Family
Concrete Minimalism in the 70s: The Home of the Founder of the Satnam Club
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Séverine and Jérome Hermary, Roméo 16 years old
The story of Séverine Hermary and her familiy’s association with this house begins like many others. A desire for change and the magic of a property advertisement that comes at the right time. And then, the love at first sight! In her case, love for a resolutely 1970s construction designed by the architect Patrick Maxwell, which has retained all its raw character and its original minimalist style. The beginning of a new life in Bordeaux for this Canadian by birth (and at heart) who wanted to leave Paris despite loving her life there: a life marked by many adventures Adventures that she will have a mind to pursue as soon as she is properly settled here. It’s been two summers now. For Séverine has a thirst for learning and a visceral desire to pass her knowledge on. More particularly, what has inspired her personally and professionally for years: “the beautiful, the just and the collective.” A path that began more than 15 years ago when she met a Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh. A new way of presenting oneself to the world, including the practices of meditation and yoga, which this natural communicator has decided to share with as many people as possible through the establishment of the Satnam Club. A 400 m² temple dedicated to well-being, conceived as a real living and meeting space where Séverine and her team have succeeded in bringing together her favourite disciplines, as well as a healthy canteen and areas dedicated to treatments. Her wish? For everyone to feel at home here. A heartfelt message, communicated with singular energy. The same energy that gives Séverine’s home such impact. Her warmth. Because yes, that is indeed the first thing that – astonishingly – emerges from these concrete surroundings. A feeling of fulfilment, reinforced by the presence everywhere of antique pieces and accessories as comforting as the generous rugs that follow one another across the floor. And a choice of decor that contrasts pleasantly with the impression of living both inside and outside, and makes this family nest multifaceted but, above all, lively and caring, just like its occupants!
Location
Bordeaux
Author
Caroline Balvay
Photos and videos
Eve Campestrini
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TSF
Séverine, could you introduce yourself, please?
Séverine
I am Canadian by birth and at heart, and it’s undoubtedly these roots, deep in freedom, that inspire me to live my life as a great adventure! A communicator and an entrepreneur to the core, I lived for many years in Paris, heading up major communication agencies, and juggling at a hundred miles an hour between my lives as a wonder mum and a wonder woman. The adventure and my thirst for learning allowed me to meet some wonderful people and, in particular, to set out more than 15 years ago on the road of a Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh. That was the beginning of my path towards meditation, yoga and a new way of being in the world. In 2018 my husband and I, and a small part of our tribe, left Paris to come and settle in Bordeaux. The Satnam Club adventure could begin! Satnam Club is a temple dedicated to well-being in the heart of Bordeaux, offering a wide range of yoga classes in an area of more than 400m2.
TSF
Tell us about this professional project, your “true identity”
Séverine
Satnam Club was born out of a desire to connect my personal aspirations more strongly with what has interested me professionally for years: the beautiful, the just and the collective. I needed to put more meaning into my life and, above all, I wanted to share with a greater number of people the benefits of the different experiences I had enjoyed through my discovery of the philosophy of yoga. So I wanted to establish a big house, right in the centre of the city, where it is good to settle down, practice yoga, be pampered, and discuss things.
TSF
Tell us about your house. How did you find it, how long have you lived there?
Séverine
The move from Paris was planned even though we still didn’t have a house waiting to welcome us in Bordeaux. Of course, what we were looking for was complex, with the extra-large motorbike garage, the desire for greenery, the proximity of the city, the schools… But with one just month to go, we still had nothing. And then, one day, the magic appearance of an advertisement, my husband logging on at the right moment, and me taking a crazy bike ride led us to this somewhat original house. This will be our 2nd summer!
TSF
How do you use it?
Séverine
The house is all on the ground floor, and almost all the rooms are set around an internal patio. Large bay windows cover its two main facades, giving an impression of living inside and out. In fact, it was more than the unconventional feel of the house that captivated my husband and me. With its resolutely 1970 imprint, designed by the architect Patrick Maxwell, it’s retained all its original raw and minimalist character. Concrete floors and ceilings, bay windows and sliding wooden doors to move from one room to another, not forgetting the bookcases and space for vinyl that had been integrated.
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TSF
What have you put into it?
Séverine
It’s funny, because when I visited the house for the first time, I could already see our furniture and objects fitting in. There were pieces from the 1970s that naturally suited a similar environment, but when I put them in place, even pieces I didn’t really notice any more in our previous home took on another dimension. For example, the photos placed against the rough concrete took on a different depth. I’m highly sensitive to the energy that emanates from a place, and this also comes through the atmosphere that we’re managing to create. So I had a lot of fun designing a world that is both warm and original, just as we like it to, create a new nest for the family.
TSF
There are lots of photographs around your house. Why is that?
Séverine
We like photographic expression, not with a collector’s eye, but because it speaks to us. So each time it’s love at first sight, a meeting and the joy of finding it a place in our interior. What’s more, we don’t always hang the photos, so they can live in different places in the house without being fixed on a wall.
TSF
Who is the artist (or artists, all fields included) whose work moves you, fascinates you or touches you particularly?
Séverine
I like Charlotte Perriand’s work very much. Her modernity, creativity and vision of design as an art of living. I’m also touched by Jean Prouvé’s refined, avant-gardist style, combined with his human qualities. And then, of course, if I could afford to buy myself a work by the committed and talented Basquiat, I’d be delighted! And if not, I have a considerable (and more accessible) love for the work of the photographer Sacha Goldberger.
TSF
You also do a lot of bargain hunting. What is your most beautiful (or memorable) find?
Séverine
I love hunting out bargains, and I find that each piece brings a little of its story back into our home. Here too, it’s a story of falling for something without knowing in advance where the piece will fit in. A memory of memorable finds: the Emmaüs in Croissy sur Seine on 26 December 2014. I was decorating new offices and was looking for a few pieces to add personality. They had just received a batch from the 1970s, and it was fabulous. My Fiat 500 still remembers it! (Laughs)
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"I love hunting out bargains, and I find that each piece brings a little of its story back into our home. Here too, it's a story of falling for something without knowing in advance where the piece will fit in."
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TSF
Where you advise us to go to find a rare, unusual pearl?
Séverine
It’s not easy because I don’t have any favourite shops. I search, I potter about. I love flea markets and in Bordeaux and I go to Saint-Michel very regularly. When I’m looking for a particular piece, I ask Anne, from Vide Déco, who knows how to find rare pearls.
TSF
Is there an era – or, failing that, a style – whose aesthetics inspire you in particular?
Séverine
I love the creativity, purity and originality of the 1970s. However, what I like is mixing styles. I don’t like things that are too smooth! It’s the same with people. Isn’t it the little flaw, the roughness, the extra soul that adds character?
TSF
What time of day do you prefer to live here, with your family or alone?
Séverine
I love the very early morning in the living room when everyone is still asleep. Lying stretched out on the sofa is like being in the garden, lulled by the birds singing. It’s the beginning of my ritual before I to find my rug and my zafu for my morning meditation session.
TSF
Tell us about your favourite places to go in and around Bordeaux. What are they?
Séverine
The antique dealers’ district in Saint-Michel and the gloriously colourful Capuchin market. Tching Tchang Tchong for a delicious Thai on the run. Fabien and Emilie’s La table du Cent 33, pure delight, and so relaxing. A coffee at l’Alchimiste before picking up my flowers at ÂME. And then my favourite places for fashion, of course, the unmissable Inside Closet and my friend Sophie’s brand new concept store, La Gaïeté.
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