interview with tristan auer, maison et objet designer of the year

in september 2017, maison et objet paris recognized the talent of interior architect and designer tristan auer as ‘designer of the year’.

tristan auer| the parisian — who founded his studio ‘izeu’ in 2002 — came of age under icons christian liaigre and philippe starck. today, auer’s specialization lies in ultra high-end residences, boutique hotels (including l’hôtel du louvre, les bains and the hotel de crillon in paris) and retail showrooms for brands like puiforcat, cartier, chanel and nina ricci. as well as bespoke furniture, auer’s latest curiosity is car tailoring, a venture which sees the designer transform the interior of automobiles into luxurious environments using materials like leather and cashmere. (read our in-depth interview with auer on on car tailoring, creativity, and crafting bespoke interiors for luxury vehicles here).

maison et objet paris recognizes tristan auer as ‘designer of the year’
image © designboom

as maison&objet designer of the year 2017, tristan auer was invited to exhibit his work and creative process on a global stage. auer designed the exhibition space to reflect his take on french lifestyle. architectural features, like an arched entryway, a use of white and pastel green hues, and the display of a rich assortment of sketches and magazine snippets offers visitors a window into the creative’s mind and methodology.

tristan auer, M&O paris designer of the year, speaks about his career

designboom spoke with auer about the influences he took from working with liaigre and starck, the collaboration he shares with his own team in paris, and how his exhibition at maison&objet reflects his life and work.

an exhibition of the designer’s furniture has been presented in paris
image courtesy of maison&objet

designboom (DB): you are coming from working with christian liaigre and philippe starck. how have your experiences with them influenced the way you work today?

tristan auer (TA): I think I’ve learned how to work quickly, how to prepare different options, and how not only work with one idea. I tried to learn that there is no style that you should follow, you can pick from different parts. I learned to be curious and explore different aspects of culture. after working with them, I decided to break from what I learned in terms of style and create from what is personal. I’m never really inspired by any magazines or movies anymore — sorry to say that! I try to constitute creation from myself, and design from what is coming from deep inside of me.

auer was invited to exhibit his work and creative process on a global stage
image © designboom

DB: how is your ‘designer of the year’ exhibition at maison&objet organized. what did you want to convey?

TA: I tried to explain to clients, professionals, and the new generation of interior designers what ‘creation’ is — how I do it, and how I built my new projects. I created it in this quiet white space, which contrasts what is going on outside in maison&objet. you can clear your head and you are prepared to see different things. in this room is my life.

the exhibition space reflects auer’s take on the french lifestyle
image © designboom

DB: what aspects of your creative process does the mood board represent?

TA: it expresses how my life is a mix of materials, with inspiration pictures from fashion magazine, sketches from me and my team…it expresses how we all live together. it’s very important, and really shows how I create. also included in the exhibition are some of the results, which are just a few furniture pieces, because I couldn’t bring a whole apartment. as you can see, it’s all very different, with various directions in terms of style. I like to explore new ideas. I’m very curious about style.

the display offers visitors a window into the creative’s mind and methodology
image © designboom

DB: how do you work in your studio?

TA: we are a very small team of 15 people and we have about 20 projects all over the world, including five hotels.

a rich assortment of sketches and magazine snippets are also featured
image © designboom

DB: how do you and your team work together?

TA: usually, after my client explains the project, I don’t need too much time to come up with an idea. I sketch everything by hand very quickly and then I go back to my client. I have to know him very intimately, personally and deeply and then usually the idea comes out very fast. then I pick someone from my team and say — you, you will do this project. I follow every aspect of the project after that — there are no plans that go out of my office without my advice. it’s a very intimate collaboration between us. I am the luckiest guy in the world, because I’m not working, this is just a passion and it’s a gift.

designboom spoke with auer about the influences he took from working with liaigre and starck
image courtesy of maison&objet

DB: can you tell us about the work your doing with cars?

TA: I am doing car tailoring, which is a new branch of my studio that I launched one week ago and only on instagram. I consider myself a tailor, so I’m usually doing bespoke, made to measure apartments. in the same way that you would design an apartment, you also have the cabin of a car. I’m more interested in this habitat, an environment that is very sensual and glamorous…especially because you never look at it when you drive, you can’t pay attention to the detail. you just feel it, and this is very important to me. I develop very plush and refined finishes. everything is bespoke — and I do it based on the personality of the client.

auer shares a close collaboration with his team in paris
image © designboom