With Quark , we want to share with you behind the scenes of the world of decoration. We are going to meet those who shape what we call “decor” on a daily basis. Today we are with Laura Pons , interior designer based in Lyon.
Laura Pons: Interior Designer
My name is Laura and I am an interior designer. I am also the mother of 3 young boys, which explains why my entire life as a decorator has been rethought. It's important for me to have a Pro/Personal balance .
I am originally from Lille, it is my favorite region. I studied in Bordeaux at ESC Bordeaux then I worked in Paris for around ten years. I have been living in Lyon for a year and a half.
How did you get into the world of decoration?
Decoration is a second professional life . I hesitated for a long time with design studies. But ultimately it was the path of reason that 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 automobiles, figure you ! 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 charge of the digital team when I had joined the company like Madame Facebook . It was really interesting to live through this period and see how the web has changed the business world in just a few years. At the beginning, I was only asked to count likes, then digital became a strategic sector for the company.
I started thinking seriously about decorating when I was pregnant with my first child. I was working like crazy and wanted to find a better life balance. I have an anecdote to share with you:
When I was pregnant with my first child, I filled out a pregnancy diary 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 your desires and make your dreams come true” and I realized that I was not opening the way for them, and that I was therefore not in phase 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 did my second year internship with an interior decorator. I had this in me for a long time. I wanted to put passion into my profession 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 followed training to begin my retraining. I rediscovered the pleasure of learning what made me love it! It was great! As soon as I left class, I had remembered 90% of the course because I was so passionate! I needed training to feel legitimate and get started in decorating. On the other hand, it was a lot of work. We must not hide it. It's very intense to return to classes after several years of work. You have to hang on 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 set you apart from others? My career path is atypical and I have acquired a great capacity for work over all these years. I like efficiency, getting to the point. 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 issues they face. This makes exchanges more fluid and gives meaning to business projects. This is perhaps what differentiates me 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 than 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 have been in Lyon for a short time and this is a new launch for me. I try to realize new aspirations. I have always been sensitive to environmental issues, organic, not wasting, producing less waste, favoring local producers... I try to do lots of things by myself to limit my impact.
I'm not impeccable on the subject. For example, I tried washable diapers then I gave up. Let's be honest, it was too restrictive! But there are plenty of simple things you can do yourself every day. I admire those who are zero waste. But I can't at the moment.
I now try to make the link between my personal aspirations and my professional actions. In the same way as on the personal side, I looked for a way 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 customers want to do eco-sourced , vintage , recycled products . I avoid pushing unnecessary production into my various projects. I think we can be frugal and do concrete things every day.
Can you describe your creative process and your way of working?
First of all, I really need to understand my client well. I need to know his tastes and have a brief of his intentions: likes/dislikes. I don’t work with “my style”. I'm trying to help my client reveal himself. If he’s not “deco”, I try to help him open up. I think if he calls on an interior designer it’s because he wants to get out of his comfort zone.
I then isolate myself and enter into a creative process. I take several hours to come up with ideas. I project on paper a form of synthesis of these exchanges with my client in the form of decorative axes.
Then I go into a very strong phase of inspiration. I use Pinterest and Instagram in particular. I'm looking for how 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 moodboards alone. I already prefer to deliver a concrete framework. I am delivering an already completed 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 develop a project and show something concrete to my clients . This method works well and I've never had to throw a project in the trash.
In B2B you also find yourself confronted with customers who are in a rush. In this type of situation, my working method suits them perfectly. A lot of customers come through word of mouth. So they know that I am capable of producing quickly and do not hesitate to ask me in this type of format.
Would you say you have a particular style?
Personally, I definitely have things that I prefer. I like unique things and colors. I really like objects that have a story. On the other hand, I am not going to replicate the same thing for my clients. When I work for a client, I seek to understand their aspirations with them.
Some customers sometimes seem lost but in fact this is not true. Deep down there is a direction they want to go. They are sometimes minimalist, or sometimes more looking for an effect that will not leave you indifferent or, conversely, want a very discreet decoration.
My instinct is that if people come to look for me as a decorator, it's mainly because we're looking 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 well to seek out a decorator who was able to go beyond their initial ideas to arrive at a project that resembles them but of which they were not aware.
Decorating trends for 2021
I try to always be careful with trends even if I am the first victim of these movements. I always ask myself the following question: do you choose something because you like it deeply, or do you do it because you saw it in this or that magazine? A typical example, 5 years ago, was the pineapple and teal trend. It was everywhere. I try not to fall into the trap 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 life. Nor should we go against the tide of trends on 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 the artisans forward. Today we can absolutely offer a pretty ceramic rather than a basic vase.
I observe the return of natural and fairly raw materials. We find organic shapes, curves. We are moving towards softness and this trend is taking hold .
Likewise in the colors we are moving towards natural colors. The ranges of greens continue to expand, for example. Earthy colors and terracottas also expand their palette. We're going to look for more nuances in sandy and natural things.
