Juan Pablo Molyneux

INTERVIEW WITH

JUAN PABLO MOLYNEUX

Juan Pablo Molyneux is a well-known interior designer from throughout the world. He is a devout classicist who produces vibrant interiors that are historically rooted without being historical recreations. His art is audacious, varied, humorous, and undeniably his own. France and the United States are two of Molyneux’s favorite nations. One of the designer’s favorite cities has always been Paris. Considering himself privileged to be doing the best job in the world, in his eyes every day is different. Depending on the project, his team and him get to explore different worlds, styles, and eras. “One day, it will be eighteenth century Russia or Mughal period India, and the next day the Golden Age of French furnishings, and then the most refined modernism. The only link between these styles and eras of design is my own taste and my way of mixing materials, textures, colors, works of art. The secret is to know how to combine it all together in harmony, to establish a dialogue between the different elements of a setting, like when we host a dinner and choose the guests carefully, some serious, some playful.” he said. When asked about his career, Juan affirmed that the very variety of projects entrusted to him, his work consistently provides a challenge. This diversity prevents him from endlessly repeating the same thing, becoming the best vaccine to protect against the infection of boredom. “Of course, the common denominator between all projects remains my own person, but each project inspires me, modifies my approach, makes me discover new worlds.” Juan added. His projects always stimulate his imagination, and the challenges of each project oblige Juan to find new solutions, to build on his experience and passions. Also, the variety of clients also pushes him out of his comfort zone, each client with a with their own tastes, lifestyle, and culture. Building a fantastic career, Juan has almost achieved everything in life. The journey was long and it is not over, he proudly claims, and any experience in a man’s life has meaning and influences his present and future, and among them, his country of origin is of great importance. “Chile is the country of my childhood and my family, and it therefore occupies a place apart in my heart. That said, I have always traveled a great deal, even since my childhood. At the age of 20, I went to Paris to complete my studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the Ecole du Louvre. I even undertook a coming-of-age road trip in what was called, then, the USSR! After that, I worked for a few years in Argentina in a design firm that I established there, then I went to New York where I opened the design firm, J.P. Molyneux Studio, Ltd., that exists today. In a few years, I was proud to become an American citizen. More than 20 years ago, I also founded my firm’s Paris office. As you can see, I do not care about borders, as I consider myself a citizen of the world.” Juan affirmed. Also, regarding his ambitions, Juan amusely said one of his ambition, if invited, would gladly decorate the Mars colony. As you probably know, Molyneux has surrounded himself with a network of exceptional craftsmen. In Paris,

“FOR EXAMPLE, they are often the “Meilleurs Ouvriers de France - M. O. F.” (“Best Workers of France”)

IF MY CLIENT HAS or the “Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant - E.

AN ESTABLISHED P. V. (“Living Heritage Companies), which COLLECTION OF OLD are official labels created by the French MASTER PAINTINGS, Ministry of Culture. These noted craftsmen THAT WILL INEVITABLY collaborate on major restoration projects of

IMPACT THE historical monuments including Versailles, PROJECT IN ITS VERY Fontainebleau, the Louvre, the castles of the Loire or the cathedrals of the Middle Ages

COMPOSITION. IF like Notre Dame de Paris, and Molyneux HE IS CRAZY ABOUT is a member of the Board of Directors of

RACEHORSES OR major private heritage organizations such as

IF HE IS A MUSIC The World Monuments Fund, The French LOVER, I WILL INFUSE Heritage Society and The American Friends THE PROJECT WITH of Versailles. They raise funds to finance THESE PARTICULAR restoration campaigns of many historic monuments, not only in France but also COMPONENTS, USE around the world. “I work with the same THEM AS A LEITMOTIF craftsmen as part of this personal commitment IN THE SYMPHONY” to cultural and artistic heritage. Through my New York office, I opened the American market to many of these artisans and artists who have thus been able to establish satellite ateliers in the United States. These craftsmen taught me excellence, the refusal of mediocrity and moreover, patience, as their time is not of “our time”. Centuries-old skills and techniques are the solid foundation of their unequaled knowledge and capabilities.” he stated. His greatest pride is to help promote the transmission of this extraordinary craftsmanship to younger generations, for posterity, becoming extremely proud when when he sees 20-year-old apprentices working on his job sites. “They are the living future of these centuriesold traditions and crafts.” he completed. Like any creative process,

