DESIGNER DIARY : JACQUES GRANGE

Original Photo posted here : Grange's apartment is shown here with the mountains of books and magazines on his table. I love this kind of mess. It's the kind of mess that is seen in all types of creative people's homes. This photo was pulled from an article written about Grange's auctioning off of his Art collection published by the NY times. Well worth a visit for their beautiful photos 

Original Photo posted here : I love the colour scheme here. Metallics and beiges mix together to create a very elegant and graceful atmosphere

I know I say this every week but I really LOVE this weeks designer. If there's one designer that can succinctly capture what this entire blog's decorating aesthetic is about, it's got to be Grange. I've already posted his work on Instagram about four or five times unknowingly, until things lined up together and I got a name and boy am I glad I got a name. Grange is all about old world glamour. All that kind of stuff that we're afraid to do for fear of looking too bold or ostentatious.

" It's all about Instinct. The rule is that there is no rules "source

The kind of grandness that he casually conjures comes instinctively. His interiors follow no rules or conventions. They are not outcomes of a plan or of a strict check list. When rooms come together in this way, the energy is different. The intuitive, effortless thing comes into play ( which you know I love but also have things to say about here ) He is a collector and an appreciator of beauty which I guess you can generalise to all designers but for Grange, it's his choice of objects which really spell this out to us. The kinds of things he chooses to display in his home make a large part of our impression of him.

Original Photo posted here : Gorgeous, gorgeous! Colourful pops of colour mixed with sentimental framed photos and ( one of my favourite items to see ) cups full of pencils, pens and stationery

Photo originally posted here : Excellent colour choice again. I'll never get sick of beige interiors with good choices of colour to bring it all alive. Stacked books, a mix of items on the table - Grange understands how to do the kind of messy we 'try' so hard to attain

Original photo posted here 

Grange's career reads more like a phone book of legends. Having worked with names such as Paloma Picasso, Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, Sofia Coppola and The Olsen twins just to scratch the surface, it really does seem like he never began from the bottom but has been at the top since the beginning. How many other interior decorators can boast that their very first on the job experience was working on the restoration of The Petit Trianon? His career is really one that only comes once in a while and what a true legacy he has. 

Sometimes I compare French and Italian decorating and find many similarities. Grange is skirting the line between the two, in my opinion. He doesn't hold back in the colour, lush objects and flamboyancy which gives him a very Italian flair. But his allegiance to classicism and love of modern things makes him quite French too. 

Original Photo here

Original Photo here

Original photo posted here

There is so much going on in this living room and that's why I love it. But to be able to do it with balance and symmetry is important and Grange knowingly has a firm hand on all his textures and colours here. Grange gives us a show. He gives us joy and movement and excitement through his work and he makes rooms really come alive. There is novelty in his rooms and that's why they're such a joy to look at. I love the taxidermy on the shelf above the books and the big bouquet of flowers in the vase behind the velvet couch. So many things popping out of their shells in the best way possible.

Original photo posted here : A hotel room in Paris decorated by Grange. He really loves good chairs and sofas, I've noticed. Even when he's showing more restraint you can still tell that its his work 

Original Photo posted here

What I've noticed in all industries and fields is a snubbery of fun. As people get higher in their fields, they become more conservative and dismissive of people who like to experiment or to just have fun. 

However, it's interesting to note that having novelty items such as this bird bed actually shows that someone is established in their field, where the lifestyle that's needed to create fantasy and escapism is well and truly theirs. Real wealth is being able to do this. Having the resources to make daily life, sometimes so boring, grey and mundane into something vibrant, young and joyful for everyday. 

Original photo posted here

Original photo posted here

Original photo posted here

When you look at how his rooms are assembled, you feel as if all of it has come together in his mind by the inspiration of one colour or one object. By that one instigating force, an entire world spins together.

" He makes it seem easy to get things right, It isn't easy. It is a real talent " Joe Donnelly, Art Collector source 

He's intuitive in his way of working and that's really exciting to me because I understand that way of working the best. I've always tried to make 'plans' and 'strategies' but inevitably fail hard at them. I hate that restrictive way of working. You find one item and from that one item will come a slew of colours, installations, furniture shapes etc. That's really eclectic decorating, being intuitive like that and I love how Grange is proving to us that not having a plan can work to our favour if we're confident. 

Photo originally posted here 

For some designers, it's really all about the structural and dimensional elements of the room but for Grange, it's about decorating. For me, I love grand interiors like his but feel apprehension in allowing myself to be this grandiose. This is why I love Europe. You are allowed ( and almost expected to in certain countries and regions ) to be bold, colourful and proud of your choices. Where I'm from, there is a lot more emphasis on casual and laid back style and to have your home in Grange's style might incite a lot of, "Woah, that's pretty intense" reactions. 

Original photo posted here : Even when there are only a few items on display, his never ending love of colour and texture make the space his

Original photo posted here : BRILLIANT! That table and the red accents everywhere look incredible in this white room 

Original Photo posted here : I'd love to be able to be brave enough to have super luxe finishings like that painting in the gold frame as well as the chandelier here. But the modest part of me just wins every time. 

Original photo found via Pinterest here

All in all, Grange's work is the kind of style that I truly define as amazing. As always, it's almost impossible to justify why as with all things visual that captivate and move us, but it's all to do with his love of joy, colour and movement. His appreciation for what's fine and authentic gives his work an extra boost of credibility and gusto.

It's enjoyable for me to see people with his kinds of lavish taste do it in a way that isn't ostentatious or obnoxious as can be the case quite often. It's this precise point which allays me from experimenting it in my own space. As always, what comes naturally and what is natural for ourselves is what looks the best. How true is this for Grange!

Original Photo posted here : Great vase selection here. Good colours and for the amount of gold that he's using, it's not coming across as crude or obnoxious in anyway. Expert indeed! 

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