Claude Cartier, French Soft loading master. The studio of Claudia Cartier is based in Lyon, French，It enjoys a great popularity in the field of architecture and interior design. Claude Cartier, the founder of the studio，Is a versatile designer，She does outstanding works in architecture, interior, furniture and art design, etc. Her works have a lasting charm of modern Frencn. The starting point of Claude Cartier is designing unique project. Reflecting customers’personalities and life styles, she spreads the design methods and aesthetics to everyone. For 40 years, she is keeping luxurious in design style, in which rigour, boldness and extraordinary creativity are achieved thoroughly. The embodiment of modern aesthetics, she gains reputation from her clients and the area of expertise, willing to share her passionate adventure. 

In this Master Class, Claude Cartier focus on her different projects, how she gains those achivements and her sources of inspiration. She starts the class by introducing the cooperation with other brands. As a versatile designer, Claude Cartier believes that we must have passion for what we do and make persistent efforts. Besides, more exhibitions are bebeficial for one’s development. By using colors to show various installations and layouts, Claude Cartier integrates the beauty of decoration into the art. Her studio enjoys combining diverse techniques, adding historical complex and craft elements for the human sensibility instead of sheer industrial product. Everytime, through choosing and collision of colors, geometries and materials, work with architectural sense and layed style could be presented. There is a narration in the decoration and design, within which delivers the experiences and storie of the clients. 

Yinjispace：How you transfer the inspiration into work?

Claude Cartier：The reality logic of conception is complicated. I can’t make an exact explanation. But I it may be a process with some rules, which mainly means that the communication with the clients is always the most important. I don’t know what the question refer to: a decoration, a project or a creation process of an object. But what I know the most is the decoration, more specifically, a working process of decoration project. I need to have a comprehensive understanding towards the clients and the space. When I visit some places for the first time, I would always try to find a starting point or something, which could gives me a creative idea. It could be the relationship with nearby history or a flaw of the apartment and the house.

We think that avoiding the flaws so we could find the good solution. So it’s quite important to find the point when I come to a house. Like what I just tell you, it could be an art work that should be placed, regardless of anything else. Or it could also be a new found material. When I start the composition of the story, it’s just like a picture puzzle game, where everything would construct and develop themselves step by step. For example, the light, the furniture as we imagine, and of course some mixed inspirations. Besides these, it could be a feeling mode I have seen before to inspire my ideas or maybe a exhibition I visited, so as so many other familiar influences. Two or three things like these will be a starting point and then a process of creation. 

Yinjispace：In the classical project that you display, how some fragment-like geometries and color patterns are designed?

Claude Cartier：In fact, it will produce illusions toward you. In my house, I have two archaic cupboards. They are classical with the decorative lines. Suddenly I feel the strong connection between them, so I realize I need to build a bond to construct and break the traditional law of their structure. I cut a part of the cupboard to break the line rules an to add some colors. Fro example, I paint the color around it. And for connecting the two parts, I design some lines as a connection.

So our eyes could switch between them along those lines. Actually I create a logical space. The appearance is traditional before ,but now it has an illusional space. It’s hard to explain. Just like those artists I show to you, what they do are even far more complicated. Some surfaces or supports disappear, and be displaced by some geometries. Why choosing the one instead of the others? It could be a balance. In this room, somewhere a mantel you can’t see. I decide to create a space around it, laying bright square tiles. In the mantel next to it, I would find some oblong tiles for it. So this is the balance of form. Step by step, I put echos in my space. 

Yinjispace：Is there any changes in your understanding and using method of color?

Claude Cartier：Yes, it changes a lot. I’m in this field for over 40 years. In the first 20 years, black, white, gray and beige are colors I tend to use in my work. In general, the colors of the natural tone, and that’s why some people find me. I enjoy working in these colors. But it turns out a different thing about 20 years ago, someone told me this is restrictive for just using 4 or 5 colors in such a colorful world. And it is quite stupid to do so in the polychrome life.

Using color is not intuitive, which requires learning. Single color using is easier than many colors. You can see more than 20 colors everywhere in daily life. I try to feel what color fits me the color, for it is personal. I would ask clients their favorite colors and colors they would like to live in. And some of them would say they hate red, etc. I also ask myself’ s favorites color, intuitively I would think of green.

Then suddenly, I walked out of my comfort zone. I went to look for it, and now I realize that, in fact, I like all colors according to the place, atmosphere and will. This is a pleasant process. According to the starting point we mentioned before, this can be a carpet or a work of art. This can be a luxurious wooden floor or a tile pavement we will use. For example, I am preparing my next project, my house in Arles. I started with the series of ceramic tile paving products I fell in love with at first sight, that is, the work designed by Nathalie Du Pasquier for Mutina brand that I just introduced to you. This is the beginning. I think the whole house will evolve step by step from this series, which is a good example. I think this is trying to understand how to carry out a project and how to deal with color. I don't think any color should be banned. It's best to find the customer's preferences or your personal preferences.

Yinjispace：Those abstract geometries and compositions are out of design logic or random thoughts?

