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- [00:02]
Caroline
Welcome to how to Decorate from Ballard Designs, a weekly podcast all about the trials and triumphs of decorating and redecorating your home. I'm Caroline. I'm on the marketing team.
- [00:11]
Taryn
And I'm Taryn and I'm a product designer.
- [00:13]
Liz
I'm Liz. I head up the creative team. We're your hosts.
- [00:16]
Caroline
Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world.
- [00:22]
Taryn
Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.
- [00:25]
Liz
We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email us@podcastallardesigns.net now on with the show.
- [00:34]
Caroline
Hey, everyone.
- [00:35]
Narrator/Host
Welcome back to how to Decorate. We're in summer mode right now, so we're taking a little bit of time away from the podcast, but we did not want to leave you without your weekly design inspiration. So we are resharing a handful of our all time favorite episodes, the ones that really stuck with us and that
- [00:51]
Caroline
we think are worth a re.
- [00:51]
Narrator/Host
Listen, Today we're taking you to Paris with designer David Jimenez. He started his career in retail, then quit his corporate job, moved to Paris and started his own design studio. He now designs spaces all over the world. And when we spoke, his first book, Parisian by Design, had just come out. David breaks down what actually makes a room feel Parisian and it's not what you think and shares practical tips on using antiques, layering a room with intention and the very specific colors that hold cultural meaning in Paris. It's part design lesson, part travel fantasy, part. So let's get to the show.
- [01:24]
Caroline
So our guest today is a creative force who has, who got his start at household names like Banana Republic, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware. But six years ago, he left his corporate job to move to Paris and start his design business. He now designs spaces all over the world for his clients, all in that enigmatic Parisian style. His spaces are effortless, dripping in antiques, but also livable and fresh. This fall, he's publishing his first book with Rizzoli, Parisian by Design Interiors by David Jimenez. Welcome to the show, David. Thanks for joining us.
- [01:54]
David Jimenez
Thank you so much for having me. Such a pleasure to be here.
- [01:58]
Caroline
Your book has a very unusual structure and I absolutely loved it. The first half showcases your homes over, I imagine, the last, like, decade, maybe more. Homes in Paris, the French countryside, Kansas City, San Francisco. And then the second half is all about the artisans and the sources that you use in your design life. So you know the craftsman in France. You even have sections about, you know, how to Shop at a Parisian flea market.
- [02:28]
Narrator/Host
Paint colors, French tabletop.
- [02:30]
Caroline
You know, how settings. I guess.
- [02:32]
Liz
This book is so incredible. It's a tour guide of Paris.
- [02:38]
Caroline
A love letter, too. Yeah.
- [02:39]
Liz
Yeah. So it's.
- [02:41]
Caroline
We.
- [02:42]
Liz
We all just have totally gotten lost in this book. It is just fantastic.
- [02:48]
David Jimenez
I'm so happy to hear that. I'm so happy to hear that.
- [02:51]
Liz
And it is so inspiring that I actually restyled some side tables before we started and ran around my house and started grabbing art and moving things around.
- [03:03]
David Jimenez
I love that. That touches me very much. I will say that from the onset of the project, first of all, I feel so incredibly excited and really humbled by this whole experience. The fact that Rizzoli said yes. The fact that Diane Doran Sachs reached out to me to. To consider this project, and that along the way, it's all fallen together as seamlessly as it has. Has been such a journey of just happiness. Honestly, we were putting together the book in the process of COVID Unfolding around the world, so if you can imagine, we were up against some pretty big challenges, but always focused on the mission. The mission being very clearly, how do we share a point of view of this place that we love so much, that, on a very personal level, means so much to me and my heart. And that's profoundly affected not just my. My design sensibility and evolved my point of view around my appreciation for things that are beautiful and. And historic and. And French or European. But really, that's just tugged at my heartstrings because I can't go a day without walking past one of the little bridges that connects to my. My little. Where I live and pause and reflect on how incredibly blessed I am and how lucky, as an American living in Paris, I am to have this experience. And so, really, in the end, the book is a reflection of that. It's a reflection of the passion, the joy, the love. And we started the conversation by saying that it's like a love letter to Paris. It has a very specific lens, but that lens is just full of light. And so I hope readers feel what our intention was in putting into the book.
- [04:42]
Caroline
Yeah, definitely.
- [04:43]
Taryn
Yeah, I definitely agree. And I just would love for you to tell our listeners just your history, because I think it's so interesting. You've just been such a worldly person, and I love it.
