Philippe Boisselier

Self-portrait. We invite professionals from the lifestyle, culture and communications world to snap six shots that sum up their story. Smartphone in hand, they have fun revealing all the little nothings around which their world revolves. It’s time to take a peek behind closed doors.

“I’m a design and interior design practitioner and teacher. Former director of the Camondo design school in Paris. Working on every aspect of a project from the overall space to the objects that fill it gives me a macro-to-micro outlook on everything. Maison&Objet has given me the opportunity to examine the issues related to trade fairs and event architecture via a variety of show sectors (including Now! design à vivre, Craft, métiers d’art and Work!) and zones (such as the themed exhibitions dedicated to design curated by Chantal Hamaide). My work often focuses on transforming historic spaces (such as the stores at the Château de Versailles, the bookshop at the Tuileries gardens, and the restaurant at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs) and accompanying brands, stores and head offices (IBM or JCDecaux, for example).”

Useful object 
“A reinterpreted worker’s bench. It’s an ancillary piece from the Appoints collection, intended to be used as and when needed. Here, it flaunts a white Cararra marble finish and is assembled with half-lap joints. It can serve as a seat, a coffee table or a side table (in the office or at home), and is equally suited to a terrace or bathroom space. Designed in 2013, it was exhibited at the Fiera del Mobile in Milan as well as at Maison&Objet.”

Futile object
“The tote bag. It’s lightweight, practical, an absolute must and is becoming a real collector’s item. This one, designed by Philippe Weisbecker for the Yvon Lambert bookshop, is dangling from the Toio lamp designed by Achille Catiglioni for Flos.”

Good luck charm
You’ll always find three things in my workspace: Arik Levy’s imitation bullion bar, Normal Studio’s normographs designed for one of the Designer’s Days, and Enzo Mari’s puzzle box for Danese. I suppose you’d call them firm favourites rather than good luck charms. Here, they’re all sitting side by side for once on a work surface crafted from oriental breche marble, which is a material I use in most of my projects.”

A souvenir 
“I picked up these three industrial containers at a flea market around twenty years ago. Rectangular, graduated and designed to transport factory fluids, they are precursors for a minimalist vocabulary and the upcycling aesthetic. Another souvenir can be seen in the background - Enzo Mari’s fruit bowl for Danese.

Current crush
“I’m currently crushing on the amazing achievement of linking Paris’s Arsenal marina to the Place de la Bastille. This new access to the canal carves out a clear-cut relationship between the waterway and the city centre. Architects: Bernard Althabegoïty and Annick Bayle, engineering firm: OGI.”