Claude Cartier：No, it's not a sudden thought or impulse, it's some rapidly developing intuition. For example, when Fabrizio Cantoni said to me, you can create a carpet series, although I have never done it before. So I asked myself, in my previous apartment, I had two CC Tapis carpets, using only black-and-white geometry. The patterns of these two CC Tapis carpets are named p.a.n.e. and Damier. In fact, it is these black-and-white geometries that first made CC Tapis brand carpets known to people quickly. Because of these black-and-white graphics, I also found the carpet brand CC Tapis. I told myself that I would start with the story of these carpets, accompanied by the design idea of geometric patterns. Because every time I see these carpets at home, they give me strength. I like to see it from morning till night and pass it. It is always there and gives me a lot of power. I hope to maintain this power, but it may seem too monotonous and strong on the whole carpet.

So I decided that I would only add borders to the carpets, and customers could choose from three types. These are three patterns that are very important to me and are the symbol of this carpet series. This is also a tribute to CC Tapis carpets. To illustrate, I use their patterns to design borders. So it builts the outline of my carpet. After that, it is obvious that I use black and white as the background color for the geometry. I also want to use color, so I have a whole coloful series. I want something more structured and moderate. Because when we use some strong colors, I don't want to be too messy. I prefer to be structured in graphics, which has the power of pattern and geometry. Then a large plane, which determines my color style. There is the change of geometric patterns around the main colors, which is the process that led me to create. It can be a starting point for the same idea as any project. I want to pay tribute to these ideas, the beginning of CC Tapis carpet, and the pattern of carpet. I think this is also in line with my preferences, because the art reference you see has a lot to do with these artists, such as Memphis movement, Daniel Brent and other artists.

Your color composition is rich yet not miscellaneous, how to get this balance? Some books that you would to recommend?

Claude Cartier：When I decided to study color, I made a lot of efforts. I keep observing things, reading books about color, people who have expressed their ideas about color, exhibitions, artists and so on. My opinion is that we can take one or two basic colors and do something a little rebellious. Do not do simple description and reduce the quality, but find obvious contrast, which is incompatible with each other. But in the end, there will be a process of deliberation, which makes this feasible. I think in my work, there may be a balance of strong chaotic things. However, there is always a boundary and an expression framework. In addition, there are always black and white marks, which can also bring some structure to the mixed colors. For example, in my entrance hall, some color blocks I like very much have a special tone.

In my opinion, the use of black and white on the background color actually brings strength to the color. If I only put this color on the old parquet floor, it will be more traditional, which will form a complete contrast with other geometric patterns. The particularity of my work is to mix these unchanging geometric patterns with colors. I think about art reference, you can see what each artist has done. In addition to what I mentioned, there are more than 100 other architects and designers, which bring so many possibilities to trigger inspiration. For example, I like a French architect and decorator. Her name is Lydia madelie. She use many gloss colors. You can also go to the field of decoration. There is an Italian architect I like very much. His name is Giuliano Andrea dell'uva. His idea is also very interesting. I found his use of color very special. These are two references. I think you can study them in depth. On the other hand, I think it is necessary to keep curiosity of everything all the time, especially of nature. Let yourself open to many different fields, which I think is an essential thing. It can let you find your own unique sense of color balance step by step.

Yinjispace：How to build the sense of order of the space?

Claude Cartier：I think it fits my personality, that is to say, I like boundaries very much, and I hope things are well built. When I know where the boundary lies, I need to break it and overturn it. 50% of my personality tend to create clear and strong things, and the other 50% have some novel ideas. I need some dreamy ideas. Therefore, when I have a space, I follow this 50%+50% rule. You can actually have a very clear view and then suddenly destroy it. I can't accept a space neither too regular nor too fancy, broken and has too much content. I prefer simple and light ideas.

For example, in France, many old houses often have fireplaces. Above these traditional fireplaces, there will be something called trumeau in French, that is, paintings or mirrors above the fireplace. In one room, I followed this tradition. In my living room, I want to build some blocky things so that we can only see decorations. In practice, the fireplace is surrounded by these decorations. This example relates to clear thing and idea I built. As a result, there is no tradition. It is between construction and deconstruction, between tradition and novelty. Therefore, we need to find a balance between them. The balance is based on what customers are looking for, because we face different kinds of clients every time. Sometimes 50% to 50%, sometimes 70% of the strong structure, with 30% light design. Or on the contrary, it focuses more on fancy parts, which is interesting. In fact, this proportion needs to be re-determined every time, for each customer, each project, and each customer personality.

Yinjispace：Any reasonable research in the design process? And what characters of modern French aesthetics could we learn from?

Claude Cartier：This is an interesting question. As you know, I am very close to Italy and I like to accept the influence of the Mediterranean. Maybe this concept is based on Italy. Or our perception of Italy. Fantasy and mixture have existed in Italy for a long time. France will be more traditional about this. When I started my career, people chose either the ancient type or the modern type, and no one mixed the two properly. Slowly, I fell in love with the mixed style. But I think we may have something special in proportion. Maybe it's about history, which is more constructive in the mixed concept.

It is difficult to confirm an accurate answer. As for the relationship between my work and a country, I think it changes with the personality of each architect and designer. In short, I realize that my works are often well received abroad. I think this is also based on some personal characteristics, on the duality of being serious and not serious, structured and unstructured. Perhaps it is based on the narrative expression of a period’s history, which I think is quite French. If you want to narrate the history of a place, I think it can be regarded as a French characteristic.