Have you met Philippe?

This past weekend I had the privilege to meet a famous French architect and designer. The one and only Philippe Demougeot, whose 7 year run of the segment SOS Maison on the France 5 TV series Question Maison always left me with stars in my eyes.

I was apprehensive about meeting him. This guy is big time, the whole sha-bang! However, even though he has alot to brag about (his show, his private practice and his books) he was down to earth and very enjoyable to chat with. When I raved over his amazing ability to sketch out rooms, then with a wave of his magic eraser show the "after transformation", he shrugged his shoulders and said, "well, that's what I know how to do".

He indulged my questions and flattery and before you know it, we were laughing and sharing experiences. I was not surprised to hear that after transforming hundreds of homes, he has never once had an unhappy customer. Proof that he really does listen and deliver what people want.

His books display his design super powers as well. My favorite is SOS Maison, before and after. It basically reads like his segment series. You see before photos, learn what the problem areas are and see the before sketch. Then the project is revealed through gorgeous after photos. Philippe marries his talents for architecture and design flawlessly. It shows through in the functional layout and in the details of lighting, color schemes and accessories. His ideas seem endless.

I hope to meet Philippe again to learn more about his process and hear about his amazing transformations. Who knows, maybe some of his genius will rub off on me.

Check out Philippe's blog and website for more information.