- [04:53]
David Jimenez
Thank you. You know, I started my career very early on. I had to make a decision about whether or not I would go to college or what I would pursue. And it was all a little complicated early on. And I decided the easiest thing to do would be to take a part time job and sort it out. And I got on the number two train. At the time, I was living in the Bronx, got on the number two train headed to Manhattan, 59th and Lexington, and I started my career as a salesperson at the Gap. It maybe was the most pivotal moment in my journey because there I decided that I would work really hard, get in an hour early, stay two hours late, learn how to fold jeans and sweatshirt, sweatshirts really, really, really well. And I caught the attention of the management team and they saw something in me that touched them. And I started to get accolades and eventually became an assistant manager at the store, eventually store manager. I segued my career once I was a store manager into visual merchandising because that, that resonated with my, with my heart. And eventually went from the Gap to Banana Republic to Williams, Sonoma, Pottery Barn, so many of these amazing, amazing brands. And, and that landed me ultimately in Paris, where I had the beautiful opportunity to be able to arrive and completely reinvent a historic French brand. And after doing that for about three years, I decided that really what I wanted to do was follow my passion, which has always been interior design. And it's funny because, you know, there I feel like we all have gifts. I wish I could play the piano. I wish that were my gift. I wish I could sing and touch a room with my voice. I can't do either, and I've tried, but I feel like my gift, and I say this with great humility and yet confidence. My gift is what I enjoy doing. I enjoy surrounding myself with beautiful things that make me happy. And over the years I've seen that what I do resonates with people in a really profound way. And so early on, I started getting noticed and projects were being published. And the more things got published, the more people sought out what I was doing. And then it flipped for me. It became about, let me show you what I do. And if you like what I do, then my intention is try to help you as best as I can so that you get to surround yourself with a space that touches you and that makes you happy. And so through my Instagram post, through the articles that I've been able to be a part of writing or that I've been interviewed for, it's become part of my, my journey. It's what I love doing, which is this other part of design. It's not just about creating spaces that, that give my clients pleasure or that make me personally feel good, but it's also this part of educating. But more than educating, just helping people lose some of the fear in something that innately is so clear to them. Right. You know what you like. You don't, you know what you don't like. And my position has been, well, let me help you sort of get through the mystery of that and empower you to do it for yourself.
- [08:02]
Caroline
Okay. We have so many different, different directions we can go in.
- [08:06]
Taryn
So lead us, Caroline.
- [08:08]
Caroline
Okay. All right. Well, I just wanted to start because I, I found it such an important lesson for anyone reading the book. You know, you're. We're seeing all of these different homes of yours all across the US and then in Paris and different places in Paris as well, and then in the French countryside. And I loved getting to sort of see the same furniture pieces in every single house, being like, oh, okay, there's that, that, you know, terracotta bust. I saw that in Kansas City. And then here's the, that black, like, ebonized chair. And it has, like, a different seat cushion on it and fabric. And, and I, I thought that was so important for people to see. And I hope people would, you know, would notice that when they're reading the book, because it really shows how you've invested your dollars and use things that you love over and over and over again in very different ways. So I wonder if you could kind of talk about that, like, how did you get into, like, antiques? And then kind of, I guess, like, what is your philosophy on remixing them and using them in different ways in different spaces?
- [09:16]
David Jimenez
Yeah, that's such a great question. You know, I'm happy that you noticed the continuity in some of the pieces. Throughout, throughout the book and throughout my spaces, I really feel like if you see something that you love, you make a connection with that piece. And oftentimes it's not just with the piece, but with the person that you purchase that piece from. So there's a story behind what you're buying. And for me, I take great pleasure in that. When I buy an antique, I enjoy learning about that piece. What's the provenance? Where did it come from? Tell me about the style, the specificity of the style. And that creates a level of connection with the person, but also then with that piece that I bring home. And I gotta tell you, when I've got it and I love it, I'm not gonna let it go. You know, I, I, I don't, I don't want to abandon these pieces. And so I have found over the years that I've acquired This, this. This selection of. Of antiques that have traveled with me. Some, funny enough, that originated in France or in Europe, which I may have either purchased in Europe or in the United States and brought back with me to Paris. And there's something very reassuring about having familiar pieces around you. You know, certainly, I think there's something to be said for starting fresh, and for anyone that's considering starting fresh, I would never get in the way of that. Right. So it's. It's all about what, what pleases you and what makes you happy. But what I can say from my own experience is that when I get to start a new project, setting up a new home with some familiar pieces, for me, it's. It's nurturing. There's something that feels good about walking into a room and seeing a familiar piece that has a history with me and that has a story behind it. So I. I very much enjoy keeping certain pieces and bringing. Bringing them along with me. And then in terms of how I put things together or the philosophy behind what I do, I will also share that I was very happy to find out later on that the French are all about keeping what they buy. So. So there's not this, you know, they don't have this, this. This. This desire to start fresh each time. And there's something really beautiful about having pieces that have been inherited or pieces that have been. That have been handed down through the family and over the years that you get to bring into your projects. And when I understood that living in France, I thought, you know, I'm more French than I gave myself credit for being, because I felt like, well, that's always been my philosophy too. And here we are. It's. It's linear to how the French use antiques and appreciate antiques over the years. I personally love rooms that look collected, rooms that are casual enough and comfortable enough for you to put up your feet in, so you never feel like you're walking into a stage set or something that feels so pristine that you've got to act a certain way or be a certain way or function a certain way in that room. I like rooms that are easy. You know, you could wear jeans and shorts and read magazines and be comfortable and live in that space, or you could dim the lights down, put on some Billie Holiday in the evenings, light all the candles and get dressed up and, you know, gussied up and ready to go out for a beautiful night on the town with friends. And that a room can. Can share your mood and be a part of your mood that way. I think is important. So a big part of that for me is using antiques because they add a little history, a little patina, a little bit of grit, you know, to a room in a way that feels like there's highs and lows. And of course, I've got a lot of things that are, that are newer. I, I, I love Mise en Jansen, for example. Beautiful sort of in antique brass finishes that I pair with framed artwork or charcoals. But there's, there's a, I think there's a really good chemistry in the balance. And I think it's a mix that makes it interesting. So it doesn't all feel like you're walking into a period room.
