An American beauty? Not at all: just a #FERMOBPEOPLE with an oh-so-British style we love!

When Patrick turned up for the #FERMOBPEOPLE casting call, we were immediately struck by his elegant and casual style – and we couldn’t resist. An unusual, romantic, ever so slightly brash and incredibly inspired place: we made our way to Eure-et-Loir for this first #FERMOBPEOPLE report, along with an enthusiastic photographer and a stylist who struggled to wake up! We couldn’t wait to find out more about this #FERMOBPEOPLE and his incredible Fermob attitude.

A very stylish cup of tea, outdoors!

A landscaped terrace, a flourishing vegetable patch and a magnificent garden in full bloom: this beautiful spot is the perfect place for dandy Patrick to revel in his magnificent originality.

With charisma and character, Patrick has bags of personality: he’s not like anyone else and he knows it! His answer, when asked about design must-haves? “Comfort, first and foremost!” In his opinion, the ultimate mistake would be to refuse to embrace his “bad taste”. The interior design piece he believes everyone should have? “A painting which you never get tired of and which creates an emotional reaction whenever you look at it.” His favourite phrase? “Tomorrow is another day.”

A colourful image and a taste for a harmonious style above all else:

this British-inspired dandy spent his life in the Parisian worlds of luxury and haute couture before he suddenly decided that he’d had enough of the capital: “I wanted another kind of life, I’d had enough of the futility of the profession which had been my entire career”. He moved to the countryside where he adopted hens, donkeys and dogs. His good taste and sophistication followed him to his new home, of course; but this new home was a way to express his craving for the simple life, his desire to live differently. Far from the creative world he left behind, this aesthete slowly adapted: he gave up the sacrosanct catwalk shows for real animals and abandoned the frenetic pace of collection launches for the gentle joy of living in tune with the seasons.

Beyond its mere appearance, Patrick’s house reflects the unique journey of a larger-than-life character. It tells the story of a life well lived, filled with incredible experiences and amazing successes. There’s a definite sense of joie de vivre which threads its way through Patrick’s flower-filled garden, with his Fermob furniture and his pets.

To decorate or not to decorate? That is the question!

The property’s interior design combines memories of past travels, favourite pieces from all over, family heirlooms and items which this dandy has picked up in various places. From “ten-a-penny” pieces to valuable artwork, they’re all arranged, juxtaposed, positioned and brought together for a perfectly balanced look, both indoors and outdoors. Utterly captivating! “There’s no particular style,” Patrick says. We think that the combinations of styles, furniture, colours, materials, eras and trends create a beautiful sense of harmony!

The scene is set: it’s all about harmony, from the furniture he loves (great stuff: there’s Fermob furniture too!) to his new-found enthusiasm for gardening and the joy of caring for the animals he loves so much, not forgetting the perfect harmony of his friends as they sit down at his table for a meal: the most important part of this new life. There’s a real sense of nonchalance throughout the house: a perfect fit and an echo of the genuine personality he’s been able to express here. There’s quite a paradox, given his obvious extroverted side, developed over the years in his people-centric job, and the delicate, discreet side to his personality today. Together, it’s a real mixture of beautiful aesthetics, English finesse, natural appeal and elegant simplicity.

We have to say that we were bowled over by Patrick’s quirky personality which is just so #FERMOBPEOPLE! We want to thank Patrick for welcoming us so kindly (and with such a great sense of humour): we’ll never forget the unsteady bench (c.f. the stylist who struggled to wake up…) and the crash landing into the pond! Big up!