With Aire, we want to share with you the behind-the-scenes look at the world of interior design. We're meeting the people who shape what we call "decoration" every day. Today we're with Laura Pons , an interior designer based in Lyon.
Laura Pons: Interior Designer
My name is Laura and I'm an interior designer. I'm also a mother of three young boys, which means my whole life as a designer has been rethought. It's important for me to have a work/life balance .
I'm originally from Lille, which is my favorite region. I studied in Bordeaux at the ESC Bordeaux and then worked in Paris for about ten years. I've been living in Lyon for a year and a half.
How did you get into the world of decoration?
Decorating is a second professional life . I hesitated for a long time with design studies. But in the end, reason prevailed and I went to business school, telling myself that it wouldn't close any doors for me.
I obviously got involved during school in the arts office, I followed the culture, decoration options etc.
I started my professional life at PSA. I have a career in the automotive industry, you know ! I was in digital and CRM for PSA. It's an old part of my life. When I arrived at PSA, it was the very beginning of social networks, websites, apps, digital sales tools, newsletters... I ended up taking over the digital team even though I had joined the company as Mrs. Facebook . It was really interesting to live through this period and see how the web changed the business world in just a few years. At first, I was almost made to count likes , then digital became a strategic sector for the company.
I started seriously thinking about decorating when I was pregnant with my first child. I was working like crazy and wanted to find a better work-life balance. I have a story to share with you:
When I was pregnant with my first child, I filled out a pregnancy journal in which we answered certain questions, anecdotes and memories, with a view to then passing it on to our child, so that he could read them in a few years. In the section “what do you want to pass on to your child”, I started by writing: “the audacity to follow his desires and achieve his dreams” and I realized that I was not paving the way for him, and that I was therefore not in line with my values . I felt really hypocritical in these lines. I became aware of this discrepancy. And I said to myself “try to become what you dream of”. I had done my second-year internship with an interior designer. I had had that in me for a long time. I wanted to put passion into my job and try my luck even if the sector seemed saturated to me. I wanted to set an example and apply to myself what I want for my child, to avoid “do what I say not what I do” ;)
I took a course to start my career change. I rediscovered the pleasure of learning what I loved! It was amazing! As soon as I left the class, I had retained 90% of the course because I was so passionate! I needed training to feel legitimate and get started in interior design. On the other hand, it was a lot of work. Let's face it. It's very intense to go back to school after several years of work. You have to stick with it and enjoy being involved in your work.
How do you position yourself in the sector?
When I started interior design, I said to myself: what will differentiate you from others? My background is atypical and I have acquired a great capacity for work during all these years. I like efficiency, getting to the essentials. When I work with B2B clients I understand what they experience in their offices because I have been in their shoes. I also understand the challenges they face. This helps to streamline exchanges and give meaning to business projects. This is perhaps what sets me apart from other decorators.
I also understand what it's like to be an entrepreneur. I know that an entrepreneur has a thousand other things to do besides watch your presentation. So I try to move quickly, make things easier, and offer very concrete solutions for my clients.
Where are you in your development?
I've only been in Lyon for a short time, and this is a new beginning for me. I'm trying to realize new aspirations. I've always been sensitive to environmental issues, organic, not wasting, producing less waste, supporting local producers... I try to do a lot of things myself to limit my impact.
I'm not perfect on this subject. For example, I tried cloth diapers and then I gave up. Let's be honest, it was too restrictive! But there are plenty of simple things you can do yourself on a daily basis. I admire those who are zero waste. But I can't at the moment.
I'm now trying to connect my personal aspirations with my professional actions. Just as I did on my personal side, I've been looking for ways to offer alternatives to my clients , without making it a radical course of action.
As soon as you talk about ecological issues, you see that it affects the people around you. More and more clients want to do eco-sourced , vintage , and recycled products . I avoid pushing unnecessary production in my various projects. I think that we can be in a form of frugality and do concrete things on a daily basis.
Can you describe your creative process and how you work?
First of all, I really need to understand my client well. I need to know their tastes and have a brief of their intentions: likes/dislikes. I don't work with "my style." I try to help my client reveal themselves. If they're not "decorative," I try to help them open up. I think that if they hire an interior designer, it's because they want to get out of their comfort zone.
I then isolate myself and engage in a creative process. I take several hours to develop ideas. I project onto paper a form of synthesis of these exchanges with my client in the form of decorative axes.