- [13:16]
Liz
Right. I mean, we, we love a good layered room here at Ballard, but I feel like you take it to a really fantastic, luxurious, like, level where everything feels really, really special. I think because of, because of the stories behind every piece. Like you can tell that there's a story and there's travel, but there's a layering that I think is really very special in the work and the rooms that you have. Whether it's layering artwork with a vase in front of it or a lamp or. So how can, how can we do this at home?
- [13:55]
David Jimenez
One of the things that I love is the casual nature of assembling a space. And so at this point, because I've been doing it this way for so long, it becomes intuitive. And I would say that for anyone that's listening, you know, when you do anything that you love that brings you joy, often it becomes second nature. Right. And so when I'm assembling a room, I'll start with the, the, the key pieces and pads of furniture and, and the relationship of the, of those pieces of furniture. If I'm going to set up a, a seating area, then I'm very careful to ensure that, that there's a good distance, a comfortable distance between the sofa and the chairs, for example. Right. Because you don't want a situation where you've got a real life situation where you're entertaining and you feel like you're really distanced from the person you're having a conversation with. So intimacy is, groupings is really important. And so I lay out the pads of furniture and the flow and the experience of the room. And then I take so much joy in layering. It usually starts with putting on the music low. If I'm doing the space for myself and setting up a room of my own, I usually, it usually happens in the afternoons because I'm usually best in the Afternoon, evening hours, I'll turn on the music, something that makes me really, really happy. And I'll sometimes pour myself a gin and tonic. And I will start layering my room. And you know, it's not always exactly intuitive, right? So you'll have a sense for, okay, I want to put a beautiful piece of art on a wall or on a dresser, and then I'll layer that piece with another piece. It's the layers that make things look more interesting or more collected. Making a choice between taking a piece and setting it on top of a dresser, or setting it on top of a mantle, or setting it on top of a console versus hanging that piece sometimes can make all the difference in how a room feels because it's more casual when it's placed versus on the wall. And so I'll usually go around the room and start layering pieces where I feel like they feel best based on scale and then the piece of art. And then there's a, you know, refining process. I'll walk away from the room, I'll go into the kitchen, I'll come back, I'll look at it again, I'll think, okay, well, that, you know, that color isn't exactly right and I'll change it. Or that frame doesn't feel exactly right in that spot. But you sort of get this feeling for it over the course of a day or two of setting up. The other thing that I love doing, and that you may notice throughout the book, is that I also enjoy putting together gallery walls very much. And I think, honestly, that started as a result of my passion for gallery walls in France. And, you know, walking through the Louvre Museum is such an incredible experience. And those wings that have those incredible, incredible walls worth of paintings, and all of them are hung with these, with these, with these beautiful thin metal rods. And so early on, you know, I'm very perceptive and aware of my spaces. Early on that resonated with me and I thought, I want to do that at home. I want to take a little bit of that magic and bring it back to my space. And so I. In, in most all of my homes, there's at least one significant gallery wall that starts with like a salon style presentation where there's a little rod that gets, that gets just under the molding on the wall. And then from that I spend these metal hangers that then support each one of the pieces of art. And what I love about that is that it's, it's instant soul in a room. You know, it just, it just gives a room A great. A great striking point of view, but also just adds a great. A really great emotion to the space.
- [17:39]
Caroline
Do you change your gallery walls often, or do you sort of like hang it and. And like, it's just right so you don't touch it?
- [17:47]
David Jimenez
Occasionally, I'll. I'll mix it up. When I'm assembling the gallery wall, I'm usually doing it one of two ways. I'll either layer or lay out all of the pieces on the floor in front of the wall so that I have a good sense for the relationship of the wall to the floor. And then based on how it looks on the floor, I start putting it up on the wall. But sometimes I'll. On my travels, I'll find something that I fall in love with, and I feel like, wow, that that really would look great on the wall. And I'll come home and swap it out with something on the wall because it's my new favorite find. Or it's a new piece that now has a really great memory. In fact, it's. There's something that just happened recently. I was in Brussels. I'd never been to Brussels before. I'd heard a lot about some Brussels antique shops, and there's an antique district in Brussels. And I had online, I had purchased some pieces from this particular destination, and I was so blown away by their assortment. I thought, I'll make a trip. And I was coming back home from a European trip, and I stopped in Brussels. It was amazing. I. And the antique district is incredibly impressive and rich. Beyond that, there's an elevated, more sophisticated part of Brussels antiquing. And I walked into a shop and saw some of the most incredible pieces of art. I bought several, brought one back home with me on the train, and immediately placed it on my wall when I got home.
- [19:07]
Liz
I'm also feeling like if I want to get that. That look of a French salon style hanging, I need to raise all of my pictures up and start really close to the molding. Right. For gallery wall is to really just start very high up, work down. I know I'm now raising all of my artwork as we look behind Liz.
