Storytelling through Space: In Conversation with Designer Pierre Yovanovitch

Storytelling through Space: In Conversation with Designer Pierre Yovanovitch

One of the most respected and acclaimed interior designers at work today, French-born Pierre Yovanovitch has launched his own furniture line, reveling in his love of woody Modernism and Scandinavian motifs. This December, he’s the guest curator of Sotheby’s Important Design auction in New York.
One of the most respected and acclaimed interior designers at work today, French-born Pierre Yovanovitch has launched his own furniture line, reveling in his love of woody Modernism and Scandinavian motifs. This December, he’s the guest curator of Sotheby’s Important Design auction in New York.

D esigner Pierre Yovanovitch was born in Nice, the balmy coastal French city perched on the Mediterranean, where he grew up in bucolic beauty and a languid, southern climate. “The light,” he fondly recalls ahead of Sotheby’s Important Design auction in New York, of which he’s the guest curator. “The colors, the wind, the quality of the air – I was blessed to live in this part of this world; it influenced me very much.”

Pierre Yovanovitch’s Picks from Important Design

For over 20 years now, Yovanovitch has built a reputation as an extraordinarily accomplished – and in-demand – interior designer, blending modern and Scandinavian-inspired lines and forms with understated flair. His eponymous business has fashioned exquisite spaces for private and corporate clients worldwide, leading to collaborations with leading creatives ranging from Louboutin to the Basel Opera. Based between Paris, Provence and New York City, he has lived in a ravishing 17th-century country house, Château de Fabrègues, in the Var region of Provence since 2009. The château – with its site-specific art installations, trademark Yovanovitch interiors effortlessly melding antique luxury with cool minimal Modernism and surrounding rural idyll – all continue to fire Yovanovitch’s imagination and sense of joy in art, nature and design.

“The region’s epic sunsets, the seasonal variation in nature’s textures – from the deep colors and dense materiality of the forest to the fragrant, bright sensory explosion of the lavender bloom of Plateau de Valensole… It is all in my DNA,” he says. “This heritage influences every design I create, as I aim to blend elegance with authenticity and timeless quality.”

Born in 1965 to a Yugoslavian father and French mother, Pierre Yovanovitch’s first love was music – he played piano from an early age before attending the Nice Conservatoire, sparking a lifelong passion for opera. Music and art were a refuge for the young Pierre, as was a primal need to create beautiful spaces. “My mother’s family lived in Algeria until the independence,” he told Architectural Digest in 2018. “And my father’s family emigrated from Serbia, so there were very few heirlooms [in our home]. This is probably why I need to create my own spaces.”

Château de Fabrègues. Photos courtesy Pierre Yovanovitch
“My heritage influences every design I create, as I aim to blend elegance with authenticity and timeless quality.”
- Pierre Yovanovitch

Yovanovitch’s averted military service – a typical French rite of passage – when the young man met feted designer Pierre Cardin in Paris. Having completed studies at business school, Yovanovitch would work with Cardin for eight years, first as a license manager and then – the great man recognizing talent when he saw it – as a menswear designer.

“Cardin’s futuristic vision and his daring approach to form and material fascinated me,” Yovanovitch recalls. “He had a unique way of challenging traditional boundaries, creating spaces and garments that felt sculptural, almost architectural. That spirit of invention, along with his fearless experimentation, left a significant impact on my own approach to design – specifically, the value of taking creative risks and embracing a signature style that’s distinctly your own.”

Inspired by his time working on menswear alongside his mentor and friend, yet increasingly drawn to interior design, Yovanovitch took a giant risk of his own when he told Cardin that he wanted to leave to set up his own agency in 2001. Cardin was unhappy, to say the least, to be losing his protégé, begging him to instead stay and set up a design division within the Cardin kingdom. Yovanovitch decline and – despite having no clients or projects lined up – took a leap into the unknown, launching his agency from his kitchen table with a trickle of commissions from friends who liked Yovanovitch’s own apartment.

Photo by Stephen Yang for Sotheby’s

Word spread. And Pierre, whose innate sense of style, space and textures flourished as further commissions and grand projects came his way, was soon one of the hottest interior designers in Paris.

