Quick Takes With: Solenne de la Fouchardiere

If you’re followed along here for a while, you’ll know we’re longtime acolytes of Ochre. (Truly. We first wrote about the furniture and lighting brand way back in 2011.)

Founded by designers Joanna Bibby and Harriet Maxwell Macdonald, and joined a few years later by Solenne de la Fouchardière, the outfit focuses on what they call “the beauty of the understated.” Put another way: “Working with the imperfections of natural materials that often feel as though they had a life of their own, they push the boundaries of design, marrying traditional craftsmanship with the barest of clean lines.” Right up our street. (And! Ochre has just opened a showroom in NYC. “It’s a large space that gives our designs room to breathe,” Solenne says. “Our new Marea Murano glass pendant lights look mesmerizing.”)

When we we toured Solenne’s own place a few years back (see At Home in Islington), and were smitten by the way its warmth and history (cobbled floors, rough brick fireplace) mingled with clean glass and Solenne’s lithe furnishings. Today, Solenne takes our Quick Takes questionnaire, revealing her latest indulgence, an unexpected color for the kitchen, and what’s on her nightstand.

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

Homemade jam/pesto.

What’s on your bedside table?

As little as possible, but at least a glass of water and a book and some lavender oil.

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

Axel Vervoordt.

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

Three Colours trilogy

Which Instagram account do you go to for design inspiration?

Francis Gallery

What has been your best house upgrade?

A garden room

My favorite sheets are…

CEC Milano

My favorite paint color for the bedroom is…

CEC Milano

My unpopular design opinion is…

Use light pink paint in kitchens.

Your design pet peeve?

Being obsessed with lining up rooms/volumes/curtains, etc.

My go-to kitchen utensil is…

A juicer

First design love?

A jewelry box from my grandmother.

What’s the last thing you purchased for your house?

A painting by a Japanese artist Teruhisa YAMANOBE.

Three words that describe my design style:

Earthy, homely, uncluttered.