Architect Laura Gonzalez of Paris has just been named Designer of the Year 2019 by Maison & Objet, heading in to the event’s September 2019 season.

The 37-year-old designer, who trained at the Paris-Malaquais School of Architecture, has worked on a variety of Parisian shops, private apartments, beautiful hotels, and iconic restaurants.

“I feel that spaces need to have their own soul,” the designer explained about her work in a press statement. “I make a point of never doing the same thing twice.”

Gonzalez describes her personal style as “classical with a quirky twist.” She enjoys mixing fabrics, materials, and design inspirations to create a special, eclectic blend.

“My inspiration is classical, gleaned from the decorative arts, but I then add my very own whimsical spin,” she shared in an interview with Maison & Objet.

“I’m a huge advocate of eclecticism, and love combining different fabrics, motifs, materials, colors, or eras,” she said. ‘I also love adding a plethora of details, ensuring there’s always something of interest, no matter where the gaze falls. I feel that spaces need to have their own soul. And for each project, I work with the very best craftsmen, including marble masons, cabinetmakers, glassmakers, glass blowers, mosaic specialists and lacquerers. I really enjoy seeing all that creativity at work. The difficulty I then have is striking the right balance between tasteful maximilism and an end-product that’s totally OTT, but I just follow my instincts!”

This fall, Gonzalez is also working on her own line of furniture, which will be released to retail starting in the September time frame. We expect to see a beautiful array of pieces during the Paris Fall 2019 expo.

“My furniture is very ‘me’: everything is bespoke, you can choose the color of a chair, combine an endless number of fabrics on a fireside chair,” she shared with Maison & Objet. “The pieces in the collection will sit alongside one-off creations designed hand-in-hand with craftsmen, as well as vintage finds. Hunting for vintage pieces is another of my passions.”

Maison & Objet will be taking place in Paris from September 6-10, 2019. Stay tuned for all of the latest news ahead of the show, plus exclusive event coverage, right from the House Tipster Industry team.

To hear more from designer Laura Gonzalez herself, make sure to check out her video interview with Maison & Objet in the player below.