Antoine Roset is the namesake great-great grandson of the founder of legendary French furniture design house Ligne Roset, and executive vice-president of Roset USA. We had the pleasure of a cool and candid exchange this past summer for Diary Vol. 6 when he stopped in to participate in Festival Mode & Design. Course we were seated on an iconic Roset couch at their sleek shop-within-a-shop at MUST. Where else would we be?
Antoine, although we’re a party publication and portal, we do value the importance of good escapes, be they in the form of travel, day spas, smelling the roses or simply nesting in the peaceful tranquility of our own homes. Given your professional perch at one of the world’s most prestigious and innovative furniture houses, what are your recommendations for creating the optimal home oasis to relax and recharge?
That’s a very tough question because creating that space is quite subjective. Personally, I like to think that your interior has to be exactly what and who you are as a person. It’s nice to have fashion and trendy magazines that talk about interior design but in the end, it all depends on you.I’ve noticed too that as I grow, my opinion on what my preferred interior should look like has changed as well. For example, now that I have a family of my own, it’s different. We keep our home the way we want; it’s not entirely kid-proof, but it’s manageable!Finally, in creating that space, lighting for me is always key. If you don’t have the proper light, whether it be natural or not, it will change the way everything looks and feels in your home.
Even when inhabiting the most serene of residences, life does sometimes call for an actual escape. When you feel that call, where do you go and what do you do?
In New York it’s quite difficult to escape the city so the only way I can really do that is through sports. I go to the gym once a week. Boxing is fast and an excellent workout. In the winter I love skiing and in the summer or when away, golf is another great go-to. It allows me to take my time and relax without my cell phone, with my family and friends. In terms of travel, Corsica is my favourite destination. My family started going there 45 years ago and we’ve been going to the same place ever since. We love spending time there with the whole family. I also love travelling to the Caribbean with my wife and kids during the wintertime. Since we always travel around Europe, we’ve been travelling to the US a lot, to mix it up a bit!
Antoine, for every volume, we select a theme. This is the technology edition and we’re exploring how today’s rapidly evolving worlds of technology and science impact our lives and lifestyles. How has technology impacted your industry?
Although we can never underestimate the importance of human drawings and design (it’s easier to express your vision through real drawings), technology has been a great thing for the furniture industry for many reasons. First, we can produce better and faster. Technology allows us to push the boundaries of design. We can use 3D machines to cut wood and such into the shapes we need. Manually, this takes much more time. The new technology is also very beneficial for the environment. We have less waste than ever before because with the new programs, we can secure the exact measurements of fabric required. And of course, we now have integrated outlets in all of our newer furniture and cabinetry so that you don’t have to go behind the cabinets to plug in.
As a party-centric brand, we’d be remiss if we didn’t ask about the best parties you’ve been to and what made them so fabulous?
Lately I haven’t partied much. Our baby is only 18 months old. I guess the party these days is when we actually sleep more than four hours!
Finally Antoine, given your impeccable taste and obvious sartorial elegance, what/who are your go-tos on the fashion front?
I’m a big fan of Alber Elbaz at Lanvin. There’s just something in his designs that’s elegant, without being too much. You can be casual and chic with Lanvin. I also love the materials they use. For jeans, Levis is my go-to.
Thanks for the sit-down Antoine and thanks for bringing the light and magic of your designs and knowledge to Montreal.
Photography SUPPLIED
