far from being ahead in France. In Quebec, electrosensitivity is recognized as a disabling illness. In France, people barely know what it is.
Not to mention that the raw material of a product may have been made under the best conditions, organic and sustainable, only to be transformed elsewhere and lose all its original value. It can be very complex. People need to be vigilant, just as they increasingly are with their food. Beware of green bashing!
You have lived and worked in Canada; are there notable differences in terms of decor?
Quebecers really like woodwork, cornices, and baseboards. They appreciate the classic but warm style, as well as industrial. They also use a lot more colors than the French, which is normal when everything is white for six or eight months of the year. They are used to moving very often, so they make the space their own in a different way.
In France, we have lost these architectural details for a much more contemporary, modern, and streamlined style.
Do you encounter difficulties in sourcing ecological products?
Especially in plumbing and electricity. Almost everything in this field is made in China or Italy. Glues cause us problems because they almost always contain polymers. The real difficulty is not just finding the eco-friendly product but finding it at a reasonable price. That’s the hardest part!
Anyway, it’s almost impossible to be 100% eco-friendly in decoration!
If we don’t find it, we have it made.
You also have a showroom in Chessy Les Mines, twenty minutes from Lyon, what can we find there?
This Showroom shop allows us to present finishing and decoration materials, to showcase them as in a model apartment with furniture from local artisans. We also present local ecological products. And soon we will offer ecological kitchens.
People who inspire you?
I am more inspired by the things around me, by people, spirituality, philosophy, nature, science.
Your latest musical favorites?
Hillsong and African-inspired music like Salif Keita or Nina Simone!
In the kitchen, what is your favorite dish?
An Indian dish, Palak Paneer, spinach with Indian spices and cheeses with basmati rice. A delight that my son also loves.
https://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_palak-paneer-a-la-vache-qui-rit_320701.aspx
https://www.atelierdeschefs.fr/fr/recette/24069-palak-paneer.php (this uses panir, a traditional cheese with the texture of fried tofu blocks, not the laughing cow cheese for the original recipe.)
A website, a book, a motto to share?
Pinterest inspires me a lot, I admit. Otherwise, I am very sensitive to the illustrations in my son's children's books, to the graphics that emerge from them.
As for my motto, it is summed up in these words, “Happiness is shared.” We must take care of others. I always keep this in mind with my clients. I am very attentive to ensure everything goes well, that they feel calm because renovation is often stressful. They need kindness.
Positiv.fr or consoglobe.com a source of information on new human and ecological trends and solutions.
Photo credits Alexandra Vincent - Hava Design
Interviews conducted by Edith SELLIER PASCAL
0 comments