Working in the business of Interiors, I am always looking around and taking inspiration from places I visit, hotels I stay in and restaurants and bars that I hang out in.

I am drawn to many different styles with a keen eye for detail and so I am always fascinated with other designers’ approaches and designs.

Recently a couple of us from the team visited Paris Design week for Maison et Objet.

I was delighted to get to meet one of my favourite Parisienne designers, Dorothee Melichzon.

A firm fixture in international design press at the moment, it is Dorothee’s holistic approach to design that sets her apart and appeals to me the most.

Her work is stunning with a detailed, feminine finish. Mainly working in hospitality, she has created beautiful hotels internationally with some of my favourites being the Panache and the Bachaumant Hotels in Paris.

Her holistic approach and background in Industrial design, means that she and her team at Chzon design all aspects of the hotels, from lighting and furniture to branding and signage.

The result is a truly considered experience from the moment you enter one of her designs.

Having previously worked in Industrial Design, Dorothee’s vision and talent have catapulted her into the world of interiors where her designs are some of the most talked about in the industry. Coupled with her humble, proactive attitude Dorothee is inspiring in her honest and humble approach.

She admits she is ‘always learning’ particularly when designing furniture pieces which has become an important part of her business.

She is also very quick to express her admiration and appreciation for joiners and carpenters, who she feels ‘make everything possible’.

Dorothee is challenging the commercial side of the interiors world by avoiding a trademark style. She cites Isle Crawford as one of her inspirations for her design philosophy in creating spaces with soul.

As such,  she does not want to develop a trademark style or signature look to which she can sell her designs by. Rather she expresses it is more important for her to evolve as a Designer, to use things she hasn’t used before and try things in new ways. She does not want to create one space much the same as the next.

Dorothee comments that working in France she is lucky that many of her clients have a real appreciation for design and the cost of quality, authentic materials.

As a Designer this means she encounters some truly beautiful materials and can layer them to create beautiful spaces and the ‘soul’ she refers to in her designs.

Here are just a few examples of Dorothee’s stylish, sophisticated and truly stunning designs…