Quark continues his meeting with Emilie Migault. Here is the second part of his interview. Let's find out where her creativity comes from and how does she manage a service?
What are your sources of creativity?
As I said before, it is the living rooms that feed the imagination and creativity. We are inspired by what others are doing. You have to be on the lookout for Instagram, Pinterest, magazines etc. The sources of inspiration are multiple, you go to someone's house and you just see a small object that makes you think of something else. It's always having an alert mind. I store a wealth of ideas, most will probably never be used, but one idea always leads to another, and that's what's interesting. I may not have the construction site yet, but I note it in the back of my mind. Ideas and inspirations abound in nature, in any house, at the sight of a construction. I have already said it, one must have an eye on the lookout for all things.
Do you have a specific creative process and way of working or does it really depend on the project you have in front of you?
So it may sound weird but ideas often come to me at night. When I go to meet clients, and they tell me about their desires or needs, there are lots of ideas that come to me, but they need to mature. I usually have a little notebook on my bedside table at night and jot down ideas. The first 2/3 nights after visiting a construction site, I don't sleep much. Ideas flow without respect for the clock and so I write things down. In the morning, you have to sort it out. It is at this moment that there are little things that fall into place.
It starts like this. Afterwards, you have to find what I imagined. I then go in search of certain types of lighting, furniture, universes to make a trend board. This is how I work with my clients. I suggest that they do a preliminary project first. It's a big file where I'm going to propose universes, possibly 3D plans and layout ideas. I will list all the materials, fabrics, ideas and establish a costing for the project. It is very precise and detailed. I will do sketches. The plans will be part of the second project monitoring process.
I sell this file first. It is developed over the long term, after several meetings with customers. I'm going to offer them a lot of samples and, as we go along, we're going to refine the choices to really suit their needs and their taste.
Once the project is determined, I bring in contractors to cost the work.
From there, I suggest that they follow the construction site and I make plans for them. I select the companies again according to the quotes and then we start the work. I am very present on construction sites. For a project to progress quickly, there is no secret, you have to be on the lookout. I am very picky about respecting the rules of art in terms of renovation and finishes. The teams I work with know this.
Do you think you have a particular style?
I don't know *laughs*. Obviously I think I have a dough but I really try to stick to the desires of my customers. It can be small things, I can adapt to requests for very modern universes with extremely linear and graphic layouts and libraries, for example. But I also design much more "heavy" sites, it really depends on the client's wishes.
I sincerely think that we are not there to create a beautiful decor, we are there to create a nest for the people who call us so that they feel good there. We design what they hoped for but never imagined. We have to create their universe and not impose ours, it's important for customers to feel good there.
For example, I spoke a number of years ago with a decorator friend who had been called by clients. They wanted to redo a very recent decoration. She didn't understand, their interior was magnificent. While chatting with the owners, she realized that the customers were actually in a showroom. They didn't feel good there, they couldn't take ownership of the place. In my opinion, it is a failed decoration! If it's just to decorate magazines, it doesn't make much sense. There must be a soul.
I do think that there is a soul in my projects. Well, I hope ! I have a client, this is the fourth project she has entrusted to me, for example. I did her house, her husband's offices, a cabin in the mountains and a second house after she sold the first. After 4 projects, I really realized that my work satisfied her and that she adhered to my universe. It's very pleasant and rewarding to be called back by clients with whom you have already worked.
Do you have favorite sites or all sites suit you?
I like things that are a bit technical, so it's true that I find kitchen and bathroom projects very interesting. Creating living rooms or bedrooms is less technical but more personal. Each construction site has its interest. Professional sites such as premises and offices interest me a little less. But, these are often technical challenges and headaches in terms of ergonomics. I completely designed a medical practice, it was fascinating because it is extremely technical and very specialized. But, from a creativity point of view, we are a little more limited due to technical or regulatory constraints.
And then I like the site because it's here that we learn, no project is alike. I learned a lot from all the people I put to work. You learn a lot of skills from following the “worker ants”. It is thanks to them that a project progresses, that it is attractive and well finished. We can have all the great ideas in the world, if we don't have the competent people to implement them, companies that are committed to working well, the results won't be good. It is in the detail that we feel the quality of an achievement.
Do not hesitate to take a look at our latest article: The Ammo Studio
Interview by Clara Didier
Formatting by Coralie Mottu
