Pierre Yovanovitch, Interior Architecture

There is one important question to which the first monograph of Paris-based designer Pierre Yovanovitch provides an answer: ‘what makes his work great?’ In fact, I should rephrase the question to – what makes interiors of today powerful. Beyond the photographs and the personal account of Yovanovitch himslef, who gives insights to his thinking process, this volume, entitled ‘Pierre Yovanovitch: Interior Architecture,’ recently published by Rizzoli, can be perceived as a historical document. It tells the story of the interior design of this moment.

So what are the interiors of our time? How are they distinguished from those of the past? Those eternal questions have been posed over and over again. While each of the fourteen global projects featured in the book is different, there is a clear common chord that the reader identifies easily. The projects, from a mansion in Paris, to a chalet in Switzerland, to a magical house in Provence, to an apartment overlooking Central Park, the home, according to Yovanovitch is a ‘sacred space.’

The designer of today, he demonstrates, is a conductor, a curator, the mind behind weaving couture spaces into sublime experiences. Each is unique, each personal, each is carefully crafted to site-specific, each is created out of one-of-a-kind combination of contemporary art, vintage furniture, and special-commissioned art. Yovanovitch’s language is sophisticated, presenting his and his clients’ high-brow taste. Yet, you should take an expanded approach when reading the book and look at the language, at the concept, which can be translated in a variety of ways, less expensive; less grand; possible for anyone who cares. This  language is the most powerful innovation of the world of interior today, reflecting the contemporary culture, a perfect manifestation of the quest for experience, for the personal, of the values, and identity of this generation.

And lets not forget that what also makes these interiors great, is the French story. Because through the use of authentic materials, craftsmanship, and style rooted in French 20th-century tradition, Yovanovitch’s spaces carry a strong French allure.