- [19:35]
David Jimenez
I've got to say, you have a beautiful home. Yeah. Just add more bookshelf. I love that we can actually look into your space. And I. I think your gallery wall looks pretty perfect to me.
- [19:47]
Liz
It's got a lot of work to do, but okay.
- [19:50]
Caroline
One of the things that I noticed about your. Your rooms, and I imagine this is sort of a French, like, style as well, is you mix wood tones with abandon. Like, there's something mahogany. There's oak. There's a painted finish. There's, like, ebonized wood. It's all mixed together. And I feel like that's something that people hear or even just, you know, like, lay people really worry about and feel uncertain around. So maybe you could talk a little bit about mixing wood finishes, and if that's something we should be concerned about or.
- [20:27]
David Jimenez
Yeah, you know, it's really funny. I think you need to know the rules in order to be afraid of breaking them. And I think because I never grew up in this environment, in a formal environment of design, I, I. I was never limited by. By any rules. And in fact, part of the pleasure of putting my space together is not following rules. And so the idea that all of the wood tones should be consistent in a space or that all of the metal tones and finishes should be consistent within a space, you'll see over and over throughout all of my projects that that's. That it's not the case at all. I'm very careful and mindful of when I'm putting some spaces together of, you know, how the woods or the wood finishes or the metal finishes might complement each other. But I'm not limited by it, and so I would share that. If. If you're putting together a space at home and you feel like you want to combine, you know, wood tones or wood finishes, it's really okay. Light with dark, dark with light. You know, silver with metal, nickel with brass. I think the thing that you always want to consider in a room is having things that have highlights, right? So what are the contrasts? A rough surface with a smooth surface, you know, a light surface with a dark surface. What are something with a patina and something that has great sheen. Those are the things that make a room feel like they've got energy and they're alive. And the thing that you don't want is a space that feels so monotone and so. So dialed in that it feels overly. Overly thought through or overly planned. You know, you, like, there's something to the spontaneity of a space that feels like I put this together, and it makes me happy, and it gives me pleasure. And, And. And it's. It's not something that looks like out of a page of a magazine. You know, it feels. It feels. Or a catalog. It feels. It feels like it's got a really great level of warmth and personality. And so for me, mixing old and new and mixing of finishes, I think, helps do that.
- [22:32]
Liz
The other thing I noticed is that Scale is really important in all of your rooms. Like not just the scale of the furniture pieces, but the scale of the lamps or the artwork or the mirrors. And going oversized and layering things in front of them tends to be something that you do. And it feels. It ends up feeling very collected and pulled together. But still, gosh, I don't even know how to explain it. It still feels really clean and crisp. Because of the scale, right?
- [23:11]
David Jimenez
Yeah. I think scale is a really important part of assembling a space. A lot of that has to do with wanting to make sure that there's things that feel like they have highlights, like they have energy in the room. Right. And so they bring your eye towards them. For me, that might be. It might be a pedestal with an incredible piece of sculpture that sits on top of it in front of a window or next to a sofa. Or the way a large piece of artwork might anchor a corner of a room. Or how a really tall secretary might get placed on a wall adjacent to, say, a bed in a bedroom. What it does is that it creates these moments of hierarchy in the room where you have highs and lows visually. And it's creates, I also think, different moods for the space. Right. Because if you walk in and everything is at the same level, to the point that we were talking about earlier about hanging artwork, you know, if everything is at the same level, it starts to not feel as interesting as if there are these moments where you have pieces that really highlight a room and create a little bit of drama and a little bit of theater, you know, And I think people sometimes might be hesitant with the idea of. Of creating a little theater. But in fact, the intention is never to make a space look unlivable or unrealistic. The intention is. And by the way, if you're doing this through your own filter, it would never feel that way because it's all things that you love anyway. Right. But really what it does is that it just creates a little bit of excitement in the room so that when you walk into the room, there's a little bit of a surprise. You know, there's a great gallery wall that happens to start up a little higher on the wall. There's this qu. Cool piece of art or sculpture that anchors the space. I think those are the things that create interest.
- [24:56]
Caroline
Yeah, I always think of it like drama. It's like imagine a movie without the drama or the climax. You have to have something that is really special. And I feel like over scaled pieces, a lamp, mirror, art, wall, whatever. That's the perfect Way to do that. I mean, you're gonna have to have a lamp anyway. Why not have it, like, be extra.
- [25:18]
Liz
Yeah, draw it, draw your eyes to it. It's really amazing.
- [25:21]
Caroline
And it's not just a lamp. It's not just a light fixture. It's a sculpture or a painting. You know, it's like an art piece.
- [25:29]
Liz
Okay. Another thing that I've seen that you use throughout are room dividers. The. Oh, yeah, you have, you have some really fantastic screens.
- [25:40]
Caroline
Yes.
- [25:41]
Taryn
Angie. Repeat often, I feel like, but you do it in many different colors.
- [25:46]
Caroline
True or true or false?
- [25:48]
David Jimenez
True. You have a great.
- [25:49]
Taryn
Tell us how to use screens, too. How do we use them, these room dividers and screens, correctly.
