Interview: Beauty Archi

Today, Geraldine of Beauty Archi has agreed to take part in our interview.

Don’t hesitate to discover her blog, which is full of inspiration for food, fashion, decoration and design.

Can you tell us who you are and how you fell into the world of decoration?

My name is Geraldine and I have been writing the Beauty Archi blog for over a year and a half. I write about decoration, architecture, design, fashion and cooking. I also like to present a few DIY ideas when time permits.

Decoration is a world I have always been passionate about. I remember completely redoing a stairwell with my parents when I was in high school, using images from magazines. A few months later, I enrolled in spatial design and took correspondence courses before joining the National School of Architecture. My focus is more on the scale of housing and living spaces than on buildings, and I love working with small surfaces. After graduating, I specialized in design for architecture.

What are your inspirations (designers, blogs, shops, magazines . . . )?

I am extremely drawn to Scandinavian design, Nordic blogs and brands such as Ferm Living, to name one. I have a particular interest in contemporary furniture. I would love to spend time antiquing in flea markets, but I have great difficulty making objects that belonged to other people feel like my own. I definitely like new, technological and intelligent materials, if we can call them that, as well as raw, minimal lines. You will never see old furniture or upholstery in my home! I regularly read Architectures, AMC and El Sketch. On the Nordic blog side, I devour A Merry Mishap and Ellen’s Album daily. For French blogs, I'll let you see my blogroll because the list is long!

From left to right:
Editorial coffee tables € 285 / Varpunen bag € 30 / Ondarreta chair € 339 / Muuto pendant € 349 / Eames chair € 366 / The Six Week Boutique pendant $ 20 / Ferm Living cushion € 67.50 / There's No Fire in the Lake colored candlestick € 66 / Eva Solo teapot € 69 / Douglas Legg bamboo trash bin € 39 / Bo Concept table lamp € 289

Your decor shopping list?

The list is long. I recently moved, and many things make me feel that I need to make the place my own and give this new home character.

I am keeping The Six Week Boutique self-assembly pendants in mind; they are designed by Tamara Maynes and cost around twenty euros. I also like IKEA’s new inexpensive graphic storage boxes very much. On the storage side, I cannot miss Varpunen bags, which are perfect for hiding everyday clutter. In the same graphic spirit, I would choose a Ferm Living cushion to brighten a sofa.

For furniture, I like the simplicity of Editorial’s coffee tables, designed by Philippe Riehling, and the fine white-and-wood Ondarreta chairs. For lighting, I once again choose the simple lines of the Muuto pendant and Bo Concept table lamps.

Finally, when it comes to objects, I love the colorful There's No Fire in the Lake candlestick, Douglas Legg’s bamboo basket and Eva Solo tea accessories, perfect for warming your hands on the sofa while watching a movie!

A decorative piece that you think will never go out of style?

Why not an Eames chair? Since I said I like modernity, some designers had a pioneering vision and an innate understanding of what might satisfy and fulfill the user. An object designed half a century ago can still be relevant and charm generations. I think investing in this type of furniture reflects a love of design and can transmit important values, as well as the history of an object.