March 17, 2023

At home with: Pauline Chardin

1. Tell us about what you do and what you like about it?

I’m a creative director and photographer, working for fashion, interiors or food, depending on the day. I love the element of surprise that comes with having a broad spectrum. It’s especially rewarding when clients come to you with projects that somehow combine my various expertises.

2. What object made your house a home?

All the singular, one-of-a-kind things. From the beginning I had this instinct that it would be worth the extra effort to seek out vintage or custom pieces, especially for a contemporary house like ours.

Folded brown and cream towels on a small wooden stool

3. What was the biggest design challenge in your current space?

Building a modern house on stilts in rural France was nothing but challenges! The design part was all pleasure in comparison…I'd say that what kept obsessing me was to design a house that really fit our lifestyle and not cave under the pressure of opting for standards instead.

4. How do you make a bathroom your own?

I really love a good bathroom but Parisian ones are often a terrible disappointment...Finally designing my own (with a window ! A view! Space!) was a delight. What mattered to me was to make it a warm and inviting place with natural materials and furniture that was definitely not made for a bathroom. I'd put a sofa there if I had enough room!

Bold check towel hanging on a hook beside a shower

Brown and cream check towel draped over a chair

5. What’s the first thing you do when you get out of the bath or shower?

Look through the window. It opens on our back garden which blends into wild maquis. If I'm lucky I can spot a deer, a fox or a wild rabbit running up the hill.

6. What draws you to the Karin print?

I have loved Uzbek ikat patterns for a very long time and I had been meaning to find a way to integrate them into my home. The Karin towels are a much more functional answer to this wish than I thought I’d find.