Today we’re taking you behind the scenes of Luxoria Interiors recent feature on Man Repeller. We’ll give you the details and links of artwork and objects and we’ll let you know what was involved in making the feature happen. Just hover over the blog and item descriptions for clickable links!

Man Repeller is one of our favorite blogs. Their look is colourful, stylish, eclectic and fun. We knew the french riviera home of Luxoria founder, director and interior architect Bjarni Breidfjord & partner fashion photographer James Pouliot would look amazing on the site, so we sent them a pitch.

Editor in Chief Leandra Medine gave her ok on the feature and gave us a deadline to have everything wrapped up and ready to go.

We chose to work with Pascal Pronnier, a photographer from Nice who specialises in Interior Photoshoots and has had many years of experience working with prestigious Real Estate companies and architects. He instantly knows how to get the best out of a room and since we only had a couple of hours to shoot, this quality was imperative!

The next step was styling the apartment so that Bjarni & James’ artwork collection and designer furniture was the main focus. We took out unnecessary bits and pieces, decluttering the kitchen, changing covers and making sure all lamps and lights were working. Bjarni has an enormous collection of design, architecture and fashion books, add to that James’ collection of photography and lifestyle books and we’re looking at over 300 pieces most of which are displayed in the living room. We decided to take a number of them away so the shelves looked balanced. All this took a few hours to organise which meant we only had to buy some fresh flowers to add on the day of the shoot which was happening on a Sunday afternoon.

An hour before Pascal arrived we put the flowers in place and did some last minute retouches. Everything was picture perfect and ready to shoot. It took Pascal around 2 hours to get all the shots necessary. He then had to edit the photos and send them off to our Man Repeller contact Harling Ross so the editorial team could take a look.

Bjarni & James were followed up with an online interview and a few days later we were live!

Looking into the dining room

“This is really the place we congregate in the apartment. Every evening we come together to eat at the table but even when we have friends over we tend to hang out in the dining room”.

Artwork: Palm Springs #2 2015 by Dean West
Furniture: Custom made Nero Marquina Marble Table designed by Bjarni Breidfjord,
Dining Chairs: Colette by Baxter in Kashmir Turquoise and Texture Light Twill
Bespoke Curtains: custom made using Pierre Frey fabrics in velvet Opera Fuschia and Pixel
Chandelier: Antique

Looking into the living room from dining room

“Being Icelandic, I always wanted to own a piece of artwork from a fellow native. When I saw this piece I knew it was made for me. I think it’s beautiful and it really brightens up a room”.

Artwork: One of a kind sculpture by Tómas Lemarquis

View into the Living Room

“We love this space but having said that, it’s probably the least used room in the apartment. It’s something that we will definitely make a conscious effort to change because it’s agreeable to sit here with guests and share a drink and some good conversation”.

Artwork: Large painting by Páll Haukur & Totem by Michel Bisbard
Furniture: Giacometti Coffee Table by Porta Romana in Versailles Gold with Glass
Armchair: Souffle Chair designed by Kelly Wearstler
Sofa: Alfa by Zanotta Design
Side Table: Bell Table by ClassiCon
Curtains: Custom made using Pierre Frey fabrics in velvet Opera Fuschia and Pixel
Floor Rug: found on a trip to Dubai
Cushions: Day Birger et Mikkelsen Home
Bag: James’ customized bag comes from My Style Milano the style is Harvard in Bordeaux and Blue with his initials embroided on.

A close up of the beautiful handmade Sicilian two faced ceramic sculpture picked up on a trip to Capri

“This was our first trip to Capri, it was absolutely stunning! It’s everything you imagine it to be and so much more. The colors, the aromas, the people and of course the food. The traditional 2 faced ceramic sculpture is called Maiolica. The spaniards that came from Aragon in the 13th Century gave it that name as the firing and glazing techniques were similar to those used in Majorca”.

