REVEAL OF THE MONTH

A new year invites us to pause, reflect, and reimagine much like the act of design itself.

As we step into January, we welcome the year with a sense of quiet optimism: new beginnings shaped not by excess, but by intention. This moment between reflection and forward movement is where design feels most meaningful, when spaces are reconsidered, refined, and allowed to evolve, revealing new potential through thoughtful change. It is within this spirit of fresh perspectives and transformation that we introduce Project Montenegro.

 

This residence unfolds as an intimate dialogue between architecture, light, and the personal story of its owners. From the outset, the design brief called for a reimagining of the existing layout, one that would invite natural light deeper into the home while preserving the calm privacy essential to everyday living.

The transformation began with reorienting sightlines and redefining thresholds. Walls were shifted, openings reconsidered, and circulation carefully reworked to allow the interior to breathe. Light now moves fluidly from one space to another, washing the rooms in a soft, uninterrupted glow. At the same time, subtle transitions create moments of retreat, ensuring that openness never comes at the expense of intimacy.
 

One of the defining interior architectural gestures is the glass-enclosed office, conceived as a floating volume within the home. Transparent yet protective, it offers a place where focus and serenity coexist. Framing expansive ocean views, the office remains visually connected to the social spaces while maintaining a sense of refuge becoming both a functional workspace and a sculptural focal point.

 At the heart of the project lies the client’s personal world of collected memories. Artworks, sculptural objects, furniture, and travel finds informed the design at every stage. Clouds by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec sets the tone from the moment one enters the space, reflecting the natural blues of the coastline and anchored by a bespoke C’est Ici bench. 

The Roche Bobois Bubble chairs create a relaxed, loungy transition that encourages social dialogue between formal areas, complemented by semi partitions and contrasted with a mural installation of Fornasetti plates.

 

These curated pieces became a guiding thread, woven into the new design language to ground the contemporary aesthetic in emotional richness. They are carefully integrated into the spatial narrative, informing material choices, proportions, and moments of pause throughout the home.

C’est Ici bespoke joinery and custom-made furniture play a key role in introducing deliberate contrasts. Refined finishes and high-end brands anchor the contemporary architecture with warmth and depth, reinforcing a sense of lived-in elegance.

The philosophy of calm, elevated living can be felt throughout the apartment; from the sculptural natural wood and stone entrance bench, to the statement dining table clad in Dekton’s Khalo slab, with Almendra pendants floating above. 

The Chameleon sofa is complemented by a bespoke travertine table, while the office and family living areas are tailored with custom units combining natural materials, rich textures, wood, and stone.

Project Montenegro is ultimately a story of evolution.

 

A home where openness and privacy coexist, where the familiar is preserved and reinterpreted, and where past and present find harmony. 

It is a space shaped by detail, light, and intention.

Designed not just for how life looks today, but for how it continues to unfold.

BEHIND THE SCENES

This month, our studio moved between campaign storytelling and residential design - three projects, three different scales, yet all driven by the same intention: creating spaces that feel considered, emotional, and quietly powerful.

 

For the Marmorino launch, we designed a series of interior vignettes to showcase the new collection through spatial storytelling and material layering.

Behind the scenes, our focus was on letting texture and color lead the composition. 

Each scene was treated as a framed moment, where proportions, lighting, and furniture placement were carefully calibrated to enhance the depth of the Marmorino finish. Rather than over-styling, we worked with restraint - allowing the surfaces to breathe and the colors to reveal their character through light and shadow.

 

Collaborating with brands such as Kährs, Designitch, Cassina, Vibia and Huda Lighting allowed us to enrich the scenes with elements that felt timeless and intentional, supporting the narrative without overpowering it.

 

This project explored how a single setting could evolve through color, demonstrating the emotional versatility of paint within everyday living.

Our input centered on consistency and transformation. By maintaining the same spatial framework and adjusting only the wall color and atmosphere, we highlighted how subtle shifts can completely redefine a space.

 

The process was about precision - fine-tuning tones, textures, and light to ensure each version carried its own mood while remaining grounded and relatable. Working alongside Kährs and Ikonhouse, we created one cohesive set that communicates the power of color in shaping daily experience.

This January, we turn our gaze toward Casa Esile, a residence that speaks to the poetry of contemporary architecture and the quiet elegance of everyday living. Designed by Felipe Caboclo Arquitetura, the home is a study in restraint, light, and intentionality. A space where structure, materiality, and atmosphere converge to create a calm, elevated environment.

 

At its core, Casa Esile is a family residence tailored with a deep appreciation for architecture and a particular passion for wine. 

