Christiane Lemieux on Creating Spaces With Soul

Rip & Tan: We’d love to hear a bit about the journey of your most recent venture. How did the process of launching LEMIEUX ET CIE differ from your other creative undertakings?

Christiane Lemieux: LEMIEUX ET CIE is my real labor of love. At the start of the pandemic, being home all the time, it occurred to me that it was something I needed to create. I wanted all my love and learnings to manifest in this brand. I drew on my knowledge of design, design history, artisanal manufacturing, and finishing to create all the pieces, from accessories and furniture to textiles and rugs.

I wanted to design layers that compose and create a beautiful narrative in a space, but effortlessly. I learned, as we all did, that it is just as important to have our homes make us feel good as it is to have them look good.

In some cases putting more weight on feeling. I take an easy and relaxed approach for my design clients because our homes should put us at ease, sustain and inspire us. This happens when we are really and truly comfortable and true comfort is very personal.

Rip & Tan: How would you describe your design aesthetic? Do you have anything you’d consider a signature design element of yours?

Christiane Lemieux: I think my design aesthetic would be best described as artisanal modernism or tactile modernity—funny I know—but I love forms that are derived from the nexus of design history and nature.

I also gravitate to finishes, textures, and patinas that come from the evidence of the artisanal hand or natural age. I am always looking for soul. It’s an elusive thing but makes an interior feel so great. It’s the layers in a space that create the visual stories and I love to consider everyone.

As for a signature design element, I strive for the art of the mix. I love to blend antique and vintage finds with contemporary pieces to strike the right balance and find that soul.

Rip & Tan: Your home achieves this impeccable balance of eclectic, old world influence with modern, organic shapes—what was the process of designing this home for you and your family? How do you balance form and function? 

Christiane Lemieux: The design process for my space was pretty organic. Originally, I was misguided in my notion, that I would design a Paris apartment in a New York loft. I laugh about that now. It only took a few weeks of living in the space to dispel that idea.

I learned to see and love the home for exactly what it is, an old industrial manufacturing building. I then embraced it all, from the large Douglas fir beam running down the loft to hold it up, to the exposed pipes. They are all essential design elements that I celebrate.

From there, it seemed appropriate to build on that heritage, with floors, fixtures, and details inspired by the original building. This old-world influence can be seen, even in the carefully considered modern renovations. I then had a blank canvas for my constantly rotating collection of furniture, fixtures, and accessories.

My home has become a creative laboratory for the brand and my team. We design, consider and build in the space. My children really enjoy the process too. The whole space and life in it are truly organic still.

Rip & Tan:  From foundational aspects like flooring and wall color to the final touch fixtures, the finishes in your home possess a real storied depth. Do you have any advice for others hoping to create a similarly soulful space of their own?

Christiane Lemieux: To the extent possible, I used many reclaimed elements. It’s simply better for the planet and makes the space more soulful. The floor is all reclaimed oak from a former factory. Many of the light fixtures are vintage and patinated. I pulled everything together with the history, form, and function of the space in mind. If the foundations feel right, they feel true to the space, and it is easy to layer on the decorative pieces. The design will grow beautifully from an authentic start.

Rip & Tan: As someone who’s mastered the art of collecting and curating, do you have any tips for sourcing one-of-a-kind artisanal pieces? What makes a piece right for a particular space? 

Christiane Lemieux: When something speaks to you, really speaks to you, you should consider buying it. The best collections are always born from love and obsession and are deeply personal. Be on the lookout and if something hits you with that almost “falling in love” feeling, it was probably meant to be yours. I have found pieces in so many places, from flea markets to auctions and throughout my travels. I am always the person on the plane with the misshaped package that is probably a stack of vintage textiles or wallpaper fragments for inspiration later. I also have a deeply held philosophy that if the piece is right for you, it’s right for your space.

Rip & Tan: In general, how do you approach interiors? Do you ever begin with a story or feeling in mind?

Christiane Lemieux: have a single-minded approach to design. It’s about how the space will make everyone living in it feel. This is deeply personal and everyone brings their story to their home.

There are ways, both scientific and artistic, that can create the feeling that will inspire and sustain the people living there. This often comes in the form of flow, color, and of course is rooted in design.

My design signature is relaxed and easy modern luxury tailored to the life and story of the people in the space. I often start with: what do you want your life to feel like? It’s amazing how consistently people say happy and relaxed. That means something different for each client but we get to that together and design from there.

I never start with color, I start with the heart and it always flows from there. I want everyone I work with to walk into their space, exhale and know they are truly home.

Rip & Tan: With new trends weekly, if not daily, what makes an interior truly timeless?

Christiane Lemieux: The idea of trend somehow got a little less relevant post-pandemic. I think we all realized how important it is to feel good in our homes. This feeling of sanctuary and safety comes from a purposefully personal approach to design. Timelessness is truly in the eye of the beholder. I know more than one designer that would say timeless springs from the French 40s and others that revisit mid-century for neo-timeless. For me, timelessness is what makes the client relaxed and at ease in their space, life, and home.

Rip & Tan: Whether it’s your own project or something else you’re excited to experience, what are you most looking forward to in the coming year? 

Christiane Lemieux: I am working on my first hospitality project in Costa Rica and am very excited. I love travel and design, so the chance to fuse the two is incredible. It is a deeply sustainable and beautiful project.

I am also on the board of Every Mother Counts and this year has us working towards amazing benchmarks to make mothers and children safer everywhere. I am incredibly passionate about the cause. It has global reach and impacts many of the countries that I manufacture in. I feel very strongly about trying to give back in all the places I have worked.

Rip & Tan: Whether you’re ideating your next book or beginning a new interior project, what’s your go-to source of inspiration? What do you find most motivating? 

Christiane Lemieux: I love to start with deep research. Every project is a fascinating adventure. If it is a new interior project, I research the original structure and the history of the space. Even if the project is a gut remodel, the story of the structure lives on. I love to honor that in some way, even if it is just a detail in the new architecture. When it flows from its start to finish, when there is a narrative thread that holds it, a project will have the best possible outcome.

All great design comes from history. The most beautiful and inspired homes fuse the history of the owners and the space itself. I would say the same for books, they always stem from history and the research I love to do. There are other influences like travel, museums, and auctions that have their place but history is my go-to.

Rip & Tan: What does living well mean to you?

Christiane Lemieux: I would have said many different things at many different stages in my life. From my vantage point now, living well means finding joy every day. I am actively trying to design my happiness. It is being with family, gathering together, and sharing.