Family
In Brussels, designer Thibault Huguet's light-filled hideaway
At
Thibault Huguet and Lisa Antoine
We meet them at the peak of the autumn season and, more to the point, in the middle of Paris Design Week. The thirty-something couple moved to Brussels four years ago during lockdown when a professional opportunity came up for Lisa in European politics. A godsend for designer Thibault Huguet, who was looking for a change of lifestyle - and more space to create his prototypes. At the head of the young designers' collective Meet Met Met, with his partner Jean-Baptiste Anotin, he is curating an exhibition for Design Week. This school teachers' son, whose childhood sounds rather like that of Marcel Pagnol, gives the impression that he is striving for timelessness. This is demonstrated through the timeless aesthetic of his profoundly functional pieces, with a timeless aesthetic - we don't use these terms lightly, we promise you - and an emphasis on craftsmanship, whose techniques and infinite precision interest him above all else. What era is Thibault Huguet from? We don't know, but his work is very much that of the current generation: polymorphous. They welcome us to Brussels, surrounded by the treasures they have found (when they are not the work of the designer).
Location
BRUSSELS
Author
Elsa Cau
Photos and videos
Valerio Geraci
TSF
Lisa, Thibault, who are you ?
Lisa
I'm 32 and grew up in Amiens, in northern France. I come from a family of scientists. I love travelling, especially getting closer to the ocean whenever I can to surf. I like to spend my time tracking down music (primarily electronic) and good addresses in Brussels and elsewhere.
Thibault
I'm 35 years old, born in Roanne in the Auvergne-Rhône Alpes region. I grew up in a very small village with parents who were teachers. I've had a passion for archaeology and geology, as well as drawing, since I was a child, and at secondary school, I decided to make it my profession. Now, I'm a designer. I work on a freelance basis for major luxury brands such as Cartier, Paco Rabanne and Givenchy, as well as architecture agencies for whom I design furniture, objects and perfume bottles. Alongside this activity, I have created my own collection of furniture, which I produce myself. My parts are made exclusively in France and Belgium. And I've also been teaching design at the École Boulle since last year.
TSF
What is the background of each of you?
Lisa
I chose to study political science in Lille and Barcelona, then I lived in Paris and now in Brussels where I work in European affairs.
Thibault
I studied applied art up to Masters level, finishing at the Saint-Etienne School of Art and Design. Then I went to Paris, where I lived for six years and met Lisa... in a pop-up nightclub on the roof of the Châtelet theatre!
Lisa
We met dancing.
TSF
Thibault, tell us about the young designers' collective Meet Met Met.
Thibault
The three of us, Jean-Baptiste Anotin and Helder Barbarosa, created it. We met at Paris Design Week two years ago and wanted to set up our own collective to represent ourselves and the designers of our generation with total freedom in the design of an exhibition, which you can't do with a gallery, for example. We presented our first exhibition last year, which we designed from A to Z, including the scenography. It's an association, so we don't sell the designers we present, and we don't take anything in return. This collective is made up as opportunities arise, and each continues to work on his own career. I'm currently involved in the Zaventem workshops run by Lionel Jadot. I'm also working with several Flemish ceramists on a collaboration launched by Wallonie Design, a Belgian organisation. Finally, I'm starting my second year as a teacher at the École Boulle.
TSF
What environment did you grow up in, and how did it influence your tastes?
Lisa
I come from the countryside, but I'm a city girl. I like the dynamic side of big cities; it suits me perfectly. I found it hard to leave Paris. I've dreamt of Paris! Apart from that, my parents were keen sailors, and we went to Brittany a lot. As a result, I'm crazy about the sea. Well, in Brussels, it's a bit frustrating... But when we get the chance, Thibault and I go surfing. I define myself by this passion; I've spent my life by the ocean. I also spent a long time on holiday in the Lot-et-Garonne, at my grandparents', and above all, I spent a lot of time in my grandfather's workshop, where he was an engraver. I was introduced to craftsmanship at a very early age. I'm still very interested in it, particularly ceramics.
Thibault
My parents were school teachers. I lived above the school and was my father's pupil in a single class from nursery to CM2, with between 13 and 20 pupils at the most each year. I had a very rural childhood, and I have this dream of returning to the countryside, which Lisa is fighting against (laughs).... I used to tinker and draw a lot with my father, who was passionate about watercolours - since then, he has devoted himself entirely to them - but also about the maritime environment and its elements, such as old rigging. We made lots of model boats and aeroplanes together. I loved these times of making things right from the start, and it had a big influence on me, building something with my hands.
TSF
A Marcel Pagnol-style childhood!
Thibault
That's true. I loved my childhood. My mother is passionate about history, and when I was a kid, I wanted to become an archaeologist. What's funny is that today, when I'm working on a piece, I take a somewhat scientific approach. I delve as deeply as I can into the work of the craftsman to understand what they are doing with their hands when they make an object. I think I got that from my mother.
TSF
What is the story behind this apartment?
