Pierre opened his own agency, Pierre Yovanovitch Architecture d’Intérieur, in Paris during 2001 and today he is expressing his talent in some very different contexts through ambitious projects for private residences, institutions, hotels, restaurants and offices all over the world.
One of Pierre Yovanovitch Architecture d’Intérieur’s recent creations is the ‘Bear Chair’ – a collection of designs featured within the Invisible Collection by Isabelle Dubern and Anna Zaoui. When designing the Bear Chair, Pierre and his team wanted to create an armchair that was humorous, had similarities to a living animal and was cosy and soft to the touch.
With Pierre’s design direction firmly in place, he and his team initially created ‘The Bear’ – a large model of the chair. “I decided to call this the ‘large chair’,” explains Pierre. “However, it’s also known as ‘Papa Ours/Papa Bear’, as there also exists a ‘Bébé Ours/Baby Bear’ that we are currently developing – alongside an intermediate size which will be named the ‘Maman Ours/Mama Bear.’”
Pierre’s thought process was to create an entire bear armchair ‘family’. “This way everyone in a family can have their own chair,” explains Pierre.
When asked about the fabric specification for the collection of Bear Chairs, Pierre commented: “According to the curves and design of the chair, the fabric selection needed to be textured, soft, ‘curly’ and warm.
“The focus was put on beautiful quality, first-choice fibres (cotton, silk and wool), alongside hand-woven fabrics with a strong personality and timeless elegance.”
The Papa Bear armchair was initially designed for the cocktail lounge of Hôtel Marignan, Paris, where curved sofas and velvet Papa Bear armchairs create a cosy and intimate space that evokes a private home. Pierre loved the welcoming curves featured on the Papa Bear so much that he adapted the chair for private residences and continued to place it in interiors all over the world.
Pierre’s design aim is to develop a new contemporary style where solid underpinnings of extreme luxury back up a purist vision of interior architecture. He enjoys designing solid wood sofas, upholstered armchairs, ceramic tables and light fixtures – which all involve the work of talented artisans and craftsmen.
For Pierre, furniture adds warmth and personality to an interior space. “The volume, harmony and sensual curves of the ‘Bear Family’ bring sophistication without arrogance and playful notes – with its tiny ears, round forms and small welcoming arms – to an interior, firmly in the spirit of the times,” explains Pierre.
When asked what he feels the Bear Chair’s inclusion has brought to the Invisible Collection, Pierre commented: “Personally, I feel the Bear Chair has injected a warm, fun design with great fabrics to this collection.”
During the summer of 2016, Pierre Yovanovitch Architecture d’Intérieur moved to a new location in the heart of the second borough in historic Paris – an early 18th century mansion house, on Rue Beauregard. Completely restored and reorganised, this vast complex perfectly illustrates the unique vision for contemporary living that is propeosed by Pierre. “We now like to refer to this address as ‘La Maison Pierre Yovanovitch,’” comments Pierre.
Pierre’s current projects include a 17th century castle in Haute Provence, apartments in Central Park West and Fifth Avenue, New York, an architect’s house in The Hamptons and a high-end hotel in the Swiss valley of Zermatt, among many more.