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Lionel Jadot

Interior Architect

 

C

Lionel Jadot

Interior Architect

Craftsmanship is deeply rooted into his DNA. Being a descendant of a family of crafters and having a workshop as his playground, Lionel Jadot mastered the art of making furniture at a very young age. His approach to total projects fueled his ambition, adding the title of architect, interior architect, designer, artist and filmmaker to his name. „My job is extremely varied and I love creating a new universe every day. My style is not strictly defined and it’s the diversity of my work that people are attracted to. I’m open to those who are willing to dream”, Jadot says.

Craftsmanship is deeply rooted into his DNA. Being a descendant of a family of crafters and having a workshop as his playground, Lionel Jadot mastered the art of making furniture at a very young age. His approach to total projects fueled his ambition, adding the title of architect, interior architect, designer, artist and filmmaker to his name. „My job is extremely varied and I love creating a new universe every day. My style is not strictly defined and it’s the diversity of my work that people are attracted to. I’m open to those who are willing to dream”, Jadot says.

To him working equals playing, recycling, assembling, with a wink towards other cultures, the local context, and the past. We meet up for coffee in his renovated home, a former stable, garage and hayloft in Brussels, which he transformed into a unique and personal curiosum of styles and objects.

The family business Vanhamme has been passed down through six generations. The craft of creating furniture must have been kindled at an early age.

My parents used to say: if you want something, you have to create it yourself. When I was six years old, I asked my dad to make me a chair. He refused because he was convinced I could do it myself. This attitude has enabled me to create my furniture pieces, build houses and even make movies. I’m free in what I do. Passion is crucial; same goes for aesthetics and reason. Whatever you do, it has to be good. But you also have to be open for discussion. An idea on paper or in your head doesn’t always correspond to reality. Encounters with manufacturers can be very confrontational, and it’s only when you truly understand each other, that you can collaborate and create something phenomenal together.

You’re an all-rounder. Is there, by any chance, a trade you do not master?

Cooking. [laughing] I make great pasta, but that’s it. I’m very happy with what I do, but I’m also deeply fascinated by science. I consider scientists to be the greatest artists, for they have the complete freedom to question everything we think to know about earth and the human race, to start all over again. I think that’s brilliant. When I initiate a project, I would also like to begin from scratch. In my next life, I’m coming back as an astrophysicist.

What’s your working methodology?

You can compare my head to a big chest of drawers. And everything I like is stuffed inside. At the start of the project, I take a piece of paper, contemplate and create a mix of everything which is inside of those drawers. That’s how I work on new projects. Customers I collaborate with know my methodology. They show me their home, talk about their lifestyle and I try to condense all information into one design. I don’t create a setting which is fashionable. I always try to discover what’s behind the walls of a home and create something authentic in which everything comes together. The final result has to be right and honest.

Does any of your clients ever give you carte blanche?

Currently, I am working on a five-star hotel concept in an old church, right across the Botanique in Brussels. Being the artistic director of the project, me and the client thought a lot about hospitality and its practical implementation. Belgium hosts a wide variety of cultures, languages and styles and the red thread of the project lays in the mix of these elements. The church is neo-gothic. The rest of the building is neo-classical. And we connect both through contemporary architecture. The opening is planned in 2018.

How would you describe the hotel culture in Belgium?

It’s very static. In New York, Paris and London it’s very common to meet up at a hotel. Apart from tourists sleeping, nothing ever happens in hotels in Belgium. Alongside the notion of comfort, the social aspect is very important. A hotel is an ideal location for people to socialize, and it’s a place where everyone should feel at home. To intensify this homey feeling, I created this bearded character named Maurice who’s only responsibility it is to enlighten the fireplace.  [laughing] In situations like these, the film director in me takes over. Creating a hotel is like directing a movie. Every detail counts.

With many roles to fulfill, how do you define your style, while always trying to reinvent yourself?

If I would only have one style, my job would be utterly boring. Then I would be working with a catalog of doors, kitchens, floors, etc. and ask my assistants to come up with a nice mix every time. I love creating something unique for each client, which calls for more time and endeavor, especially forcing myself to do something different every time. But that’s what makes it interesting. Every project starts with telling a story and finding the proper balance between materials, texture and objects that I buy, find, or create myself. I get inspiration from everywhere: from fashion, film, architecture and nature. I toss all elements in the mix until I come up with something which is truly exceptional.

How important is the concept of recycling to you?

Crucial. When I was younger, I drove around the neighborhood during the night looking for anything I could reuse. With every project, I insist on using as much reclaimed material as possible to transform it into something new. My love for recycling and upcycling is also very present in my home, a former horse stable, hayloft, and garage. When we bought it twenty years ago, there was nothing to reuse and none of the things surrounding us, are original. The wooden floor comes from an old train. I designed the new staircase, and the kitchen is an assemblage of small wooden boards that my wood supplier wanted to throw away. Other than that, the home is filled with heirlooms, travel souvenirs and furniture pieces of my making.

If you want something, you have to create it yourself.

Your collection of ethnic objects is quite remarkable. Do you travel quite often?

I travel frequently, and I always keep my eyes open to discover new things surrounding me, even when it’s lying on the side of the road. When I’m on holiday, I don’t lie down on the beach. I love browsing through antique shops and visiting workshops and estates in the countryside. In rural areas, people are simply more creative in using local resources, which inspires me in my work. I love bringing things home, like textile to cover a sofa. This way objects become more unique and tell their story. Don’t ask me the names of designers and artists whose work is on the walls, for I tend to forget names.

Your attitude is quite different from the current trend of collecting furniture pieces from a specific period and famous designers.

I do understand this trend, and it’s easily comparable to what’s going on in the fashion industry. Certain people set the tone of what is hot and what is not. A trend gets adopted by the mass and the more commonplace a trend, the less attractive they are perceived to be. And then a new trend pops up… Some people love buying design classics or reproductions, which I do not like. I don’t get excited when I see a designer piece. When I feel that the designer had the intention of creating something beautiful and honest, I’m intrigued. I do not care about famous names. I can’t remember them regardless.

Being a descendant of a family of crafters, what does your dad think of your work?

He loves it. I’m continuing the family tradition in the sense that I am transforming material into a finished product. I often design pieces for my dad and vice versa. Lately, I’m also producing my designs. They are not utensils, rather art and design objects. I had them in my head, and I wanted to put them into practice, but my plans have no particular destination so far. Probably I’ll organize an exhibition and then we’ll see what happens next. The world is full of possibilities.

www.lioneljadot.com
Text: Magali Elali
Photography: Bart Kiggen
Lionel Jadot