For this edition of Our World, Phillip Mathieson speaks with Guillaume Rolland of Liaigre about the ideas that continue to shape the French design house and its evolving relationship with Asia.

 

Their conversation explores the quiet precision behind Liaigre’s interiors — from furniture as the starting point for spatial planning, to the careful balance of colour, material and art. Rolland reflects on the influence of Asian architecture and ways of living on Liaigre’s design language, the studio’s approach to restraint and composition, and the contrasting qualities of Shanghai that continue to inspire him.

 

It is a conversation about proportion, movement and atmosphere, and the considered decisions that allow an interior to feel both calm and unexpected.

MATHIESON
To begin, could you speak briefly about your role within Liaigre and the studio’s presence across the Asia-Pacific region, and how working within this part of the world has influenced the evolution of the brand?

 

ROLLAND
Asian influences have been a constant source of inspiration for Liaigre’s design and style since its inception. The evocative use of light, the Zen spirit, materials such as dark or charred woods, proportions… Even though our identity is French and rooted in 18th-century France, Modernism, and Minimalism, Asia is also very much present. I would say that this influence is underlying at Liaigre. These aesthetic influences have taken on a very concrete form over the past decade with the establishment of commercial showrooms and structures in Asia — in China, Korea, and Singapore — a sign of our strong relationship with Asia.

 

MATHIESON
The Shanghai showroom has a particular clarity and sense of ease that feels both highly resolved and deeply connected to its setting. What, in your view, distinguishes that space within the broader Liaigre body of work, and how did the existing architectural framework influence the way the interiors, furniture, and artwork were composed?

 

ROLLAND
The Shanghai showroom, although at first glance it seems very different from many Liaigre projects, is in fact very much in line with our core identity. Every creative gesture at Liaigre is understated. Yet there is never anything overstated. This raw space in Shanghai is very much in line with this sensitive approach.

MATHIESON
One of the things we’ve always admired about Liaigre interiors is that the furniture arrangements often feel subtly unexpected—there is a departure from conventional layouts that introduces a sense of surprise while still maintaining calm and balance. How does the studio approach furniture planning and composition, particularly in terms of proportion, spacing, alignment, and the relationship between furniture and architecture?

 

ROLLAND
No interior design plan leaves Liaigre without an extremely precise furniture layout plan. The furniture is the starting point. We need to shape the design from the human ergonomics and the necessity of the flow, which is one of first concerns.

MATHIESON
There is also a strong sense of restraint within the work. Whether through colour, materiality, or the editing of objects within a room, the spaces feel carefully distilled rather than heavily decorated. How does Liaigre approach this process of reduction, and how important is the idea of longevity and patina in shaping those decisions?

ROLLAND
We apply a rule from the world of cinema: a classical composition ratio of 60 x 30 x 10 (60% of the frame is dominated by one colour; 30% of the frame is made up of a secondary colour; 10% of the frame is reserved for a highlight). This rule offers a feeling of calm and excitation at the same time, which I would define as 'twist excitation'.

 

MATHIESON
Artwork within Liaigre interiors always feels embedded rather than applied, sitting in close dialogue with both the furniture and the surrounding architecture. What principles guide the selection and placement of art within a space, and how does the studio define the relationship between furnishing and styling?

ROLLAND
Artworks are strategic tipping points in the scenario of interiors.
They occupy a strategical position on the path of the user and of the watcher.

MATHIESON
Liaigre has had a longstanding relationship with Asia. Are there particular qualities within Asian architecture, hospitality, or ways of living that have informed the evolution of the work over time? And more personally, are there particular places in Shanghai—or elsewhere in Asia—that continue to inspire you or that you find yourself returning to regularly?

ROLLAND
In Shanghai, what I enjoy most is walking around the French Concession, strolling about, and visiting the little shops. I love the authentic street food and the very simple eateries — nothing fancy. I love these contrasting extremes that coexist side by side — the kind we don’t see so closely together in Europe: nature in the city, tangled cables, the sophisticated and the rugged…a kind of exoticism that really appeals to me.

Liaigre will return to Sydney from September 1st for two months, taking up residence in The Lands by Capella.