Working with Jolie

Jolie felt right for me as soon as I met Franky and Chloé. They had such a clear idea of what they wanted to achieve that I saw straight away how my technical profile could fit in here and what I could bring.

It’s really important for me to feel that my work has meaning, and that is why the Jolie Studio approach to design appealed to me so much. In a way, Jolie is exactly what I expected, as I knew this would not be the kind of place where you just come, get your drawings done and go home; because Jolie is all about meaningful spaces - so my tasks are wider, more interesting and ever-changing, which is exciting.

What struck me was that this thoughtful attitude is everywhere, and the same care is put into creating meaningful relationships, whether it’s with suppliers, clients or other businesses..

My Work

I love the space we work in: you don’t usually get to work in a studio where you feel so at ease!

But it’s not only that; The main thing that makes us different is that we are not just looking to create beautiful spaces: we are always giving our designs a purpose, a meaning that goes beyond images or trends, which results in spaces that move you on every level.

One of the best things of my role at Jolie is that I get involved in every stage, on every project, so I am working on a lot of things at the moment! A very exciting one is a boutique hotel in the Lake District: we are transforming an amazing old parish school in a beautiful village into a really experience-driven guest house.

I love that we are taking inspiration from nature, from history, from poetry... and it results into a timeless and respectful design that will leave no one indifferent.

My Day

I am quite a morning person; before I come to work I have already done some sport or taken a Portuguese lesson so when I walk into the studio I am already full of energy and excited to start getting things done! I love these first few minutes when I play with Chipillo (our studio dog) while I make myself a cup of tea and go through our project tracker; we used Monday.com - and it really helps me to get in the right mindset, make myself comfortable and sketch a clear organisation of my day.

What Matters Most

Establishing meaningful relationships with our suppliers is crucial for me, because that is the only way to ensure we are getting the best result of their products. At the end of the day, no one knows everything, so the most important thing is asking the right questions.

Other than that, I couldn't do without lots of different types of pen - I need to sketch everything from space plans to joinery details, I've also got a couple of architecture books with dimensions for everything that exists on the face on earth...they are very useful!