Lisa
It was 2020. We needed to move as I had the contract at the European Commission. I scheduled several viewings at the same time during a round trip. I saw the living areas, and especially this very large bay window, this feeling of space - I should point out that we're both tall, 1.85 m and 1.87 m - and all this light. I also liked the beams. It was the first apartment I saw in Brussels. Thibault saw and agreed to it remotely. The added bonus was that we discovered our neighbourhood, Saint-Gilles, after the event because, in the middle of COVID, everything was closed. We were delighted to discover that it was very much alive, full of young people and businesses.
TSF
What atmosphere and décor did you want to create in your home?
Lisa
There wasn't really a very clear plan. We just wanted something cosy for us with the possibility of having dinner parties for our friends. It feels like you're in a sort of tree house. And even though it's Thibault's job, the decorating is still a joint effort! We talk a lot about our work. We arrived here in the middle of a lockdown, so we talked a lot about design and politics (laughs). We moved here together, in Brussels, so there's the furniture and objects we brought with us, each on our own, but the rest is mainly second-hand when it's not Thibault's prototypes. We're tenants, so we can only change the decoration. My passion for the sea is also reflected in our interior: we have lots of marine touches, including two marine paintings by friends depicting waves, sometimes a bit hybrid, waves and mountains. Since then, things have evolved quite a bit. And Thibault and I are always fighting over the paintings: I'd like them on the wall, and he'd like them on the floor (laughs).
Thibault
It's true that we don't really have a decorating logic here. Everything evolves, and I like the notion of moving things around. For example, putting paintings on the floor means you can move them around and change them whenever you like, depending on what you want to surround yourself with. I like living in my own little mess because it's creatively stimulating. I also like the idea of having lots of items that I've brought back from all over the place, and that I can tell the story of every object in my home. Brussels is also one of the antiques capitals, so we do lots of bargain-hunting.
TSF
Can you tell us about a room, piece of furniture, object or work that you particularly like here?
Lisa
We built our library together, and I really got into it. As it was done twice, the shades of the same wood are slightly different. Otherwise, we've travelled a lot together to Morocco, where I've been going for a very long time myself. I really like the rug we brought in and put in the living room. It fills almost the entire space. It brings a real warmth to the place, and when you look at it, you always think of the place where you bought it, a souk that you loved. We don't always see eye to eye when it comes to decorating, but when it came to this purchase, things went really smoothly! I'd also like to add that I really like the metal lamp designed by Thibault, placed in different parts of the house. It is a deceptively simple, radical object; it's both curved and angular.
Thibault
I'm particularly fond of one of my latest acquisitions, an Aluflex chair designed in the 1950s by Zurich designer Armin Wirth. I love the design of this seat: you can see the detail of the joints, something I'm very conscious of. And I really like our photography by Elliott Verdier, with whom I've worked: I produced the presentation box for his book.
TSF
What's new with you, Thibault?
Thibault
We're in the middle of Paris Design Week and, at the moment, with my partner from the Meet Met Met collective Jean-Baptiste Anotin, we're curating the "Factory" spaces for Paris Design Week. We selected designers from the young guard based on the year's theme: Terra Cosmos, spaces of the future. The idea is to provide a snapshot of what's happening on the international design scene.
TSF
What are your go-to places in Brussels?
Lisa & Thibault
Calmos (Rue de Tamines 1, Bruxelles), our favourite wine bar! There's always a great atmosphere, good funk-disco music, good wine and excellent croque-monsieur served with homemade ketchup - because in Belgium we eat them with ketchup. La pompe (Chau. de Waterloo 211, Bruxelles) is a bar opened in a former filling station: it's an institution in the neighbourhood. You can go there at any time - for a coffee in the morning, to read a book in the sun, lunch or an aperitif. Le longue-vie (Rue Longue Vie 31, Ixelles) is a very nice restaurant that opened last year in Ixelles (so not too far from St Gilles) with a bistro look, fairly plain but warm decor, a large bar, open kitchens, good sharing plates and natural wine. And at Brood (Av. Brugmann 225, Ixelles), we think you'll find the best bread in Brussels! Finally, the Object With Narrative Gallery (Pl. du Grand Sablon 40, Bruxelles) was launched at the last edition of Collectible. It was established by the publishing house of the same name. It's an incredible place, architecturally speaking, and the curation features pieces by Belgian and international designers.
TSF
What do you think of The Socialite Family?
Thibault
I must admit that I discovered your online magazine a few months ago and was seduced by its editorial line. Seeing people living simply in their apartments is a far cry from the image we're used to seeing in decorating magazines, which are often a little too aseptic for my taste. The spontaneity that emanates from the images immediately gives a feeling of closeness that is very pleasing to the reader.
TSF
Do you have a favourite piece in our collection?
Lisa & Thibault
The
nesting metal coffee table for the efficiency and simplicity of the shape and the use of a single material. And the
pink side table that fits in and adapts to any interior.