In the quiet hush of a well-curated library, a harmony of color, texture, and scale transforms books into architecture—creating a space that both calms the senses and sparks the imagination. This balance between function and beauty inspired French designer Pierre Favresse to help create The Library Collection—Assouline's new line of library objects and home fragrances.
"I've always been drawn to creation," Favresse says. "There's something about the smell of wood and the way materials can tell a story that clicks with me."
A graduate of Paris’s esteemed École Boulle with a specialization in cabinetmaking, Favresse established his independent studio in 2022, following a series of collaborations with distinguished houses including Habitat, Lladró, and L’Oréal. For Favresse, beauty and utility are not opposing forces—they are essential companions. This philosophy is central to his work on Assouline’s Library Collection, where each object is designed to tell a story, stir emotion, and embody the brand’s rich cultural heritage—all while serving a purpose.The collection celebrates literature, design, and the subtle art of curating meaningful objects for the home. But it aspires to something more: to craft environments that shimmer with quiet sophistication and invite continuous exploration.
“Each piece has its own character, yet together they form a family,” Favresse says. Through nuanced design, fine craftsmanship, and meticulous finishing, the pieces radiate an enduring elegance that feels both rooted and forward-looking.
Favresse believes that true inspiration often arrives in moments of stillness. “I like to relax before I enter a creative state—when I’m traveling, for instance. That’s when I quiet my mind and let my thoughts flow naturally,” he says. His work is also grounded in a fascination with progress. Whether exploring the possibilities of artificial intelligence or investigating innovative materials, he remains attuned to the evolving dialogue between design and technology—fields that now intersect more than ever.
Favresse’s collaboration with Assouline marks a significant moment: the publishing house’s first foray into the world of objects and fragrance. “The trust they placed in me to lead this project was both humbling and energizing,” he says. What began as a design brief became something far more profound—a deeply personal exchange. Favresse immersed himself not only in Assouline’s visual language and heritage, but in the guiding spirit of the family behind the brand: their love of books, the environments they shape, and the values they hold dear. “That intimacy became the foundation of the project,” he says.
These are not mere decorative pieces. They are made to be lived with, to enrich the spaces we inhabit, and to become part of our everyday rituals. For Favresse, inspiration is fluid, emotional, and constantly shifting. “It’s everywhere and nowhere at once,” he says. “It’s not singular—it changes with how I feel.”