The impact of decoration on everyday life Quark, Part 2: Decoration Meeting #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, what do you answer?

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

Roman - In general I say that I make wooden furniture because I don't want to pitch. But, I always get asked what type of furniture I work on. I talk about Pegboards and I end up selling Pegboards too *laughs*.

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

Novel - Thanks to the modular, the customer defines its use, in decoration, in storage, he also defines its design and its shape. It's a tool, the customer creates their world with it. He creates his layout, the storage he needs and which suits him. It is a tool that adapts to all planning needs.

Pax - During the first confinement, we realized that we were in a world that was going to change very quickly, and permanently. Therefore, modular furniture is perfect for constantly adapting to daily changes and tastes in decoration.

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

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

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

Pax - When I entered the furniture field with Quark I began to question the need for furniture. But I realized by talking with people around me or professionals in the sector that everyone was talking about underlying well-being. During the lockdown, everyone was going a little crazy at home. Many people have embarked on interior design changes to recreate an environment that was more pleasant for them.

Decoration is a powerful daily lever for feeling good. Of course, feeling good involves 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 impose ourselves 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. Decoration will transcend our daily lives. That is to say that by choosing the location of the objects in our house, we organize our daily life and our life. But by asking ourselves 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 walking into a place that is well lit and well decorated with plants. When I walk into a florist and when I walk into an appliance store, I don't feel not the same things. Everyone can experience it. For example, our environment influences our state of mind, our mood and much more than we think. Perhaps the search for an environment that makes us feel good should be taught at school. When we are not well we go to the doctor. We are told to take antidepressants but we are never asked "You have enough light at home, does Did you buy a green plant?"

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

Pax - We cannot deny the impact of our environment on who we are. Not questioning the quality of your light when you spend your day at a desk with poor lighting 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. Perhaps 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 there. I listen again to all the groups that passed through my youth. Afterwards, I listen to podcasts. So I find that it's a way of seeing worlds and discovering people that we wouldn't have had the opportunity to approach. I still want to say that Roman is a big YouTuber. He’s a big name in this industry! *laughs*

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

So this is 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!

Comments collected by Clara Didier

Formatted by Coralie Mottu