Family
The Art of Shaping Your Daily Life: An Artist’s Family Apartment in the Quartier Latin.
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Pia Chevalier, Foucauld, 5-year-old Alfie and 6-month-old Nikita.
Designer and ceramicist Pia Chevalier, who trained at the École Boulle and is now based in a studio in Aubervilliers, welcomes us into her home, just a stone’s throw from Rue Mouffetard. In this lively, student-filled corner of the Quartier Latin, where the air seems somehow brighter and lighter than elsewhere, she shares this colourful, whimsical setting with her partner Foucauld, a film producer, and their two children, Alfie and Nikita.
Straddling the worlds of furniture and sculpture, her work unfolds through collaborations with publishing houses such as Petite Friture, as well as brands including Longchamp, Le Tanneur and La Mère de Famille. Above all, hers is an intuitive practice, guided by materials and driven by a distinct taste for unexpected forms.
In her home, this freedom is evident in every detail: a candy-pink wall, handles shaped like twisted meringues, a checkered bedroom floor, and even an XXL ladder leading to a double mezzanine. And nothing is truly conventional. The creations of her artist and designer friends interact with her own pieces, and often throughout the apartment, the decor takes shape around a displayed artwork. The color palette of her kitchen is inspired by the colors of a painting by her friend Hugo Avigo that takes center stage there; the layout of the living room follows the stripes of a rug designed by Axel Chay, while the dining room table—created by Pia herself—echoes the patterns of a wallpaper that covered the walls before she began renovating the space. The apartment thus becomes an extension of her world: a lively, slightly playful space where furniture, sculpture, and everyday objects coexist without ever taking themselves too seriously. It’s a way of turning her home into a full-fledged playground for experimentation. Before returning to her studio and the Poush artist community, where she designs new everyday objects, Pia Chevalier opens the doors to her cheerful haven.
Location
Paris
Photos and videos
Margaux Buisson
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TSF
How would you describe this apartment and the atmosphere you wanted to create here?
Pia
I see it as a colorful, cheerful apartment—almost like a little creative laboratory. I designed many pieces specifically for this space, first so that it would reflect who I am, but also so that I could experiment. I love the idea of living with objects, moving them around, and trying them out for a while. The apartment has become a sort of extension of my studio.
TSF
What attracted you to this place when you first discovered it?
Pia
I was immediately drawn to its unique character. It’s a former mansion, and the apartment is located on the reception floor, with these beautiful high ceilings and a rather distinctive layout. And then, above all, there’s that huge square window—almost out of proportion—which gives the room a very strong presence.
TSF
There are many of your own creations here, as well as works by artists and designers you know. How do you put together your interior design?
Pia
It’s pretty much instinctive. There are my own pieces, those by artist and designer friends, and objects that gradually find their way in, depending on the people I meet and the things that catch my eye. I’m not really fond of the idea of a static or perfectly finished interior. It’s a fairly free-form arrangement.
TSF
Your apartment almost seems to function as a work of art in its own right. Did you conceive of it as a project, or did it come together over time?
Pia
I really thought of it as a micro-architecture project.
There’s the oval entryway that leads to the mezzanine, the kitchen, the living room, and the bedrooms; the large custom-built paneling in the bathroom—designed with Fabio Pin—that almost conceals it; and the custom-built staircase in the bedroom, which serves as both a headboard and a display space.
TSF
Has the arrival of your two children changed the way you use your living space?
Pia
Yes, especially in the living room, which has become much livelier and much closer to the floor. With the big rug, we play, we sit on the floor, things get moved around… It’s become a much more dynamic space.
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TSF
You say you work very instinctively, approaching the creative process directly through the material. How does this intuition play a role in your process?
I work very directly with volume. I actually don’t sketch much beforehand: I need to manipulate, build, and see the forms emerge physically.
For some time now, I’ve also been working on an almost miniature scale. I make sort of dollhouses filled with little totems, lamps, furniture… It’s become a project in its own right, but above all, a space for very free play.
TSF
You move from tables to large totems, from octopus vases to candy-colored mirrors or cups. What do you like about this interplay of scales and shapes?
Pia
I started by creating fairly small objects, particularly cups, and then the challenge was to expand that design vocabulary to include furniture—much larger pieces.
TSF
What inspires you?
Pia
There are two themes that come up a lot: pastry and the marine world. Meringues, candies, calissons, icings… all of this imagery inspires me immensely in terms of colors, textures, and material effects. And then there’s the sea. I’m from the south of France, so I think this world is deeply rooted in me. Ultimately, I find that there are many parallels between pastry and the marine world: organic shapes, curves, almost surreal colors, and something very sensual about the materials. The two end up blending together a bit in my work.
TSF
Food and the culinary world play an important role in your work. Where does this fascination with food come from?
Pia
I think it stems largely from my childhood. My parents ran a bed-and-breakfast, so the table played a very important role in our daily lives. There was the cooking, of course, but also the joy of entertaining, setting the table, and creating a setting around a meal.
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TSF
You took a detour to Japan during your training—what do you remember about that experience?
Pia
Japan had a profound impact on my relationship with craftsmanship. There, I discovered a very special attention to technique, decoration, and materials. I was particularly struck by the work with lacquer and urushi—by the extremely meticulous way in which surfaces are crafted by hand.
TSF
You’re currently based in Poush, in Aubervilliers. What do you gain from working within a community of artists?
Pia
I work alone on everything from creation to production, including marketing. Being surrounded by other artists helps break that routine. There’s a constant exchange of ideas, outside perspectives, and sometimes very spontaneous discussions that spark new ideas or help me see my work in a different light.
TSF
Which room in your home best reflects your personality?
Pia
I’d say the table in the entryway. I designed it based on a tapestry that was already in the apartment, so it really grew out of the space itself. It’s quite colorful and cheerful, but what I love most is that it reflects a way of working that’s true to who I am: starting with an existing setting, story, or detail to imagine a new piece.
TSF
Is there an object you still dream of creating today?
Pia
A crescent-shaped sofa. I’ve already imagined it and created a miniature ceramic version of it in one of my dollhouses. Now, I’d really love to see it scaled up and become a real sofa. There’s something quite magical about this transition from a small object you can hold in your hand to a piece of furniture you can actually sit on.
TSF
What are your upcoming projects?
Pia
I’m currently developing several pieces inspired by the Calisson, notably in collaboration with Studio Momo and the basket weaver Victorine Soulard. There are new tables on the way, as well as a small collection of totems. I enjoy continuing to evolve this vocabulary of forms by exploring new materials, new techniques, and, above all, other forms of craftsmanship.
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