interior design is subject to the whims of fashion and passing fads, themselves driven by what the industry calls “trends”. This is all quite normal and part of the universal and very human desire for change and innovation. It also creates a not insignificant economic value, stimulating the market in the sector and bringing opportunities to sell new concepts. When asked about what was teh trend at the moment, Juan said he does find it tiresome when, in the name of the latest fashion, the end of tradition is proclaimed yet again and everyone praises the new trends to the skies, presenting them as the true future of interior design. “I have always been very struck by how short-lived these “futures” are ! A new trend rarely lasts more than a decade and a completed project can quickly become dated and stale. A quick look through the specialist press of the last few years, a good reflection of the latest trends, provides plenty of examples. I believe this debate will repeat endlessly, so it’s probably best to keep a cool head. My real interests lie in something more timeless. I am deeply convinced that quality and excellence are far more important than these artificial and rather sterile arguments. Any quality product has an inherent capacity to stand out from the crowd, and so, by extension, has no need for fashion.” he explained. Refusing either to forget the past or to reject innovation, as long as it’s good quality, explaining that there is room for everyone. “I myself am not unequivocal and I like to create very different worlds from one project to the next. Within a single project, I will mix styles, periods, colours, and materials. The sole arbiter is the harmony of the whole and the balance between these components. I design interiors for men and women of their time, fully in tune with their age. I evoke rather than reconstruct. I work with excellence, both old and contemporary, to offer my clients the very best. There is no basic contradiction between true modernity and tradition. It is striking to see just how much the most modern contemporary art is best displayed in a classical setting. Why always oppose rather than try to bring together?” The old term ‘ensemblier’, describing an overarching approach to interior design, suits him perfectly, since it expresses the real basis of their work, juxtaposition, and mixture. In his view, there is nothing worse than false modernity, which it seems to him the most conformist and boring thing in the world. “You can’t scrub out the past any more than you can ignore innovation.

This is often hiding something. A certain lack of culture, on the one hand, the inability to recognise the richness of living art and contemporary creativity on the other. Personally, I have chosen to stay open to everything. I want to carry on moving freely from one to the other, without any hindrance to my imagination.” he complemented. This sense of continuity also enables Juan to be part, through hid designs, of the safeguarding and, above all, the handing down of the main craft industries, something of which he’s been particularly proud. But here again, tradition is no barrier to the use of new technology. The craft industries are fully open to innovative techniques such as CAD-CAM and laser cutting, and use the new synthetic materials. This permanent dialogue between heritage and innovation is a guarantee of the very high-quality products that have become a major contributor to our economy. The craft sector, defined in France by the expression “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” or “Living Heritage Company” now has its own official label (E. P. V.) and is achieving great success on the export market, helping to stem the influx of poor quality products with little or no added value. “The French luxury goods industry has built its fine international reputation on the highest quality standards and a culture of excellence. It continues to go from strength to strength and its expertise and top-quality products are the envy of the world.” Whith no specific there is no rule in the type of clientele, Juan affirms that for 10 clients you will have 10 totally different personalities with their own specific pasts, their unique sensitivities, desires, and requests. That’s what makes his profession so rich. No day is like another. “I believe that I have the best job in the world that allows a permanent cultural enrichment and a constantly renewed openness to influences. One day, you work on neoclassical Russia, the next day on French Châteaux, and the day after tomorrow on Palladian villas. In my offices, this perpetual movement of the spirit inspires us all to creativity and inventiveness. Enjoying what you are doing is one of the secrets of a successful project.” he proudly said. Regarding his relationship with his clients, he is always accessible and accommodating with clients from the very first contact, placing a great deal of importance on this availability. Most of his clients are busy people, and he appreciate that they do not have time to waste.

“I always ask that they send the plans and photographs so that I can have an idea of the potential project even before our first meeting. Then, most often, I want to visit the site and meet with the client in order to get to know each other and to establish a dialogue that will give me valuable insights into what the client is looking for and how far he has developed his requests.” At the end of this dialogue, a contract is drawn up for the initial general design phase of the project. It is then for Juan to make a proposal by submitting the general plans of the project and some elevations that allow him to make 2 or 3 “Renderings” of the main pieces. These color perspectives are very close to the final result both in terms of color, the rendering of materials and materials, furniture, fabrics ... Molyneux’s customers are often amazed to see how the final result is faithful

to the renderings that he presented a few months earlier. “What I expect from a client for the project to be fully successful is to be motivated and that at the end of the proposal phase, he has made a decision about my proposals. There is nothing worse than indecisive personalities. Of course, changes are always possible, as long as they do not impact the main lines of a project, its foundations if you prefer.” he added. As a global citizen, Molyneux brings a wide-ranging curiosity about all things beautiful to each project he does. His interiors have a strong sense of location about them. They’re the result of a long dialogue with the customer. They’ve been meticulously made. With over four decades of experience, he accepts and interprets— and reinterprets—the past in his work, building a legacy that will for sure, endured the test of time.