Stéphanie Coutas designs a new backdrop for the Dress Code Hotel, Paris

What would be the pitch for the renovation of the Dress Code Hotel?

The Dress Code’s building was once home to the former women’s “prêt-à-porter” federation. It was an office building lacking in particularly strong aesthetics, but with a very strong personality, a stone’s throw from rue Cambon and the great French designers. We wanted the hotel’s design to reflect the building’s history, so we created five different themes centred on the topic of Parisian fashion and shopping.

How did your team adapt to the specific requirements of the hotel industry, while at the same time retaining the signature style of your agency, SC Edition?

For this, our first Parisian 4-star hotel project, we tried to bring all our ultra-luxury specifications to the design. Throughout the hotel you can find references to our extremely high standards, such as the customisation work on the fabrics and braided curtain cord in the rooms. That’s what makes it so unique: the adaptation of our custom design theme to the specific criteria of the hotel industry, with absolute rigour and within very strong budget limitations. You need to get involved and invest a great deal of creativity and enthusiasm into a project to achieve an original, authentic proposal.

What type of partners did you collaborate with on this project?

Our team worked with some new partners who specialise in the hotel business and are used to its industry standards. We worked together to resolve this aspect and ensure that the entire project brought together the quality expected in custom design.

Some of our emblematic pieces are strategically positioned, such as the Paris chandelier designed by SC Edition for Baccarat. In the lobby, this touch of extraordinary crystal sets the tone and sets the hotel apart from other 4-star establishments.

Projects often have a link to their designer’s history. You were once a stylist. What is the connection between your former profession and your current one?

My 15-year career in fashion was a fascinating, enjoyable experience. It gave me my love of textile work and weaving and I have passed this on to my team of professionals.

Our work as interior designers is all about dimensions and spaces. Of course, when it comes to decor, it’s about textiles, textures and colour palettes.

In order to attain excellence, you need to be able to master and unite the two fields.

How would you define French chic?

We cultivate the idea of French ‘art de vivre’, that essence of French style that travellers from all over the world seek when they come to Paris. We have recreated it in this building by redesigning the doors to give them a contemporary Haussmann style. This bold look seems to appeal to our guests, who have been rushing to the Hotel Dress Code Paris ever since it opened. To us, that is the greatest compliment.

This is your fourth hotel design project. What motivated you to work in this particular sector?

The greatest advantage of this industry is that it allows us to showcase our craftsmanship and identity. For our turnkey creations for private clients, we do not publicise our most beautiful creations for reasons of confidentiality. The hotel industry shines a light on our work.

The second very motivating aspect is the challenge: how do you manage a project with a fixed budget while at the same time retaining our level of finish? You need to be both ambitious and innovative.

Will we be able to find the SC Edition brand in other establishments?

Absolutely. We are continuing to develop our Paris hotel projects: this year, we’re beginning work on a new establishment near the Hotel Drouot. This project will be centred on the theme of history of art. It’s a field that we are really passionate about at the agency and a daily source of inspiration in our creations.

In the future, we would like to create a design for an establishment in the Palace range, in France or abroad. This would allow us to export our ultra-luxurious French craftsmanship, which is always based on three key values: elegance, joie de vivre and comfort.