Pierre Marie’s universe is unexpected, exciting, full-on fabulous. Renowned for the fun, fantastical scarves he has created for Hermès, the French designer and self-proclaimed ‘ornamentalist’ founded his eponymous studio in 2014, since when the practice has worked on a suite of projects that combine his penchant for whimsy and decorative design flourishes with a firm emphasis on craft.
Inspired by a cane umbrella found in the Emile Hermès Collection, Pierre Marie’s first piece for the fashion house came in 2010 and depicts a parasol adorned with pheasant feathers and topped by a Meissen figurine. An invented fairy tale about a woman trapped beneath its porcelain surface guides the pictorial design of the scarf. More recently, his studio reunited with Hermès for a larger but no less mystical project: the interior design of the Salon Privé at its historic Vienna store. For the commission, Pierre Marie was given carte blanche to let his imagination run wild, drawing on the city’s rich cultural history for inspiration. The result? A 16-panel stained-glass window titled A la Lueur du Flambeau (The Light of the Torch), which pays homage to a 19th- century Viennese play in which a magical torch enables its owner to perceive nothing but beauty. Hold that thought.
Reflecting its founder’s growth from solo artist to the head of a fully fledged, multidisciplinary design agency, Pierre Marie Studio moved into its first office, workshop and showroom in 2023. To enter the space – a sumptuous riot of colour and texture – is to become fully immersed in his world, one inspired by the past, grounded in the present and replete with the beautiful and improbable.
Located in a Haussmannian building in the ninth arrondissement of Paris, it ticked multiple boxes for the designer. ‘It is close to my apartment, my project space and also the Gare du Nord,’ he says. ‘It was important for me to be close to the first space where I worked alone.’ Pierre Marie dreamed of transforming the property into a laboratory of sorts where his team of five could ‘create, work and receive and inspire others’. He had no need for the two bedrooms nor two full bathrooms it had, so functions were reassigned to make way for a materials workshop, a reception area and two offices. Rooms were opened up and everything was repainted, though the original mouldings were preserved.
It took roughly nine months to achieve a clean, white box, then a further nine to Pierre Marie-ify every inch of the place. ‘This is the continual evolution of my work and signature practice,’ he says, alluding to the miscellany of interior objects, artworks and richly decorated furniture that is everywhere on display. ‘We have everything from stained glass to rugs, tapestry and fabrics.’ No surface has been left unembellished. In the hallway, bespoke Pierre Marie fabric lines the walls, while in the kitchen, an army of digitally printed snails crawls across the cupboard doors. Snails? The designer smiles before explaining: ‘The motif is a homage to the slowness of the craftspeople I work with and a reminder of the time needed to create beautiful projects. All good ideas take time.’
Pierre Marie’s characteristic use of colour is on show in the studio, too. ‘These apartments were never meant to be white,’ he says. ‘I am not trying to replicate anything, but instead show that you can use bold colours and still feel the spirit of the place.’ As with the protagonist in A la Lueur du Flambeau – a young man seeking to illuminate the marvellous – shades of mango, aubergine and butter yellow have been used to structure the space, highlighting mouldings, amplifying objets and works of art and bringing light to recessed areas. Subtle yet surprising are the marble mosaic tiles that border the large reception as you enter the studio. The original floor was in desperate need of restoration, particularly around the outer edges. So, inspired by a design seen in the Belgian architect Victor Horta’s dining room, Pierre Marie created a decorative frame complete with acanthus-leaf and egg- and-dart motifs, which pay homage to the apartment’s architecture. To the right of the reception room, he conjured a place for his team to work, dream and create.
Their office space is anchored by a large, lightning-bolt-shaped desk by Pierre Marie with bespoke overhead lighting; a physical embodiment of an ‘aha moment’, the spark of creation. For his own bureau – the ‘boss office’ – he opted for darker shades, ‘like a submarine’. His trademark ribbon motif decorates the carpet, while the walls are rendered in a rich lychee colour, like an old rose.
Elsewhere, in the technical and materials room, more Pierre Marie fabric is displayed beneath a beautiful ceiling fresco, again depicting the undulating ribbons that feature in many of his designs. Dominating the two rooms is a large artwork from the 1970s by Yvon Taillandier (although unfamiliar with his name at the time of purchase, Pierre Marie had passed murals designed by the French painter in his neighbourhood many times before). A huge poster of the 1940 film Fantasia accompanies the piece. In pure PM fashion, he says that he loves everything about this Disney extravaganza.
Having worked with luxury brands since 2007, Pierre Marie considers his studio to be ‘the missing link between craftspeople and designers’. ‘We are kind of niche,’ he says. ‘It’s always about integration and a dialogue with the space.’ Looking ahead, he would love to work on a hospitality project. In fact, he’s had a taste of this already, having collaborated with culinary studio We Are Ona during the 2024 Art Basel to create an intimate dining experience in a former municipal water tank. ‘I approach every project, big or small, with the same attention to detail and precision and fantasy,’ he says. And, don’t forget, a large dose of magic.
Visit pierremariestudio.com
A version of this story also appears in the March 2025 issue of The World of Interiors. Learn about our subscription offers
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