Three decades ago, François-Joseph Graf transformed the interiors of a 19th-century villa on Lake Geneva. As the art and objects that furnished it come to auction in London, the designer looks back on his ‘very fond memories’ of bringing the project to life
In the world of interiors, few people are as revered as François-Joseph Graf. The French architect, designer and interior decorator is best known for blending old-world elegance, balanced volumes and magnificent materials to create sumptuous yet timeless interiors. His design philosophy, he says, is informed by a love of history, an appreciation of beauty and a profound respect for the architecture of a space.
He is keen to point out, however, that each project is unique. ‘Balancing the client’s dream with the architectural possibilities of the house is an exhilarating but complex challenge,’ he says. ‘Yet the guiding principle is always the same: to respect the original features and enhance them so they can be brought into the 21st century.’
Graf was immersed in the realm of French luxury from an early age. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the Ecole du Louvre before taking a position at the Palace of Versailles, where he worked closely with Pierre Verlet, then the museum’s head curator. In 1986 he launched his own agency and has since completed high-profile projects for clients including Henry Kravis and Valentino.
Coming to Christie’s in London on 26 January are selected works from one of Graf’s projects from the 1990s: a villa on the shore of Lake Geneva. Graf was introduced to the owners of the property through a mutual friend, Yves Lambelin, whose apartment in Avenue Foch in Paris was his first big project. After working closely with the couple on their homes in Saint-Tropez and Paris, Graf turned his attention to their late 19th-century property on Lake Geneva.
‘The Louis XVI interiors were beautiful, but unfortunately not in keeping with the Swiss waterside architecture,’ Graf recalls. ‘After several years of collaboration, we decided to extend the villa, modify the facades, change the entrance, and restructure the interiors to recreate the atmosphere it would once have had.’
The villa became a temple to the eclecticism of the 19th century, each room with its own style and identity. Most of the furniture was carefully sourced from private clients and antique dealers, or at auction when the opportunity arose. ‘Buying in this way allowed us to select pieces by extraordinary artists such as Edouard Lièvre, Josef Hoffmann, Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat and Gustave Serrurier-Bovy,’ says Graf.
When it came to the decor and soft furnishings, Graf collaborated with some of the best craftsmen in France. Maleville, for instance, oversaw the windows and woodwork, while Atelier Mériguet-Carrère carried out the paintwork and gilding. All the fabrics were woven to Graf’s designs, or following those in the archive boxes of Le Manach and Tassinari & Chatel.
‘The quality of the French artisans who worked on the house over the course of two years allowed us to achieve a homogeneous ensemble,’ he says. ‘It’s what gave this house a particular identity, atmosphere and unique decor.’
Graf’s favourite space was the dining room, an impressive manifestation of Japonisme, the French interpretation of Japanese aesthetics that was hugely popular in the 1870s and 1880s. On the walls hung a suite of panelling with oriental motifs such as cranes, storks, parasols and lanterns in fantastical scenes punctuated by asymmetric sections of split bamboo.
The panels are thought to have been made for a tearoom in Brussels around 1870. ‘We acquired them at the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris,’ says Graf. ‘Once restored and extended, they were installed beneath a magnificent trompe l’oeil ceiling of bamboo and gold trellis, which echoed that of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.’
Adorning the walls and shelves was an assorted collection of ceramics, dinanderie and oriental porcelain vases. A large, Napoleon III-style carpet designed by Graf and made by Maison Braquenié and a Viennese chandelier in patinated brass and decorated glass completed the look.
The Viennese drawing room had a softness and femininity that gave it a particular charm. ‘It was south-facing so it always got the last of the evening sun,’ recalls Graf.
Its pastel tones, delicate Louis XVI gilt woodwork, and curtains woven to Voysey designs by Tassinari & Chatel added a sense of whimsy. In addition to the 18th-century family furniture, there was a strong collection of English and French paintings, including Henri Le Sidaner’s La table de pierre from 1917 and Lagny, le pont de fer sur la Marne (1889) by Maximilien Luce.
The neo-Greek gallery was inspired by the decorative scheme of the Villa Stuck in Munich, commissioned by the artist Franz Stuck. Among the gallery’s most striking features was the golden ceiling, with a celestial blue horoscope design from which hung a spectacular glass bead chandelier, with a silk fringed shade designed by Graf.
On the sea-green walls was a pair of magnificent mirrors by Edouard Lièvre. Complementing these were two Japonisme console tables, after a design by Lièvre, and a suite of ebonised chairs designed by him, upholstered in magnificent brocades on a ground of dark plum Gros de Tours by Le Manach.
The principal living room, conceived as ‘The Artist’s Studio’, was filled with Renaissance and neo-Renaissance furniture.
Inspired by an English gentlemen’s club, the study was imbued with a richly layered, scholarly aesthetic. The walls, covered in neo-Gothic wallpaper and walnut panelling, were complemented by brown and gold Genoa velvet curtains brightened with striped pea-green inner curtains, and hung with a collection of Dutch paintings and 17th-century still lifes. Of the furniture here, Graf was most taken by a Louis XIV japanned commode dated 1710, the top decorated with a central cartouche depicting warriors on horseback.
‘I have very fond memories of working on this project, completed more than 20 years ago,’ says Graf. ‘I would be curious to return to the house to see how the new owners have transformed the interiors.’
Though sad to see the collection dispersed, Graf views the forthcoming sale as a brilliant opportunity for new collectors to acquire an eclectic mix of fantastic objects with good provenance.
‘I’d be delighted to acquire certain pieces for myself or for my clients,’ he says with a smile. ‘Time goes by, but beautiful objects remain. Properties close, others get purchased, and new buyers will, thanks to this auction, enjoy discovering this collection, in all its quality, charm and colour.’
Source: Christie’s