- [25:56]
David Jimenez
I love screens. Screens have a terrific way of adding a wonderful layer to the room, to any room. And it's really funny, you know, to fall back in a really comfortable way on certain things or pieces or ideas that, that, that, that, that I enjoy and I enjoy repeating very much. And so to your point, there is a screen design. It's a very classical screen design that I had custom made that's been charcoal gray, light gray, a beautiful shade of, of cream, a striking turquoise color in a dining room. And I don't tire of reusing that, that screen and having it, and having it repainted based on the room that it might be going in. But in general, one of the reasons I like screens is that they do a couple of things. Number one is that they have the ability to create privacy and can be really useful. So here's a great example of that. When I moved into my apartment in Nob Hill in San Francisco, which was an incredible apartment because I happened to be on one of the hills on the corner of Jones street and in Washington. One of the hills that was right where the cable car stop was. So if you can imagine starting every. Every morning, every day with the clang of the trolley on the street corner, it just made me smile. Right. So that was a huge selling feature for this particular apartment. And it was just such a pleasure to be in that spot. The living room of that particular space was a nice size, generous size living room for San Francisco homes or apartments. And I had three windows. Two of them were symmetrical behind the sofa and faced directly into a neighbor's apartment. Not appealing moment, right? Lovely neighbor, but not someone that I really wanted to share my space with. And so I had this idea. I had purchased these, these really striking, really beautiful 1920s screens, a pair of them in Kansas City, Missouri, at a really cool shop called Modern Love and brought them into the space, and I placed them in front of the windows, and immediately they allowed all the wind, all the light into the space. But I now had an anchor to the back of the sofa that added. Added great interest to the, to the seating area. But that eliminated that awkward situation of looking directly into my neighbor's home. And so in that way, you, you know, screens can be really functional. But you'll see that I use screens a lot. I like them to separate spaces. I love screens. Sometimes just leaning up against a wall or in front of a wall and then layered in front of that piece of furniture, whether that might be a, a dresser or a bar or a secretary. And what they do is that they, they add a great layer of color, sometimes an additional layer of texture in the room. And, and it's subtle. It's very subtle.
- [28:49]
Narrator/Host
But.
- [28:49]
David Jimenez
But it's super, super effective.
- [28:51]
Caroline
Okay. Another thing that I saw you use the same black and white striped curtains in multiple different spaces, and I was like, oh, my gosh, this is.
- [29:02]
Liz
I mean, that's because they're fantastic. Drama.
- [29:04]
Caroline
They're amazing. They totally are. I just, I mean, it just, I think is so. It's. I hate to use the word thrifty, but, like, I don't think people think of curtains as things to reuse. So I loved seeing it, you know, went all the way from San Francisco to back to Paris.
- [29:23]
David Jimenez
Yeah. So the striped curtains, really touched by, by the, by the striped curtains. I don't know why I have this feeling, but I've always. And maybe it's because of the awnings of the cafes. That might be it in Paris. You know, there's so many awnings in cafes that have stripes in them. But to me, a classic black and white stripe is, is very European, very, very French. And it's funny, sometimes you do things and you don't even realize, you know, why you do them. But, but I, I've always loved the classic nature of, of there's 7cm wide, black and white stripes. So I learned this early on in France that the, the very traditional width of the stripes is 7 centimeters. And so it's pretty consistent. And when you see them on the buildings throughout Paris, they're seven centimeters. And so I remember going to. There is an incredible, incredible market. It's a fabric market called Marche St Pierre in Paris, and it steps from the Sacre Coeur. So if you've been to, if you've been to Paris and you know where the Sacre Coeur is, it's really Spectacular. You probably wouldn't unless you knew this was there. You may not ever think about going into this fabric market, but it's an unbelievable, unbelievable market that has these, these, these emporiums. There are just these massive, massive retailers that have been there forever. And it's, it's denoted as, it's as, as a, as a part of the city where you go for fabrics and you buy everything from very high end, posh, beautiful, rich, luxurious fabrics to very inexpensive pieces. And you can find seamstresses that'll pull things together and, and make things on the spot for you. It's, it's like an amazing destination. I liken it to, for example, here in San Francisco or really throughout other destinations, you know, different types of market, like a flower market that you might go to, where, you know, there's this incredible assortment. There's a great shop there where I purchase all of those 7cm black and white striped curtains. And I've got to say, I think I have found a lot of use for that material. So they're not always the same, the same curtains that get reused because I keep going back to that same destination to buy more. And of course, you know, there's differing window heights and so that impacts what I'm doing. But I do find that I gravitate towards leaning on a stripe just because I love how classic it looks and how French I think stripes can be.
- [31:42]
Caroline
Totally.
- [31:43]
Taryn
Okay.
- [31:43]
Caroline
I was thinking, I was like, man, these ceilings are like double height. How did you get. These are double height over here?
- [31:48]
Taryn
They're not.
- [31:49]
Caroline
And then they were also like a sort of a can not a canopy, but like curtains around a bed. So, yeah, they were throughout, so I guess that makes a lot more sense. It wasn't the same panel just.
- [32:00]
David Jimenez
Right. Just the same idea.
