The space is certainly not large, but it is more than enough to see what Sarah Lavoine offers: mirrors, lamps, chandeliers, fabrics, sofas, coffee tables, dishware, and other small goods. Located in Midtown, lifestyle and design guru Sarah Lavoine opened her 15th-floor showroom in the D&D building on Friday, May 18.
Having this space in New York is an obvious choice to the French decorator: “I love this city, I studied here, it’s always a dream to be here.” When Ressources, a creator of interior paintings and wallpapers, offered her a partnership in New York, Lavoine jumped at the opportunity. “I was already present in New York at Barneys but in a much more low-key way. This showroom is a real first step in establishing myself here.”
Lavoine’s passion for interior design began in the early 2000s, and her business soon grew exponentially. Today, she’s a household name in decoration in France. In apartments, hotels, shops, restaurants — her expertise is used in a wide variety of fields and spaces. It is she, for example, that the hotel Le Roch in Paris called when they wanted to redecorate. The same goes for the luxurious offices of L’Oréal and Le Café Elle, among other prestigious collaborations.
Today, she wants to show her favorites on this side of the Atlantic: “We have a good range of products to present and that we’re going to run,” she explains. “The space isn’t expansive but it shows our universe well.”
The architect did not have to make a selection based on American clientele. “New Yorkers appreciate the simplicity and taste of the French,” she says. Lavoine has previous experience completely redesigning an apartment in Manhattan. “I would love to be able to do it again,” she admits, “but my dream would be to be entrusted with redecorating a hotel, even a small one!”
