Carte blanche
Belle Magazine Australia|May 2020
Granted free rein to decorate a 19th-century residence for her parents, architect and designer Marine Bonnefoy took a few liberties to effect a beautiful result.
Carte blanche

After graduating from architecture school, Marine Bonnefoy decided it was time to get her hands dirty. “My studies were very intellectually oriented and had no link to actual construction,” she says. “By the end of them, I hadn’t even been taught what holds up a wall.” To find out, she spent a year working for a building firm. “I demolished facades with a pneumatic drill, learnt plastering, wiring and plumbing, and made concrete. It was fantastic!” she says.

That kind of pragmatic approach has certainly stood her in good stead. Still in her early 30s, she has three times been named on the French edition of Architectural Digest magazine’s list of the top 100 decorators in the world. She recently completed a 95sqm apartment in Paris’s elegant Palais Royal area, is currently building houses from the ground up in both Marseille and Bordeaux, and is about to embark upon the renovation and extension of a seaside property in Brittany. With each project, her approach is the same. “I don’t do anything straight off,” she says. “I go about my daily life and it matures in my mind. I think about it when I’m cooking, walking and shopping, and only start drawing about three weeks later.”

This story is from the May 2020 edition of Belle Magazine Australia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 2020 edition of Belle Magazine Australia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BELLE MAGAZINE AUSTRALIAView All
The wow factory
Belle Magazine Australia

The wow factory

The sisters steering Zuster furniture brand put a creative spin on their own industrial zone.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2023/January 2024
OPEN INVITE
Belle Magazine Australia

OPEN INVITE

This handsome home in the NSW Southern Highlands welcomes within its walls both generous rural views and a steady flow of guests.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2023/January 2024
DUAL ACCENTS
Belle Magazine Australia

DUAL ACCENTS

American heritage style meets Spanish mission design in this harbourside Sydney home.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2023/January 2024
Grand vision
Belle Magazine Australia

Grand vision

It can be easy being green or it is for this house -that cleverly combines lavish spaces and timeless style, while also being kind to the planet.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2023/January 2024
POWER AND GLORY
Belle Magazine Australia

POWER AND GLORY

An angular concrete structure packs a punch in a new build on an elevated site in Sydney while its interior design offers a softly layered and textured counterpoint.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2023/January 2024
COLOUR BURST
Belle Magazine Australia

COLOUR BURST

A joyful exuberance permeates this heritage home reinvented by interior designer Andrew Parr with zesty hues, lively contemporary art and iconic furniture.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2023/January 2024
LA VIE EN ROSE
Belle Magazine Australia

LA VIE EN ROSE

Poised above Pittwater in Sydney's north, this weekender is alluringly relaxed - and offers holiday fun for family and friends.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2023/January 2024
COOL, CALM COLLECTIVE
Belle Magazine Australia

COOL, CALM COLLECTIVE

An ever-changing array of covetable antiques, objets d'art and unique pieces ensure the interiors of this beautiful store has a collected feel and sense of permanence.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2023/January 2024
BOLD CHOICE
Belle Magazine Australia

BOLD CHOICE

Architect and trailblazer Piero Gesualdi's Melbourne emporium, Mondopiero, is a celebration of timeless design and craftmanship, with a sprinkling of decorative flair.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2023/January 2024
HIGHER CALLING
Belle Magazine Australia

HIGHER CALLING

In a world that is typically more about me, me, me, quietly luxurious day spa Venustus keeps thriving three decades on with a true commitment to inspired client service.

time-read
1 min  |
December 2023/January 2024