“Interior design provided a canvas where I could channel my love of storytelling through space,” reflects Yovanovitch today, recalling his giant leap from Cardin to pursuing his passion for interiors. “Unlike fashion, which can feel transient, interiors allow for the creation of enduring environments that people live within and experience daily. The immersive quality of interior spaces offered a different kind of narrative power, which was deeply appealing to me.”

From humble beginnings, Yovanovitch soon had waves of projects rolling in. As his company blossomed, each project brought in more clients clamoring for that distinctive Yovanovitch signature style of thoughtfulness and vision. Yovanovitch’s reputation was burnished by his characteristic sense of empathy and sensitivity to clients and their needs, while bringing his own rich tapestry of influences, inspirations and ideas to the table.

“Building trust and open communication is fundamental,” he says. “I listen closely to understand my clients’ aspirations and vision for a space, and I see my role as translating that into an aesthetic that feels both authentic to them and true to my standards for quality and design. While it’s important to guide the process as a designer, I believe that a successful design is one where the client sees themselves reflected in every choice.”

Château de Fabrègues. Photos courtesy Pierre Yovanovitch
“Collecting contemporary art offers a continuous dialogue with the evolving nature of aesthetics.”
- Pierre Yovanovitch

A Yovanovitch project typically blended a seductive melange of styles and narratives, whether in a home, office or public building. Perhaps most strikingly was his espousal of the Swedish Grace movement of the 1920s – a sort of Scandinavian take on Art Deco embodied in work by designers of the time, such as Axel Einar Hjorth and Gunnar Asplund. The quiet focus on impeccable materials and craftsmanship resonated deeply with Yovanovitch.

“Swedish Grace’s emphasis on simplicity, craftsmanship and subtle luxury appeals to me. There’s a purity and refinement in the lines and materials of this style that aligns with my own philosophy, and I often draw on its aesthetic principles when creating serene and harmonious interiors.”

Yovanovitch also found a spiritual kinship with midcentury American designers, such as Paul László, Terrence Harold Robsjohn-Gibbings, James Mont and Harvey Probber. These influences, combined with his knack for whimsy and storytelling, established his aesthetic approach, especially in his pursuit of the functional within an emotionally resonant assemblage.

Château de Fabrègues. Photos courtesy Pierre Yovanovitch

“My projects are always rooted in creating spaces that people not only inhabit, but connect with. Every new space or project brings a new challenge to explore how aesthetics, comfort and purpose come together in harmony, and I strive to push boundaries in achieving that balance,” he tells Sotheby’s. “Collaborations with artists and craftsmen also constantly offer fresh perspectives and ideas that enrich my creative process.”

Obsessive about craftsmanship, fascinated by simplicity and harmony, Pierre Yovanovitch’s practice has naturally blossomed over the past two decades to embrace like-minded creatives across arts and design. A born collaborator, he has worked on developing projects with some of the most exciting contemporary artists around – think Louboutin (with whom he recently developed a collection of chairs improbably fitted with signature red-soled high heels. Or, harkening back to his youthful obsession with opera, he created set design at the Basel Opera for Verdi’s Rigoletto in 2023 – an experience he found so enjoyable that he now has two more opera projects in the pipeline.

Today, contemporary art is another key component of Yovanovitch’s practice. From his earliest commissions, designing for art collector friends to recent full-scale collaborations with artists including Richard Nonas, Yan Pei-Ming, Claire Tabouret, Xie Lei and Jeremy Desmester, art is central to Pierre’s vision. “Collaborating with artists brings a powerful element of discovery and perspective. I’m always keeping my eye out for inspiring artists.”

And he is an avid collector too.

“My collecting journey began as a natural extension of my work. I’ve always been drawn to pieces that evoke an emotional response and speak to my personal sensibilities. My collection is both intuitive and somewhat curatorial. I seek works that complement my design philosophy, but I’m also open to art that feels surprising or challenges my perception. Collecting contemporary art offers a continuous dialogue with the evolving nature of aesthetics, which keeps my perspective fresh.”

Sotheby’s Important Design auction presents a curated survey of design, ranging from notable examples of Art Deco to post-war and contemporary design. The sale is anchored by masterworks by Jean Dunand, Poul Henningsen, Les Lalanne, Shiro Kuramata and Marc Newson, among others.

Property from the Important Design auction will be on view in Sotheby’s New York galleries from December 7-11.

20th Century Design

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