I think we are also moving towards more minimalist decoration and a selection of more interesting objects. We go more towards the essential. With the period we are going through, we are seeking to create “cocooning” and cozy spaces.
It’s a great time for decor. There are more people who now aspire to create spaces of well-being at home.
Color, a sensitive subject
There was a time when people asked me a lot about certain “fashionable” colors. Paint brands really wanted to stand out through their palette. But now my clients rarely arrive with color aspirations. They are less looking for a color trend.
I think that at the beginning clients do not dare to restrict 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 customers gives me guidance. When they tell me: “I like light colors” does that mean that they want a bright space? Or that they want to find a form of good humor? You can break down the aspirations of each person, explore them If you have correctly interpreted a customer's expectations, you will ultimately be able to offer them colors other than those initially expected.
There are obviously some recipes that adapt well to certain spaces. But there is no truth in colors .
Do you have the impression that your clients are asking you for a recurring decorative style?
For individuals, requests are often more vague at first glance. They are sometimes lost during the first meetings when they do not want something very marked. This is where you need to ask the right questions to sense their aspirations. The field is quite free in these moments and you have to choose a creative axis.
When you work with professionals it's very different . They have a brand identity already worked on. And it is the brand 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 daring things but always with a fairly gentle, enveloping, reassuring approach... So I'm going to support the identity of the mark in this sense through my decoration work.
On the other hand, I worked for Mr T-Shirt. Their brief is always: “wahoo” “fun” “good humor”. This guideline is found in the offices and boutiques that I have created with them.
For companies, decoration projects must embody their values. It has to 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 be in a warmer space at the hospital. I think we can do something so much better, more joyful. We should work on a fun decor. In this context, the decoration could provide a strong service, a little sweetness and poetry in a daily life in the hospital which can be trying.
The world of childhood really touches me. It is in early childhood that we awaken to the senses, to taste, to colors, to the world. So I would be delighted to be of service to a project like this.
Decoration by a decorator
Do we find the adage about shoemakers in your home?
Obviously, I am hyper sensitive to decoration. I'm not into minimalism. I have them everywhere at home. To feel good at home it has to be vibrantly decorated . I am not trying to respond to a vision of beauty. It's not my thing at all. But I like to find decorative elements that bring some form of joy .
It's not always kept in my house. The house is alive. There is 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 am not a compulsive buyer when it comes to decoration. My accommodation is not a showroom!
Your sources of inspiration
I am inspired by everything! In the street, a stone, a wall drop, etc. In nature, colors according to the seasons...
I often share an anecdote with my clients. If they tell me that two or three colors are too many, I tell them to go into their garden and look around. 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're not inventing anything about colors . They all already exist in nature, or almost.
There are also plenty of people who have great interiors and who don't realize it. This inspires me a lot. They preserve family heirlooms or materials that were there before them, and that's what's beautiful: when the interiors have things to tell
A website to share?
I use Instagram a lot more . In this way, I have a lot of things coming to me.
I go to sites less spontaneously, except for The Socialite Family . There is a lot of quality content on this account. He shares family stories that I am sensitive to.
https://www.instagram.com/thesocialitefamily/
People who inspire you?
I have the feeling that interior design is a rather supportive environment. I have lots of interior designers that I follow and exchange with on the networks.
Interior designs that inspire me:
Heju Studio
Interior girls: https://www.instagram.com/lesfillesdinterieur/
Otherwise in the big names that I want to share with you: India Mahdavi!
https://www.instagram.com/indiamahdavi/
I love his use of color. She always takes you out of your comfort zone and with her boldness pays off.
I also love the illustrations, holy sisters, Angélina Mc Key, Joanna Oalk 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 clearly have entrepreneurial aspirations. I have quite a few acquaintances who have launched boxes. I've worked on quite a few projects this way. It's inspiring, because when you launch a brand, you are super creative. You dig into your inner universe to offer something unique. This approach inspires me deeply.
At the beginning, I asked myself the question of launching a brand. But I didn't want to alienate myself from a product. Now that I'm moving forward, I realize that I don't want to develop a new need. I would love to create from a material and have an impact on reducing waste. 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 atypical and it corresponds to this eco-responsible trend since we want to be as re-usable as possible.
Your 3 main principles of decoration
I'm more into the “anti-principle”, especially in decoration. Rules are made to be broken.
Decoration is something that is lived and felt.
In a room that is small and dark, just because you put white doesn't mean it will suddenly become bright. On the contrary, play with contrast, go dark to make it something super “cocoon”. Take inspiration from the flaws of a piece to turn them into advantages. I think we have to use these flaws to turn them into strengths.
- Trust yourself : to each their own
- Trust your partners : your decorator, your craftsmen, this will enhance your project
- Have fun : there are no rules, do things that make you happy. Both as a decorator and as a client. Trying to get out of Instagram snaps.
A simple pleasure
Savor the moment!
Ultimately, that almost never happens. Read a book with a good tea.
Your musical favorites?
I love music but I always have a hard time 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
