Take a look at your hotel wishlist: Chances are, Dorothée Meilichzon has designed at least one of spots you’ve been wanderlusting after. The Paris-based interior designer, who founded her studio Chzon in 2009, has worked on over 100 hospitality spaces around the world, from an Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland-inspired manor in the Cotswolds (peep our tour here) to a cozy chalet in the French Alps. Each of Dorothée’s projects has its own distinct aesthetic that’s drawn from the history of the building and the personality of the destination—but color and pattern are always in play.
Dorothée’s creative touch is evident in every element of her hotels, bars, and restaurants. “The furniture, frescos, and lamps are made by my precious artisans, like my cabinetmaker, my upholsterer, my painter, and my mosaicist,” she says. “I lead the decision-making for the dinnerware, the staff clothing, and the graphic design of logos and menus, too.” She’s currently working her detail-oriented magic on properties in the south of France, Portugal, and Spain—and a dreamy place to stay in Corsica will debut this spring.
Today, Dorothée writes in from Paris with her go-to hostess gift, the cardigans she can’t stop wearing, and the armchair collaboration that might be her next investment…
Above: Portrait of Dorothée by Laura Stevens.
You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?
A black, bougie Cube candle from Acqua di Parma in the scent Ambra.
What’s on your bedside table?
The book Lignes de Faille by Nancy Huston, a ring, my phone, and a glass of water.
What podcast or playlist do you put on when you need inspiration?
Le Goût de M from Le Monde journal.
What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?
Belle de Jour by Luis Buñuel, old James Bond movies like The Man with the Golden Gun, and all Stanley Kubrick films.
What has been your best house upgrade?
Mirrors.
Above: Green on green at Cowley Manor Experimental in the Cotswolds. Photograph by Mr. Tripper.
What’s a simple or budget-friendly design move you wish you’d known sooner?
Mirrors.
My favorite sheets are…
White satin cotton bed sheets.
My favorite paint color for the bedroom is…
Duck-egg blue or brown.
Above: Hotel des Grands Boulevards in Paris. Photograph by Karel Balas.
Three words that describe my design style:
Maximalist, colorful, bespoke.
First design love?
Raymond Loewy.
What item from your closet do you have on repeat?
Comme des Garçons cardigans.
Above: Henrietta Hotel in London. Photograph by Karel Balas.
Favorite design shop to visit?
A flea market called Paul Bert Serpette in Saint-Ouen.
What is the last thing you purchased for your house?
Utrecht armchairs by Gerrit Rietveld.
Something you’re coveting?
The USM x Armando Cabral armchair.
I don’t leave the house without…
Tidying it up.
Thanks so much, Dorothée! Follow her work at @dorotheemeilichzon and www.chzon.com.
