Have you ever seen a couch quite like this? Probably not – and that’s exactly how designer Pierre Yovanovitch wants it. When outfitting the living room of his own home, the Chateau de Fabregues in Aups, France, the interior and furniture designer wanted virtually everything to be custom – so he created it himself. The result is is like a showroom that’s actually livable, putting the spotlight on Yovanovitch’s talent and paying tribute to the humble farming origins of the home, which is set on 90 acres of woodland.
The space is lovely – from the paintings by German artist Stephan Balkenhol to the vintage rattan chairs – but the most eye-catching element is unquestionably the highly unusual bespoke couch taking up considerable real estate in the living room. It’s upholstered in a warm, pale shade of pink, which Yovanovitch loves for the “softness” it adds to the room. But check out the stacked log frame made of pine.
“In every client project, and for myself, I try to make a story around the room. Here, I don’t want to use any shiny fabric, bronze and so on, because it was a farm. You feel that in the architecture. I try to respect the style of the house, but in a modern way, a nicer way. I used simple objects, lots of wood.”
The inspiration behind the sofa, he explains, is “very brutalist, because it’s sharp. But it’s also cozy. Because of the shape, you’re sitting close to each other. Very warm and very comfortable.”