Then I go into a very intense phase of inspiration. I go through Pinterest and Instagram in particular. I look for ways to illustrate my ideas for my client. Once I have this material, I need to very quickly unfold the creative framework from A to Z.
I really struggle to get a board approved or share mood boards on their own. I prefer to deliver a concrete framework. I deliver a finished project. It's my way of working, even if it's not standard in the world of decoration.
There is a risk because the return on investment can turn against me. But I find that it is not easy for a client to project themselves into a mood board . So I prefer to roll out a project and show something concrete to my clients . This method works well and I have never had to throw away a project.
In B2B, you also find yourself dealing with clients who are in a rush. In this type of situation, my working method suits them perfectly. Clients come to me quite a bit by word of mouth. So they know I'm capable of producing quickly and don't hesitate to contact me in this type of format.
Would you say you have a particular style?
Personally, I definitely have things I prefer. I like unique things and colors. I really like objects that have a story. However, I'm not going to replicate the same thing for my clients. When I work for a client, I try to understand their aspirations with them.
Some clients sometimes seem lost, but that's actually not true. Deep down, they have a direction they want to go in. They may be minimalists, or they may be looking for an effect that won't leave anyone indifferent, or conversely, they may want a very discreet decor.
My instinct is that if people come to me as a decorator, it's mainly because they come to look for someone who will be bold for us . So I will always push my clients to their limits. I want my clients to say to themselves that they did the right thing by looking for a decorator who was able to go beyond their initial ideas to end up with a project that suits them but that they were not aware of.
Decorating trends for 2021
I always try to be careful with trends, even though I'm the first victim of these movements. I always ask myself the following question: do you choose something because you really like it, or do you do it because you saw it in this or that magazine? A typical example, 5 years ago, was the pineapple and duck egg blue trend. It was everywhere. I try not to fall into it because then you regret those choices.
On the other hand, I find trends in art interesting. There are always cycles, and they also express a state of mind in our daily lives. We shouldn't go against trends as a matter of principle.
For 2021, we feel that one of the big topics will be the eco-responsible movement . As consumers, we want better produced and better sourced objects . We put artisans first. Today, we can absolutely offer a pretty ceramic rather than a basic vase.
I'm seeing a return to natural and fairly raw materials. We're seeing organic shapes and curves. We're moving towards softness, and this trend is taking hold .
Likewise, in colors, we're moving toward natural colors. The range of greens continues to expand, for example. Earthy colors and terracottas are also expanding their palette. We're looking for more nuances in sandy and natural colors.
I think we're also moving towards more minimalist decor and a more interesting selection of objects. We're moving more towards the essentials. With the times we're going through, we're looking to create cozy, cocooning spaces.
It's a great time for decorating. More people are now looking to create wellness spaces in their homes.
Color, a sensitive subject
There was a time when I was often asked for certain “trendy” colors. Paint brands really wanted to stand out with their palette. But now my clients rarely come with color aspirations. They are less interested in color trends.
I think that at the beginning, clients don't dare to limit a project . They are open to an approach that comes from the decorator. I ask a lot of questions about their impressions of different colors because it gives me a lot of clues about each person's aspirations. Colors are something very personal . The feedback I get from my clients gives me guidance. When they say to me: "I like light colors," does that mean they want a bright space? Or that they want to find a kind of good mood? You can decline each person's aspirations, explore them. If you have correctly interpreted a client's expectations, you will ultimately be able to offer them other colors than those initially expected.
There are obviously some recipes that work well in certain spaces. But there is no truth in colors .
Do you feel like your clients ask for a recurring decor style?
For individuals, requests are often more vague at first. They are sometimes lost during the first meetings when they don't want something very specific. This is where you have to ask the right questions to get a sense of their aspirations. The field is quite open at these times and you have to choose a creative direction.
When you work with professionals, it's very different . They have a brand identity that's already been developed. And it's the brand's values that will guide your work. I'm thinking in particular of the projects with "Émoi Émoi". It's a great brand for the family. It's going to do bold things but always with a fairly gentle, enveloping, reassuring approach... So I'm going to support the brand's identity in this sense through my decoration work.
On the other hand, I worked for Mr. T-Shirt. Their brief is always: “Wow,” “Fun,” “Good mood.” This guiding principle is reflected in the offices and stores I’ve designed with them.
For businesses, design projects must embody their values. It must shine through.
Tell us about your dream project!
