A Conversation with Maxime Bousquet

Portrait of architect Maxime Bousquet in a brown jumper, arms folded, leaning against a wall

Courtesy of Ludovic Balay

 

In our latest FRANK conversation we sat down with Paris-based architect Maxime Bousquet whose spaces are infused with a unique touch of nostalgia - crafting interiors that “seem to carry traces of previous times”. Maxime mused on memory, the creative worlds of Jean-Michel Frank and Marc du Plantier, and his Etienne Daho soundtrack.

Sitting room with tufted cream armchairs, a skirted chair, a floral rug and a carved stone fireplace Courtesy of James Nelson

 

Is there a particular era or place you wish you could have worked in?

I’d probably choose Paris between the 1920s and the 1940s. I would have loved to see Jean-Michel Frank and Marc du Plantier at work, and experience their world firsthand. I love how they both created extraordinary interiors, and witnessing that creative dialogue between architecture, craftsmanship and the decorative arts would have been such an incredible privilege. 

 

Marble-clad bathroom with a stone trough sink, nickel taps and a mirrored wall reflecting a red door
Courtesy of Alexis Armanet

 

What’s an unusual source of inspiration that has found its way into your work?

I often find inspiration in places that weren’t designed to be specifically beautiful. Accidental moments often stay with me more than a finished and perfectly curated interior. 

 

Black veined marble fireplace with fluted sides, an ancient red-figure vase and a silver beaker

Courtesy of Clément Vayssières

 

Share a song that you listen to when feeling creatively challenged?

Not particularly when I’m feeling challenged, but Etienne Daho is a favorite of mine.

 

Bathroom in cobalt blue mosaic tiles with a stainless steel basin and polished nickel taps

Courtesy of Ludovic Balay

 

What’s the ghost in your work—the thing that lingers but isn’t obvious?

I think it’s probably memory. I’m always trying to create interiors that seem to carry traces of previous times, something familiar that you can’t quite place. It might be a proportion, a material, a patina, or the way objects relate to one another. I like spaces that suggest a story without telling it explicitly.

 

Bedroom with a copper scale-clad hood over the fireplace, a velvet bed throw and a patterned rug

Courtesy of Alexis Armanet

 

What’s the question you wish people would ask about your work but never do?

Well, if I answer that I’ll lose the chance to wonder why nobody’s asked it yet.

 

Textured plaster fireplace with a framed photograph above and logs in a silver basket beside

Courtesy of James Nelson

 

What is your favourite piece from the Lemon collection, and why?

Definitely the Constant Nightstand in Poplar Burl. I love its clean and minimal line paired with the wood beautiful texture.

 

Constant Nightstand Poplar Burl-Nightstands-4-Lemon-Furniture


Filed in: Frank Interviews
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