INTERIORS BY - Sepia Design

- Can you introduce yourself? Can you introduce your work?

My name is Vincent Leblond and 4 years ago I founded Sepia Interior Design. After a rather atypical career made up of divergent paths, I launched myself as a self-taught interior architect. My motivation was fuelled by my curiosity, my need to create, but also my desire to work in a multi-talented profession that enables me to directly improve people's lives.
The places we live in and the objects we use every day have all been imagined, thought about and designed by someone. This has always fascinated me, and I want to contribute to it in my own way. Insofar as something is created with the primary aim of serving a function, I systematically ask myself the question: how can we make this thing more visually harmonious, more aesthetically pleasing? It's the perpetual quest for answers to these questions that drives Sepia Interior Design.

- Can you describe your project? What was the background to this project?

This superb project nestled in the heart of Saint Germain-des-Prés had clear specifications from the outset: a total, high-quality renovation, with the aim of renting the turnkey apartment to a very specific target. The watchwords: contemporary, elegant, designer, Parisian. The first stage involved a colossal amount of structural work, rethinking the entire space, which was initially dilapidated and convoluted. This optimization of floor space created a better field of expression for the furniture.

With a somewhat modest ceiling height, I thought of furniture relatively close to the floor so as not to obstruct the visual space too much. When I discovered the TODD seating module set at NV Gallery, it was an obvious choice, as it perfectly suited the CDC and, from a personal point of view, I was seduced by its balance. A real presence brought by its monobloc appearance, versus a certain softness conveyed by its curved lines. A complicated design exercise to master, but one that demonstrates the talent of its creator.

- What were your inspirations for this project?

I never really know where inspiration comes from. It's probably a condensation of things my brain has recorded over the years. And when I walk into a place, I mix all that up with the instructions I've been given, and pretty soon there's a flow of ideas that gets going. In this case, I'd say that the TODD sofa had a lot to do with the result, as I more or less built the furnishing and decorating project around it and its two-tone play.

I also opted for a mineral theme, with a number of integrated elements in travertine or beige marble (worktops, basins, radiator tops, etc.), backed up by subtle reminders such as the EMILIO bedside tables and the GAIA lamp. These tamed natural stones lend weight to the material, but lightness to the light tones.

- What do you think of furniture and the NV GALLERY brand?

Basically, I'm very partial to 20th-century furniture and objects, and I work mainly with brokers who specialize in vintage. So manufacturers of modern furniture aren't really part of my address book... But I have to admit that I fell in love with NV Gallery because the designs are brilliant and the concept/price ratio is, in my opinion, unrivalled on the market today.

- What is your favorite NV GALLERY piece?

I have a soft spot for the GAIA lamp in travertine with the ecru linen shade. That's what I love about design: if the proportions are right and the materials well chosen, something as simple as a cylinder can add real value to a room. Complexity can sometimes be surprisingly sober... and vice versa. That's the headache and beauty of this business. I'd have to see it in person, but the new OLSON sofa caught my eye on the website too!

@sepia.interior.design

Crédit photos @edouardsanville