A project that has always excited me is working on a parent-child hospital project .
I think parents and children want to find themselves in a warmer space at the hospital. I think we can do something so much better, more joyful. We should work on a playful decor. In this context, the decoration could bring a strong service, a little softness and poetry to a daily life at the hospital which can be trying.
The world of childhood really touches me. It's in early childhood that we awaken to our senses, to tastes, to colors, to the world. I would therefore be delighted to be of service to a project like this.
Decorating at a decorator's
Do you find the saying about shoemakers in your house?
Obviously, I'm hyper-sensitive to decoration. I'm not into minimalism. I have it everywhere at home. To feel good at home, it has to be alive with decoration . I'm not trying to respond to a vision of beauty. That's not my thing at all. But I like to find decorative elements that bring a form of joy .
My house isn't always tidy. The house is alive. There's a mix of genres.
It's not constructed logically. It's more about feeling. I'm quite a mix and match person: that means not choosing things that go together perfectly. No, you're going to find lots of disparate objects and patterns. Then you're going to mix lots of influences and make it work.
On the other hand, I'm not a compulsive decor shopper. My home isn't a showroom!
Your sources of inspiration
I draw inspiration from everything! In the street, a stone, a wall detachment, etc. In nature, the colors according to the seasons...
I often share an anecdote with my clients. If they tell me that two or three colors is too many, I tell them to go into their garden and look around them. If you think your garden is too beautiful, there are already twenty colors in front of you. Nature offers an incredible number of colors and shades. You are not inventing anything in colors . They already all exist in nature, or almost all of them.
There are also plenty of people who have great interiors and don't realize it. That inspires me a lot. They keep family heirlooms or materials that were there before them, and that's what's beautiful: when interiors have stories to tell.
A website to share?
I use Instagram a lot more . That way, I have a lot of things coming to me.
I visit websites less spontaneously, except for The Socialite Family . There is a lot of quality content on this account. It shares family stories that I resonate with.
https://www.instagram.com/thesocialitefamily/
People who inspire you?
I feel like interior design is a pretty supportive environment. I have lots of interior designers that I follow and interact with on social media.
Interior designers that inspire me:
Heju Studio
Interior Girls: https://www.instagram.com/lesfillesdinterieur/
Otherwise, among the big names that I want to share with you: India Mahdavi!
https://www.instagram.com/indiamahdavi/
I love her use of color. She always pushes you out of your comfort zone, and with her, boldness pays off.
I also love the illustrations, sacred sisters, Angelina Mc Key, Joanna Oak etc…
There is also the talented Dorothée from Bilboquet Déco: https://www.instagram.com/bilboquetdeco/
All of this is part of my sources of inspiration.
The entrepreneurial spirit
I definitely have entrepreneurial aspirations. I know a lot of people who have started companies. I've worked on a lot of projects that way. It's inspiring, because when you launch a brand, you're incredibly creative. You dig into your inner world to come up with something unique. This approach inspires me deeply.
At first, I considered launching a brand. But I didn't want to tie myself to a product. Now that I'm moving forward, I realize I don't want to develop a new need. I'd love to create from a material and have an impact on waste reduction. When the time is right, it will come.
I really like The French Vikings and Maximum , Le pavé .
A client project to share?
I'm working on a pharmacy project with vintage furniture. It's unusual and fits in with this eco-responsible trend since we want to reuse as much as possible.
Your 3 main principles of decoration
I'm more of an anti-principle person, especially when it comes to decorating. Rules are meant to be broken.
Decoration is something that is experienced and felt.
In a room that is small and dark, just because you put white in doesn't mean it will suddenly become bright. On the contrary, play with contrast, go for dark to make it a really "cozy" place. Take inspiration from the flaws of a room to turn them into advantages. I think you have to use these flaws to turn them into strengths.
- Trust yourself : each to their own
- Trust your partners : your decorator, your craftsmen, it will enhance your project
- Have fun : There are no rules, do things that make you happy. Both as a decorator and as a client. Try to get away from Instagram clichés.
A simple pleasure
Savor the moment!
In the end, it almost never happens. Reading a book with a nice cup of tea.
Your musical favorites?
I love music but I always have trouble defining what I like.
So I have two things to share
1 - Think about things : Daði Freyr
2 - My old France side: Alain Souchon - Almost
Follow the work of Laura Pons
Discover Laura Pons' website: http://lauraponsdecoration.com/
Join Laura on Instagram
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