20 ARCHDIGEST.COM
These may be the words of influential French designer Joseph Dirand,
but virtually every interior designer, architect, and landscape designer
we work with says pretty much the same thing; it seems that the cobbler
often has no shoes, or they may be somewhat ill-fitting! Dirand’s extraor-
dinary Paris flat is featured this month, and he
indulged what he understatedly calls his “taste for
details” by crafting the low-key-but-luxe space
precisely to his liking; serendipitously, he even had
massive blocks of marble in storage, “waiting for
the right moment.” How gratifying for AD to be invited
to document that moment! In fact, this issue show-
cases creatives of all stripes in their own environments.
We pay a visit to AD100 designer Frank de Biasi in
Tangier, a place he and his partner, designer Gene
Meyer, find so inspiring they have made it their base.
“Being in Tangier is like one continual house tour,”
says Meyer, “and everybody celebrates their indi-
viduality.” Speaking of artistic types and home tours,
I fell hard for charming cover-star actress Dakota
Johnson and her idyllic California-cool abode after
watching her gamely host AD’s Open Door video,
which you can see on our YouTube
channel. Turns out the dreamy
midcentury-modern house has a
rich history and a great lineage,
much like Dakota herself.
editor’s letter
AMY ASTLEY
Editor in Chief
@amyastley
“I’ve spent my career putting together
settings for others, but rarely do I get to
do it for myself.”—Joseph Dirand
1
4
5
3
1. SIMON UPTON; 2. NELSON HANCOCK; 3. MATTHIEU SALVAING; 4. VLASTA PILOT/BFA.COM; 5. ADRIEN DIRAND
1. ACTRESS DAKOTA JOHNSON AT HOME IN L.A. WITH DOG ZEPPELIN. 2. UP ON
THE ROOF AT DESIGNERS FRANK DE BIASI AND GENE MEYER’S TANGIER HOUSE,
LANDSCAPED BY ALEXANDER HOYLE. 3. IN PARIS, THE LIVE/WORK STUDIO
OF THE FURNITURE DESIGNER ELIZABETH GAROUSTE. 4. ME, AT AN AD EVENT.
5. MILES OF MARBLE IN THE PARIS BATH OF DESIGNER JOSEPH DIRAND.
2