- [32:02]
Taryn
I love your, your power use of black. I feel like black and white is, are such a strong colors, especially together. Speaking of that stripe. But you've really utilized black to ground the spaces. Not saying you don't have. You have beautiful colors. Well, in the rooms, but I feel like you use black so well. Where do you find it best to use black other than everywhere being your answer? Because I feel like you have it in every space.
- [32:30]
David Jimenez
That's a great observation.
- [32:31]
Taryn
Or how to do it correctly.
- [32:33]
David Jimenez
Yeah, yeah, yeah, It's a great observation. I think black adds a level of punctuation to a space. And if you look closely, one of the places where I enjoy using black the most is in my lampshades. And it's almost consistent across. I would say 95% of my lampshades, they're. They're all black. And they're different shapes, obviously appropriate to the size and scale of the lamp, but they're all. They're all black. And I love using black in a room because it's, it's like a. It's like an underline to a space. And certainly I also enjoy using black through the lampshades because they. I oftentimes use them in pairs. And there's a lot of symmetry in my spaces, though that may not be obviously immediately apparent. You know, when you look at a room, at one of the rooms in the photos, I very much enjoy the idea of symmetry, and I also enjoy spaces that are asymmetrical. But black is a really wonderful way of bringing in a contrast to a room and making it feel like there's no chance of that room going prosaic. And in addition to using black, I also very much enjoy using some rich jewel tone colors as pops of colors in the spaces. And, you know, early on, I. There are certain interior designers that have touched me and who have resonated deeply with me and who I've admired so much that I've brought in some things that remind me of them in a way into my projects. And one of those designers is me, Madeleine Castaigng. She was an incredibly talented French interior designer at a time when. When there weren't very many female interior designers, women interior designers doing the craft. And she came in and. And did some really, really incredible work. Her style is opulent, right? And so she uses leopard rugs throughout all of her spaces or throughout a majority of her spaces. She has these beautiful, bold rooms of color, like these gorgeous deep turquoise tones that she would saturate rooms with. She used a lot of symmetry in her projects. She also used a lot of black lampshades in her projects as well. And so, you know, you become a student of masters, and, and I, and I, when I see something that, that I, that I love or that I resonate with, you know, I spend a lot of time analyzing, okay, what is it about the space that touches me, whether that's in a magazine today or in a book, a design book, and I try to pinpoint, what is it specifically? Is it the way that the furniture is set up? Is it the color on the wall? Is it the way that a throw got layered over an accent piece in the room? And when I land on what that thing is, somehow, you know, I store that somewhere in my memory bank. And then later on, I think wow. You know, as I'm putting a room together, hey, there's that thing that I saw. You know, Henri Samuel likes to put chez lounges in front of fireplaces, or he brings chaise lounges into seating areas. And that touches me because I feel like, okay, well, what a cool idea if you've got a long, narrow room, right? And you're going to set that room up with furnishings. If you take a chaise lounge, if you take a bench and you drop it in the center of the room and you build your furniture groupings off of that center point, you've created a really dynamic arrangement of seating because you can have a sofa, you can have chairs, you can have the chaise or the bench next to that space. And what it does is that it creates a bridge between two seating areas. And so in that way, I love looking at these designers and then taking a little piece of what they do into my projects. And that specific example of the bench, I used that in my Kansas City home, My Kansas City apartment in the West Plaza. You'll see it in the chocolate brown room. Super, super masterful way of setting up the room. I would have probably never come up with this on my own if I hadn't seen Henri Samuel do this in his spaces, because it was so, so brilliant to separate the room using a bench. And so, yes, looking at what artists do and what other designers do and being influenced and open to that, I think is a really great way to evolve. Evolve your spaces and learn and always be open to doing it a little differently.
- [37:01]
Liz
Okay, I want to get into the second half of the book, which is just so fantastic. It feels like you're giving away all of your secret tips and places that you just love. And it really does become more of a tour guide, a tour of. Of Paris. Like, I would love to take your book on. Like, you even give walking tours of how to find color in Paris and. And to develop your color schemes. So thank you for the second half of the book, too, because it's. It's just phenomenal.
