Family
Elegance, amongst contemporary furniture and works of art.
At
Alice and Paul-Charles Ricard, Violette 5 years old and Maxime 6 months
I spoke to you about Alice Ricard a few weeks ago. This talented illustrator, with the allure of a top-model, set off on an adventure with Little Cabari, her décor brand for children. With pieces including bed linen and wallpaper with unique, tailor-made patterns, Alice and her business partner have rewritten the rules of monochrome trends by offering colour and graphic designs in a feast for the eyes. I spent some time with her and Paul-Charles Ricard – AKA Polo – and discovered their home is an atypical idyll where art is a family tradition. Growing up in a similar context, with parents who introduced him to art at a very young age, Paul-Charles is part of the Ricard family, the founders of the famous pastis and now patrons of the arts through their eponymous foundation. Alice, on the other hand, developed her creativity and taste for rare materials at the ESAG Penninghen Arts School in Paris. I enjoyed an exclusive tour of their flat and contemporary furniture.
Location
Paris
TSF
Alice, what do you do?
Alice
I’m an illustrator and co-founder of the brand Little Cabari – my third baby! I created it 18 months ago with my business partner Camille Bazil.
TSF
Did your education lead you to interior design?
Alice
My father is an architect and he introduced me to this world at a very young age. I did internships with several artisans in France and I was a model between the ages of 15 and 19, which opened doors to several striking worlds. I continued my “education” at the ESAG Penninghen Arts School, and graduated in 2008.
TSF
How do you transmit a taste for beauty and fine materials to your children?
Alice
By consuming less but better! It’s like food; you have to eat fresh products if you want to know what things really taste like. The same goes for your environment. You have to create both desire and curiosity.
TSF
Are beautiful décor and family life compatible?
Alice
Of course! Décor can also bring a practical, useful side to daily life. A flat needs to be filled with life, and you become creative when you’re given certain constraints.
TSF
Which cheap piece are you most proud of?
Alice
My Ricard carafes! I reuse them as vases.
TSF
Where did you last go on holiday with your family?
Alice
Sant’Erasmo, a little island a few minutes from Venice.
TSF
Which artwork, objects or furniture do you prefer at home?
Alice
That’s hard to answer. Everything has its own story… At the moment, I’d have to say the tapis Ladybugs I designed for the birth of Maxime.
TSF
What is the craziest piece you dream of having?
Alice
A family portrait in the south of France, painted by David Hockney.
TSF
Where do you feel the best?
Alice
On my bed. I often work there. I feel like I’m in a cocoon! That’s often where the family meets. There, and the kitchen.
TSF
What is your home missing?
Alice
Two bedside tables, they’re hard to find (but not as much as the vegetable patch in the conservatory garden, if only!)
TSF
What décor advice can you give us?
Alice
“Dream your life in colour, that’s the secret to happiness” Walt Disney.
TSF
An example of poor taste to be avoided?
Alice
I’d say having everything in one colour… But taste is also subjective. It’s more a question of balance. For me, there are no rules.
Alice is the co-founder of Little Cabari.
Photos Constance Gennari @thesocialitefamily.com
Translation by Textmaster.
