Christian Liaigre

* 1943, French, Interior Designer

It is a beautiful fall afternoon as I walk through a big wooden door into a charming courtyard in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, not far from the river Seine. As I ring the only bell on the front door, a small dog squeezes through the opening door to greet me joyfully. As I lift my head, I see Mr. Liaigre in a crisp white shirt, smiling at me and asking me inside. I have been to his house a few years ago for a portrait session for the magazine “Madame Figaro” and it seems to me that only small things have changed. The rooms have a holistic presence and Mr. Liaigre has the invaluable ability to make you feel everything he does as an interior designer without speaking a word. The photo of his hands is taken with a painting of his own as a backdrop. As we say good-bye, we both agree that ultimately in a creative process only one-thing matters: Beauty.

Christian Liaigre, son of a veterinarian, was born in 1943 in the Vendée region of France. Christian grew up on his parent’s farm where they bred horses, a detail that has had a substantial influence in his work. At the age of 17, he attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris where he met Alberto Giacometti who introduced him to the works of Brancusi. By the early 60’s he returned to Vendée where he worked on his parent’s farm – perhaps re-opening his eyes to the beauty of country living. In the early 1970’s, Liaigre returned to Paris where he worked as a design director at Nobilis Fontan. Eventually, he left Nobilis, as they would not allow him to show his own furniture, and opened his own Parisian design studio in 1985.

Twenty-seven years and an impressive client-list later, Christian Liaigre is one of today’s most sought after designers. A master of luxury interiors, his works include The Mercer hotel in New York, many high profile homes, a gorgeous furniture line, and even a few yachts. The boy, who once tended horses on that small farm in Vendée, is now a man of great influence and inspiration in the world of design.

Christian Liaigre was married, has one son and lives in Paris.
Source: Wikipedia, JSJ Design