- [37:38]
David Jimenez
My pleasure. From the onset, when Diane and I were talking about the point of view for the book, we knew that we were both incredibly passionate about Paris. She had the opportunity of living in Paris as well for many years, and Francophiles, I think, at the heart. And so our intention was, how do we put together a love letter from Paris? How do we share a Paris that really focuses on the beauty and the majesty of the city and of other areas within France, but then also highlight some of the Incredible artisans that do work, what they do in the city. And so one of the benefits of being an interior designer and working closely with clients is that as a result of being an American in Paris, I've got the benefit of understanding an American sensibility and then the access in France and in Europe to all of these incredible artisans that do this amazing work. And we're talking about historic houses that have been doing this for centuries, like Prel, which does the most exquisite custom fabrics that are in the Louvre museum. You know, they were doing this for kings and they're still based out of Lyon where they produce and manufacture all of the gorgeous fabrics that they develop. And to be able to work closely with a team in Paris, because they have a location in Paris, a beautiful, beautiful showroom in Paris, to be able to work closely with this team one on one on developing the nuance of the fibers of the fabric that are going to get woven into this beautiful, beautiful suite of curtains for this dramatic Fifth Avenue living room is a thing of dreams, right? It's like I'm being, I'm being guided and working with these incredible artisans. Another great example of that is Maison de l', il, which is a third generation owned lighting company where when you walk into the, their spectacular looking showroom in Paris, the drawings of the grandfather of the current owner are hanging on all of the walls. And it's walls covered in beauty. It's all of his hand rendered sketches for these spectacular wall sconces and chandeliers that he was developing. So the concept was how do we take the access that I've got to this incredible talent that is, I mean, they're patrimoine, they're historical, they're such a part of the fabric that is France. And then bring them to life through the beauty of the photographs in the book and their story. And then coupled with that, have a resource guide that allows you sort of an insider tour of Paris. So it's a little like, let me grab your hand, right? And we're going to do this together. I'm going to take you through my favorites of my favorites and, and Diane and I put together that, that, that, that list at the back and it's, I, it might be eight pages actually. I think I can't remember exactly what it netted out, but seven or eight pages, am I right?
- [40:44]
Liz
It's pretty extensive.
- [40:45]
David Jimenez
It's pretty extensive.
- [40:47]
Liz
You even give us, give us a guide on how to, how to approach vendors at a Parisian flea market and what, what to expect and it's, it's just such. It is such a. A handheld guide.
- [41:01]
David Jimenez
Thank you. Thank you. That was a lot of fun to put together. You know, I arrived in Paris. Well, I moved there not knowing any French at all today. I. I would never say that I'm. I'm completely fluent, because there, it's mastery, you know, to learn the language because it's such a beautiful language. But I. I understand fully everything that's. That that's being said to me. And with my thick American accent, which sounds like a Spanish person speaking French, it's a very sort of funny accent. They understand what I'm saying, and so we get along just fine. But initially, arriving in Paris, I didn't really know the etiquette. I didn't really know what's called in French, la polites, which is more than politeness. It's really the respect that you have for engaging with anyone in France. And so, you know, oftentimes as Americans here, it's a much more casual environment. We may not perceive it that way, but it is. You know, you'll walk up to someone on the street and say, hey, can you tell me where the closest Starbucks is? And somebody kindly will tell you, that would be an affront. In Paris, you start by saying, bonjour, monsieur. Bonjour, madame. And then you would say, s' il vous plait. And then you launch into what your question is. And if you can master the nuance or the subtlety of just those small things to engage, then you've got their attention, they feel respected, and the conversation ensues, and they're very kind and gracious and open to helping you. But if you walk up to them and just ask a question, culturally, it's very jarring. And so one of the things that was really fun to put together as part of that back section was some real. And we don't get into anything heavy, but some real basic etiquette. When you go to the. To approach vendors at a flea market, you know, what's the easiest way, surefire way of doing that? From my experience as an American and all of the lessons that I've learned that I can help anyone with, these are the top five things that you want to consider as you're about to ask for what your best price is or what the best way to negotiate a deal on an item is really the intention and the whole filter of that piece was on how can we be helpful? How can I be helpful? And how can I open my address book to some of the most exclusive, interesting, dynamic, fun, Rich experiences and destinations in Paris and in France for all of you.
- [43:28]
Liz
Well, again, thank you. It's amazing.
- [43:30]
Taryn
Yes. I feel like anybody planning a trip especially to shop, this has to be quite the gift for anyone. So thank you so much.
- [43:40]
Caroline
The Bible.
- [43:40]
David Jimenez
Yeah, with pleasure.
- [43:41]
Caroline
Do you want to talk for a minute about paint? Because there was a great section in that as well, that. And I, but I, I, you know, the paint colors are listed in here, so people can find those. But I also just really appreciated the kind of frame of reference of how, you know, there are certain colors that are sort of omnipresent through France, and they're also very traditional about their colors. And especially historic spaces keep the same color for years and years. You want to kind of give people a little history lesson on that. I thought it was very interesting.
- [44:11]
David Jimenez
Absolutely. You know, one of the things about living in, in, in Paris has been walking into so many of these incredible spaces. Historic spaces like museums or beautiful shops get you to think differently about design, that get you to think differently about. About furnishings, that get you to think differently about color. And so it's really funny if you go to the book, in a way, after putting this, this chapter together, it occurred to me that anyone that got the book and went to Paris and used this particular part, this very specific part of the book, the color part of the book, as a checklist of destinations and places to go and seek out and visit in Paris, it would be a really, really, really, really fun trip because it's about a page and a half worth of very specific shops that take you through a journey from museums like Nison de Commando, which is a museum that was basically formerly a home, now a museum that has this one particular room, the drawing room, which has this gorgeous shade of what was formerly green, which has now turned into, like, this sort of blue bluish color over the years, because it's, it's, it's, it's matured and it's spectacular. And so I won't go into the detail of each of them, but, but Madeleine Costang's shop in Hudebac, which has a beautiful, striking green color. If you just went down the list of the book, page to page, destination to destination, you would feel what I felt. You would be touched the way that I was touched by the glory of these spaces, and, and then be open to color in a completely different way, because it makes you smile. You know, I started without using very much color in my spaces. I've always been a fan of neutral spaces. And by the way, I still Very much enjoy neutral spaces because I think they can be very calming. But when you see color done in such a dynamic way, you think, how do I work, you know, a shade of peacock green into my apartment? You know, or how do I work a Schiaparelli pink wall into a living room or a boudoir or a dining space? Because it's that dazzling? And I think those things, those moments lift you, you know, whether you decide to go buy the color paint and put it on your wall or not. I think those experiences, they enrich, you know, they lift you. They open you to new ways of design and decorate, but also just make you sort of enjoy that moment thoroughly. So, yeah, that particular part of the book is a very, very uplifting one. It took me a lot of time to put together because I wanted to be really thoughtful of the selection of spaces and really reflect deeply on what was it specifically about each color within that space that moved me and why. So it's a fun read. That particular section is a great, great read.