This duality; the love of crafted space and curated collection shapes every corner of the house, from its proportions to the play of light across surfaces. The design celebrates transparency and openness while cultivating moments of intimacy, ensuring that each space feels purposeful and layered.

BlackHaus Studio, responsible for the visual direction and imagery, embraced this narrative, capturing natural light as it caresses the architecture and outdoor areas. Warm interiors, suffused with subtle reds and golden tones, echo the richness of selected wines, creating a sense of comfort, intimacy, and understated luxury.

 

Every frame emphasizes the interplay between material, shadow, and the human experience within the home.

The architectural language itself is deliberate and refined: clean lines, sculptural volumes, and thoughtful connections between indoor and outdoor spaces allow light and air to flow freely. Terraces, courtyards, and voids punctuate the home, shaping moments of pause and reflection, while bespoke elements and careful material choices from natural stone to timber finishes ensure a tactile, sensory connection throughout.

Casa Esile is more than a residence; it is a story of intentional living, where the narrative of architecture meets the personal rhythms of its inhabitants. 

It exemplifies how contemporary design, when guided by sensitivity and detail, can transform a house into a home that is at once elevated, intimate, and timeless.

Celebrating the spirit of discovery and craftsmanship at Nomad Abu Dhabi.

 

The itinerant design fair that transformed the iconic Zayed International Airport’s Terminal 1 into a playground of contemporary creativity. Set within Paul Andreu’s 1982 modernist landmark, the fair brought together forward-thinking galleries, designers, and special projects, offering a curated encounter with collectible design and art.

Among the standout exhibits were Hechizoo, presented by Iwan Maktabi. Founded by Jorge Lizarazo in 2000, a Bogotá-based atelier producing custom-made pieces from both natural and industrial fibres;silk, raffia, agave, cumare, wire, nylon, and polyester.

Hand-woven and versatile, their carpets, tapestries, and curtains merge into interiors like ductile architectural elements, transforming space with tactility, colour, and sculptural form.

 

While Latina design celebrated Latin American craftsmanship, blending traditional techniques with contemporary design. Their furniture, lighting, and bespoke objects fuse heritage with modernity, narrative-driven and emotionally rich, where culture and memory are experienced through every detail.

 

Atelio offered a masterclass in curated, elevated living. A destination for design furniture, art advisory, and collectible pieces. Every piece is selected for its visual integrity and ability to enrich daily life, and transform interiors into environments of beauty, culture, and seamless living.

 

Other highlights included Balenciaga, showcasing a dialogue between fashion and spatial design; the AP Room presenting Aline Hazarian; Bardo Collection showcasing Tunisian works; and Mida by David and Nicolas

Image credit: Nikita Berezhnoy

London’s Gallery Fumi presented reinterpretations of regional techniques like tapestry, alongside Kustaa Saksi’s visionary rugs inspired by his recurring migraines. 

 

Galerie BSL showcased stone tables by Levantine designer Nada Debs x Studio Lél, echoing Andreu’s pentagonal ceiling.

 

Each exhibit embodied positive design, where craftsmanship, innovation, and storytelling converge to create experiences that are both elevated and meaningful.

Nomad Abu Dhabi was more than a showcase, it was a lesson in the art of detail, revealing how material, light, and context can transform perception.

 

From immersive installations to carefully curated galleries, the fair highlighted designers and brands that balance contemporary vision with emotional resonance, creating moments that linger long after the visit.

 

As we step into 2026, the highlights from Nomad remind us that design is inherently nomadic: exploratory, evolving, and deeply connected to culture, memory, and place.

It offers a glimpse into the year ahead, spaces and objects that celebrate craftsmanship, storytelling, and the subtle power of thoughtful design.

Image credit: Nikita Berezhnoy

A New Year, With Intention

A new year always invites reflection before momentum.

 

For C’est ici Design, this year is not about doing more — it is about doing better.With intention. With clarity. With meaning.

Our focus is to refine rather than expand, to design with depth rather than excess, and to remain true to the quiet strength that defines who we are. Every project, every space, every detail will continue to be shaped by balance, proportion, material honesty, and emotion — the elements that have always guided our work.

 This year, the look and feel of C’est ici Design becomes more grounded, more confident, and more intentional. Softer tones, stronger contrasts, thoughtful textures, and timeless materials come together to tell stories that feel calm yet powerful. Spaces that are not just seen, but felt.

 Internally, we move with structure and care. We protect our process, our time, and our people. Externally, we continue to collaborate with partners and clients who value design as a journey, not just an outcome.

 C’est ici has always been about more than interiors. It is about creating places that hold life, memories, and emotion — and this year, we commit to doing so with even greater purpose. We keep telling stories.

 

Thank you for being part of this journey.

We step into this year grounded, focused, and deeply intentional.