In the two years since launching Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier, the acclaimed French designer’s made-to-measure furniture brand, he’s been busy creating brick-and-mortar galleries where his collections can shine. He opened one this past fall in the heart of Marais in Paris, but recently inaugurated another in an 8,000-square-foot Manhattan penthouse to serve his growing stateside market. Much like his other gallery, Yovanovitch arrays more than 80 of his most notable pieces—as well as new furnishings and luminaires—in artful vignettes so visitors can experience them in situ. As with all of his work, the pieces reflect the finest of European artisanal craft, pay homage to his Provençal roots, and were created with longevity in mind.
Settling into Chelsea was also intentional. “It seems only fitting to open my first gallery location in the epicenter of New York’s art scene,” Yovanovitch says, noting how art is central to his design practice. He often approaches interiors alchemically, pairing custom and vintage furnishings with museum-worthy artworks in timeworn spaces to create arresting scenes whose visual poetry lingers. Here, he pairs never-before-seen pieces with works by the likes of Camille Henrot, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Alicja Kwade. It’s what Yovanovitch does best, and he makes it look effortless, but the unveiling is a milestone moment as his practice plants more roots in a market eager to learn from his tasteful eye: “It’s a long-awaited realization for me.”