- [47:15]
Liz
I love that. That's a fantastic reminder. There's a phrase that you use that I'm not going to pronounce in French, because that would be a travesty, but the art of life. And I feel like just the fact that you are talking about finding joy in colors that are all around us is a really fantastic reminder to keep our eyes open and to find those spots of joy and to bring them into our homes.
- [47:43]
David Jimenez
I think that that's beautifully said. I. I love what I do very much, but what makes me. What. What nourishes me through the process is. Is the experience that I have in the education, the experience that I have in. In exposing myself to. To new ideas or new thinking, new environments. And. And in the end, that's what makes it interesting, you know, having a room that's beautifully decorated. Okay, great. Now what? You know, but having a space that when you walk in the door, you go, wow. You know, everywhere I look, I see a memory. I see a piece that meant a really beautiful exchange with someone that I got to know through the process or that reminds me of a piece where I purchased it or that was inspired by something that I saw somewhere. And when I saw that piece, it was obvious that it needed to come home with me, you know, and so those are the things that I think fill you and that make a house a home, you know, that really. That make you feel like, wow, I get a lot of joy and a lot of pleasure from being here.
- [48:58]
Liz
That's fantastic. And by Putting them out on a coffee table, on a stack of books, you know, a jewel box that you found from a treasure. You. You're really inviting the people that are in your home to engage with that and to, to really kind of notice those things that you love too.
- [49:17]
David Jimenez
Yeah, I think people, People are touched by what you love. You know, I think when you have a lot of purpose and intention in what you surround yourself with, I think people get it. They walk into your space and they go, yeah, I see you in the space. I see you reflected in this space. That's why I think there's there. It's so important. Certainly, as I work with clients and I have worked with clients in the past, my intention very much is that I, with my knowledge, my expertise, my access and my background and am able to be a catalyst to helping you achieve a space that reflects you. That's my intention. My intention is not to do us, you know, to put together a space that feels like David Jimenez was here. In fact, that's about as far as you can get from my mission and from what I love doing. My intention really, what gives me joy, Great, great joy, is being able to inspire new ideas and build on ideas that you want for your own space. So you have a vision for how you want to put the space together, and you're not quite sure or feel a little uncomfortable or intimidated by the process or don't. Don't know where to start or how to access the things that you think you might need. Well, happy to step in and support you. And through your filter, through your vision, through your aspiration for that space, step in and say, okay, these are three other ways that we could bring this to life and build on the ideas and your own inspiration for that space. And so in that way, the end product is very much a collaboration. And beyond being a collaboration, more importantly to me, it's a reflection of the owner. It's a reflection of you. It's a reflection of, of. Of what, what you want to be surrounded by and what makes you happy.
- [51:10]
Caroline
Well, it's a gorgeous book. It's Parisian by Design Interiors by David Jimenez by Rosoli. I believe it's out this month, next month, this fall, sometime. Pretty sure it'll be out by the time this podcast about. But David, thank you so much for joining us. And can you tell everyone where they can follow and find you?
- [51:29]
David Jimenez
The book, by the way, is available today via Pre order on Amazon.com or@rizzoli.com so you can purchase it right away. I hope everyone does because it really is like, like grabbing my hand and taking a walk through Paris and, and I hope everyone feels that way and is touched by it similarly. And the book will be in bookstores by the end of September. And you can certainly follow me at at my Instagram, which is avidhimenezstudio D A V I D J I M E N E Z Studio. And that's also the name of my website, davidhimenezstudio.com well, thank you so much.
- [52:06]
Liz
I'm going to leave this podcast and go restyle my house.
- [52:10]
Caroline
I think we all will.
- [52:12]
Taryn
I need to study your book again and again and, you know, dive into all the layers of each room. So thank you so much.
- [52:19]
David Jimenez
It's been such a pleasure. Thank you for this opportunity. Really appreciate it.
- [52:23]
Caroline
And that's our show. You can find all of the show notes on our blog howtodecorate.com podcast to
- [52:28]
Taryn
send in a decorating dilemma, email your questions to podcastallarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space.
- [52:34]
Caroline
And of course, be sure to follow us on social media.
- [52:36]
Liz
Ballardesigns don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. And please leave us a review. We'd love to hear your feedback.
- [52:44]
Caroline
Until next time, happy decorating.