Quick Takes With: Sarah Espeute

If you’ve come across Sarah Espeute‘s trompe-l’œil tablecloths, you know just how irresistible they are. Her brand Œuvres Sensibles started when she crafted one of her charming embroidered textiles for an exhibition and it immediately struck a chord. ”Today, I run a made-to-measure studio with my own atelier here in Marseille, where I continue to develop new ideas,” Sarah says; her workshop, helmed by trained embroiderers and artists, makes her signature (and oft-imitated) tablecloths stitched with dinner party scenes, as well as duvet covers, cushions, and curtains. 

Œuvres Sensibles’s offerings are a culmination of Sarah’s lifelong journey as an artist. “I’ve been self-taught from the very beginning,” she says. “I didn’t grow up in an artistic family, but I knew from a young age that I wanted to pursue creative studies.” This conviction led her to leave her native Arles in pursuit of a graphic design degree in Paris, which was more regimented than she anticipated. So she pivoted to Riso printing, founding her own publishing house with a second-hand printer in her 20-square-meter living room.

From there, Sarah moved to Marseille and took up painting. “Embroidery came naturally after that,” she says. “It was something I had done as a child, and it became a very accessible means of expression: just thread, a needle, and fabric.” The medium continues to fulfill her and fuel her business—she recently moved Œuvres Sensibles into a bigger space. “It’s currently our showroom and workshop, but I’d like it to become more than that—a shop and a public space where people can fully immerse themselves in my world,” she says.

Today, Sarah writes in from Marseille with the film that mesmerizes her, the outdated Ikea lamp she still loves, and the retro item she just bought for her house.

You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?

Natural wine and good olives for the aperitif.

What’s on your bedside table?

The Magic Kingdom by Russell Banks, a book about the love life of a Shaker in the 20th century—I’m devouring it!

What’s your desert island design/art/architecture-related book?

Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren.

What podcast or playlist do you put on when you need inspiration?

I listen to my own playlists—I love making them! I usually play the latest compilation I’ve made. I’m pretty obsessive when it comes to music—when I love a song, I can listen to it multiple times in a row.

What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?

I love the deeply romantic worlds in Éric Rohmer’s films, but the one that mesmerizes me the most is In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-Wai.

Which Instagram account do you go to for design inspiration?

I really enjoy following the places discovered by Simay Demirel. We share a similar taste for authentic, nostalgic atmospheres in hidden spots. She inspires me much more than design and object-focused accounts.

What has been your best house upgrade?

Right now, we’re actually renovating our apartment in Marseille. It’s important for us to design and build it ourselves. I want a kitchen that no one else has, with a real thought process behind how everything is stored—highly functional, but also very handcrafted. It will be made from reclaimed wood.

My favorite sheets are…

Old linen and cotton sheets, whether it’s the bottom sheet or the top sheet. I swear by them so much that in winter I made myself a duvet out of old sheets.

My unpopular design opinion is…

There’s an old ’80s lamp model from Ikea that I’ve loved for years and never get tired of called Stranne, which is by Danish designers Knut and Marianne Hagberg. It’s totally out of style now, so you can find it for just €5 on second-hand sites, even though this lamp is absolutely amazing!

Your design pet peeve?

Design that’s too industrial, lifeless, and soulless.

My go-to kitchen utensil is…

The peeler from Victorinox has made peeling vegetables a real pleasure.

Three words that describe my design style:

Retro yet modern, authentic, and sensitive.

First design love?

Ettore Sottsass.

What item from your closet do you have on repeat?

My cotton t-shirts from Petit Bateau. The long sleeves, short sleeves, tank tops—I’ve had them all since my early childhood.

Favorite design shop to visit (online or in person)?

Julie Barrau has a great selection of vintage objects in her gallery in Arles.

What is the last thing you purchased for your house?

A towel dryer from the 1930s, bought at RotorDC in Belgium. They repurpose a lot of objects and materials from places that are about to be demolished. I had to find someone to make the trip to Marseille!

Something you’re coveting?

I want to go to Japan.

I don’t leave the house without…

Nothing! Sometimes I like to leave my wallet and phone at home and take absolutely nothing—no bag. Just my keys, of course.

Thanks so much, Sarah! Follow her work at @sarahespeute and oeuvres-sensibles.com.

N.B.: Featured portrait of Sarah by MVerret.