If there is a single interior designer, or tastemaker I should say, who is more synonymous with the new wave of interior décor which is based on the power of collectible design to transform spaces than anyone else, it is certainly Paris-based Jacques Grange. He inherited this practice from his first employer and mentor Henri Samuel, who pioneered this type of exquisite decor. A decorator to the stars – Caroline of Monaco, Yves Saint Laurent, Sofia Coppola, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen – Grange has made his name with passion for refined design, with profound knowledge in the decorative arts, and with an extraordinary eye to mix objects of various periods. A graduate from the École Boulle and École Camondo-Les Arts Décoratifs, Grange started his career in 1965 with a dream project of restoring Versaille’s neoclassical Petit Trianon. Throughout his accomplished career, he has worked closely with Diego Giacometti, Guy de Rougemont, and the Lalannes, whose work has found its way to his own home. Now, that Sotheby’s offers Grange’s private collection for sale, it is a rare moment to discover his personal home and to get a pick into his life among beautiful objects and great art. You would find the daring, the unexpected and the unorthodox mixing of Paul Gauguin with Hector Guimard; Francois-Xavier Lalanne with Damien Hirst; Alexandre Noll with Josef Hoffman. What a great lesson in collecting, interior décor, and ultimately, an inspiring experience. All images courtesy of Sotheby’s; the images above, courtesy of the NYT.