Candlesticks: Ellipse Candle Holders by Rebecca Uth for Georg Jensen DK
Serving Tray: Kingstreet by Eicholtz
Books: Nopi Cookbook Jerusalem Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi

Looking into the dining room from the living room

Artwork: Foreground Pierre Doutreleau Background L-R The Hairy Hunch by Shoplifter, Palm Springs #2 Dean West
Floor Rug: Found on a trip to Istanbul

Bookshelves in Living Room

“We both love to read. It’s relaxing & informative. We tend to have a penchant for fashion, design and lifestyle. We often receive books as gifts from friends which is always nice to add another to the collection. We easily have over 300 books”.

Artwork: Totem Pole Michel Bisbard
Shelves: By Baxter
Bibelots: All the decorative pieces on the shelves were collected during different voyages or given to Bjarni & James as gifts

View of the entrance featuring a painted motif by a local artist

“We decided the hallway was a little too boring, so we brought in an artist to liven it up. We wanted the artwork from Xavier Theunis to really pop, hence the flow of the black pattern that directs your regard straight to it. It shocked a few people to start off with but now everyone loves it as much as we do”.

Artwork: Xavier Theunis, Small Painting on right wall by Yasmine Esfendiary
Mirror: Flow by Deknudt

Looking left from the entrance into guest bathroom

“When we redid the apartment, one thing on top of our priority list was adding underfloor heating to all the tiled spaces. There’s nothing better than hopping out of the shower and stepping onto a warm floor or being able to cook barefoot in the kitchen. It’s something worth investing in”.

Artwork: Antique Chinese Silk Caligraphy
Side Table: JNL collection

In the kitchen

“We both love to cook and even though our kitchen isn’t huge, it’s a really pleasant space to prepare meals in. It’s unusual to have wallpaper in a kitchen but Bjarni had the idea and the results are fantastic. Our apartment in Paris has the same style although the cabinetry is black and we have monkey wallpaper from House of Hackney”.

Wallpaper: Djembe in black by Pierre Frey
Custom made cabinetry and marble bench tops

Bedroom and Ensuite

“Bjarni is tall and I like my space so a King size bed was a must when furnishing our bedroom. If you take a look you’ll notice all our bathrooms have the metro tiles and marble countertops. The pillow cases were found during a trip to Marrakech. We have been there a number of times and each trip we come back with some amazing artisanal pieces. The sequins are actually small brass discs”.

Armchair: Redono by Patricia Urquiola
Artwork: Wall art sculpture by french artist Yann Masseyeff
Bed Table: Eicholtz
Bed Spread: Madura
Pillows: Found on a trip to Morocco

Inside the Ensuite

“Even though we use it on rare occasions, we knew a bathtub was an important item and one we were not prepared to give up. Ours is deep so it’s a pure moment of relaxation once you hop in”.

Gallery Wall in Office #1

“Hanging here are pieces that are dear to me that have been obtained over the years, you’ll notice the map of Iceland to the right. We’re currently looking for a much bigger office space, something in the same style would be perfect. I love high ceilings and wooden floors”.

James Pouliot: the photographer behind @boywithnofashion and French_riviera_photographer on Instagram. James, originally from the U.S and known for his Fashion Week Street Style photos, having worked with some of the biggest influencers as well as being the top photographer on the French Riviera for couple shoots and elopement photos.
Bjarni Breidfjord: Luxoria Founder, Director and award winning Interior Architect, Bjarni is Icelandic but has been on the Riviera for almost two decades. Having lived in South America as a child and spending a number of years in Spain later on in life, he has an International flair that he brings to the table when dealing with projects at Luxoria.

Take a look at our feature that includes more photos and of course the interview with Bjarni & James!
Here it is….

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or in regards to having the Luxoria team work with you. We do full project management, meaning we have a reliable team of experts to accompany you from start to finish.

We’d also would love to hear your feedback on the Man Repeller feature so leave a comment or drop us a line at Luxoria Interiors.