Diespeker was recently tagged in an Instagram post, which led to us to review a project we’d been involved with three years’ ago!
The Hoxton, Paris is a grand 18th century residence in Sentier, Paris’ 2nd arrondissement. With 172 bedrooms, the boutique hotel has buckets of Parisian flair and heaps of history. It was built in the 18th century by architect Nicolas d’Orbay and underwent various manifestations over the years before being left empty for 10 years. Step in The Hoxton who, with design team of Humbert & Poyet, Soho House and Ennismore Creative Studio, took on the project, opening the hotel in 2017 after a four-year labour of love.
Diespeker played a small part in the achievement through the creation of custom made tabletops for the outdoor courtyard area. We were commissioned by Henriette Kockum, who at the time was with Soho House – but who has since moved to Texas where she runs her own interior design and consultancy business, Kockum Designs. We caught up with Henriette for her memories of our part in the project.
Tell us about yourself
“At the time of the project I was living in London working for Soho House & Co. Soho House has a long history of designing and sometimes operating the common areas of The Hoxton’s hotels. I’ve recently moved to Austin, Texas and set up my interior design and consultancy business here. I not only design spaces, but also help businesses in the interior design industry with growth strategy and creative direction.”
What was the overall project and your involvement in it?
“I was the lead designer for The Hoxton Paris project while working for Soho House. This involved designing all the common areas which includes lobby, restaurant, multiple café and lounge areas, a speakeasy bar and meeting rooms. This is a 18th century building so the renovation was extensive and the project overall spanned about 3-4 years. Everything was mindfully selected and sourced over that time, nearly every piece of furniture is either bespoke or vintage.”
Why did you think of Diespeker for the terrazzo table tops?
“One of my colleagues at Soho House recommended Diespeker as she had worked with the company before. Diespeker’s website was really helpful as there’s such an extensive range visible online – I could look there for inspiration and ideas. It also really helped that Diespeker was a local company. The team was always quick to respond, communicate and send samples. Truly, because Diespeker was so communicative, there wasn’t really a chance for any other supplier to get in the mix.”
What was your brief for the tabletops?
“I found a product on the website which was really close to what I was looking for. After requesting a sample and seeing it in person, I had a pretty clear idea of what alterations would make it perfect for this project. I asked if we could change the background colour slightly and gave a reference for what it should be. And also, if we could increase the size of some of the stones and change the colour of one of them to a specific mustard tone. Other than these aesthetic parts of the brief, the surface has to be durable enough for outdoor use and fit within a tabletop tray which was attached to the base.”
Photo credit: @rivieparis via Instagram
You mentioned lots of samples, how many did Diespeker make up before ‘the one’!
“I believe there were a couple of early samples which were sent as images over email. Diespeker knew they weren’t 100% accurate but wanted to keep me posted on the progress. After giving some more feedback I think there may have been one or two more which were sent as physical samples to me until the last one was perfect.”
What was the turnaround time for samples?
“I can’t fully recall the turnaround time – but I believe it was a week or so between each iteration. It took some time to get the colour right, especially the background. I was picky!”
The final product looks lovely, are you pleased with the effect?
“I’m super pleased with how they turned out. I really appreciate the work Diespeker put in in order to truly fulfil the design vision.”
It’s a testament to the team that Henriette so clearly remembers the way that we were able to respond to her requests in a timely fashion and ultimately fulfil the brief. The Hoxton Paris is an enticing hotel for a visit to the French capital – when the world settles down, we might well be tempted!
Thanks to
Kockum Design
Soho House
The Hoxton
