Since 2021, the Necchi Architecture duo, Charlotte Albert and Alexis Lamesta, have been bringing to life a vocabulary that evokes both the hedonism of the 1970s and the refined elegance of the great interior designers of the 1930s. This successful collaboration is now being applied to the design platform Monde Singulier, for whom they have created a furniture collection called "EC8". An interview follows.
Can you tell us more about yourself?
We founded the studio in 2021, after ten years working in our respective companies. Our projects are truly diverse, ranging from hospitality and hotels to restaurants and retail, as well as private residences. We work on both shared and very different decorative themes. In fact, we enjoy exploring new things, which explains the diversity of our projects.
How do you differentiate yourself?
We always try to take a slightly contrarian approach to fashion in general, to trends, and so on. So, in our work, we like anachronisms, the unexpected juxtaposition, or the small, deliberate mistake that is fully embraced. Specifically, we appreciate the clash of eras, the mixing of very humble and very precious materials. In fact, it's always about rather stark contrasts. We would never deliver an interior that is too polished, or characteristic of a particular period or movement.
“EC8” is your first furniture collection, and you are signing it for Monde Singulier…
We designed it three years ago. For most of our projects, we design furniture, because you can't always find exactly what you want and what clients want. When we met Monde Singulier, we thought that designing for a publisher would actually be quite interesting.
What pieces make up this collection?
The table lamp Frances, the armchair and footrest Ray, the game table Magdalene, the secretary Aino, the coffee table Lilly, and the pouf Line.
What is the common thread running through the collection?
That's the game. The checkerboard pattern comes from chess. It's a small detail we wanted to include on several pieces in the collection, such as the game table and the secretary desk. It's also a family heirloom.
Why such a choice?
In the world of design, there are many phases of the design process, and therefore a lot of consumption. We buy furniture, we sell it, we throw it away: it doesn't last. But what's interesting about furniture is having a well-made piece that we can pass down to our children, and so on. If the furniture is well thought out, well-built, with good materials, it will last over time. And that's the approach we like, that vision. We also wanted to focus on those pieces of furniture that end up in a corner of the living room with flowers on top. Like the game table: our goal was to make it a bit more sculptural. Among similar pieces, there's the secretary desk: typical of the kind of object we inherit from our grandmother, without daring to say no, only to then put it in the garage. Our goal was to give this type of furniture a bit of sex appeal.
How did you make your choice regarding the materials?
These are the materials we use daily in our projects. For example, lacquer, for its shine and for everything it evokes. We also use marquetry, stainless steel, as well as leather and velvet.
Why was the collection named "EC8"?
“EC8” is a chess combination. Moreover, each piece bears the name of a woman, and more specifically the name of female architects or decorators whom we greatly admire.
