velvet windows & alcoves capture breeze in lisa bravi & romain joly’s reading room in france

mistralou’s tactile surfaces embrace the wind in toulon

French visual artist and designer duo Lisa Bravi and Romain Joly have unveiled a windy scenography for the eighth edition of Design Parade in Toulon. Hosted by the early modernist Villa Noailles at the former bishop’s palace in southern France, MISTRALOU is made almost entirely of fabric, and uses trompe l’oeil to conjure a reading room. Within, a gust of wind, characteristic of the region, has seeped through the window, gently setting the works into motion. From the chiselled velvet library showcasing textile books to a rocking chair and side tables adorned with threaded buttons, each detail sculpts a tactile landscape caressed by the element.

lisa bravi and romain joly collaborate with french craftsmen

Lisa Bravi (see more here) and Romain Joly (see more here) were among ten finalists in the Design Parade competition, and presented a reading room entitled Mistralou, in reference to the Mistral, the emblematic wind of the Mediterranean region. To create the space, they have collaborated with some of France’s best-known craftsmen, creating large, quilted panels that envelop the room’s walls, furnishings, and surfaces.

The furniture houses Pierre Frey and Lelièvre worked with the French duo, supplying some very elaborate fabrics, meanwhile the sisal flooring was designed in collaboration with Codimat, French specialists in made-to-measure flooring. Punctuating the walls, a velvet window gives a glimpse of a distant landscape pasted in canvas, while a textile alcove reveals a composition by Debeaulieu.

project info:

name: MISTRALOU
designer: Lisa Bravi and Romain Joly

location: Toulon, France

program: Design Parade Toulon

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.