The impact of decorating on a daily basis Quark, Part 2: Deco Encounter #16

Here is the second part of the interview with Pierre-Axel and Roman. They detail their white paper project and where their decoration and storage inspirations come from.

When people ask you what you do for a living, how do you answer?

Pax - I say I make Pegboards and I pitch. People say “What is a Pegboard? ”, I answer mischievously “You don’t know the Pegboard? It's a flat and vertical surface with lots of holes in which you can put accessories to store while decorating. Afterwards, I try to sell a Pegboard *laughs*.

Roman - I usually say I make wooden furniture because I don't feel like pitching. But, people always ask me what type of furniture I work on. I'm talking about Pegboards and I end up selling Pegboards too *laughs*.

So to sum up, Pegboards are modular decorative furniture. Can you tell us more about this principle of modularity?

Roman - Thanks to the modular, the customer defines its use, in decoration, in storage, it also defines its design and its form. It is a tool, the customer creates his world with. He creates his layout, the storage he needs and which corresponds to him. It is a tool that adapts to all layout needs.

Pax - During the first lockdown, we realized that we were in a world that was going to change rapidly and permanently. Consequently, modular furniture is perfect for constantly adapting to daily changes and decorative tastes.

Do you have a project or a dream that you want to realize one day?

Novel - I would like to create a school where learning would be more by doing than by saying. Quark could share its means of production, create natural spaces, etc.

I heard you were working on a white paper. How does this white paper explain that decoration can lead to well-being?

Pax - When I got into the furniture business with Quark I started thinking about the need for furniture. But I realized while talking with people around me or professionals in the sector, that everyone was talking about underlying well-being. During confinement, everyone was going a little crazy at home. Many people have embarked on interior design changes to recreate an environment that was more pleasing to them.

Decoration is a powerful daily lever for feeling good. Of course, feeling good goes through many things, decoration is not the solution. It echoes our state of mind and our way of thinking about things, for example. The rigor to which we are subject on a daily basis, our way of tidying up, our way of life, all of this reveals our vision of the world.

The desire with this white paper is to share with as many people as possible the idea that decoration is accessible and that it does not require particularly in-depth knowledge. The decoration will transcend our daily life. That is to say that by choosing the location of the objects of his house, we organize our daily life and our life. But by asking a series of simple questions, we will be able to transcend our interior and improve its quality of life through this series of questions.

Roman - "I think everyone has experienced entering a place that is well lit and well decorated with plants. When I go to a florist and when I go to an appliance store, I don't feel the same things. Everyone can experience it. For example, our environment influences our state of mind, our mood and much more than we think. Maybe finding an environment that makes us feel good should be taught in school. When you're not well, you go to the doctor. We are told to take antidepressants but we are never asked "Do you have enough light in your home, have you bought a green plant?".

When you think about it, it's obvious that there are places where you feel great. Even odors have a huge impact, the temperature, the presence of certain lights or plants for example. Everyone has experienced it but we only think about it at times when we should think about it every day.

Pax - There's no denying the impact our environment has on who we are. Not wondering about the quality of your light when you spend your day on a desk with bad light is an aberration.

Roman - For example, today we talk a lot about eating well. It makes sense but it's not something we talked about 50 years ago. Maybe in 50 years, we will talk a lot more about surrounding ourselves well and organizing our space well.

What are your sources of inspiration?

Pax - I really like listening to music, I find many sources of inspiration in it. I listen to all the bands that went through my youth. Then I listen to podcasts. So I think it's a way of seeing worlds and discovering people that you wouldn't have had the opportunity to approach. I still want to say that Roman is a big youtuber. It is a size in this environment! *laughs*

Roman - Regarding my inspirations, it's a bit 50/50. On the one hand from the industry. All the forms found there are generally very utilitarian. That's why at Quark, we use ground steel pins that come from the industry, rather than wooden pins. I'm quite fascinated by the industrial world and its hyperfunctionality. However, it is very clean. In industry, all objects are functional, the notion of making something look pretty does not exist. So I'm quite obsessed with everything related to industrial systems, that was my original training. On the other hand, something that is deeply antithetical: nature. I am a fan and lover of nature. Everything that can be found in nature will be a source of inspiration for me. It is on the duality between these two fields that I draw my inspiration.

So that's the end of our interview, I hope you enjoyed it. To build on Pierre-Axel's passion for podcasts, a podcast in partnership with Podcastersmedia will soon be released on all platforms!

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Format by Coralie Mottu