MLM Creation have been shortlisted for the Flooring – Carpet/Rug Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2022.

La Samaritaine is a historic department store in Paris. When undergoing a complete renovation, MLM Creation was offered to participate in the development of the private areas; Prestige Lounges, Private Lounges, Personal Shopping Lounge, and Grand Magasin. Custom-made by Marguerite Le Maire, in Nepal and India based workshops that are selected for the quality of their production, the rugs’ designs and colours have been chosen to integrate perfectly into the building, an architectural jewel representative of the Art Nouveau Style.

A subtle balance had to be found between the architectural vision and expressing Marguerite’s creativity. For the Prestige Lounge, the lobby and main lounge were inspired by the Art Nouveau decorative details of the store. The pattern was drawn by hand on paper for a spontaneous and fluid style. MLM Creation decided on creating a dual-colour, feminine rug with graphics for a certain modernity in the beauty lounge and first private room. The colours in this beauty lounge pop whilst remaining feminine and for the private room, they worked on very daring colour combinations. The linear design in the second beauty lounge directs the feminine colours in a more soothing tone. Private Room 2 is fun and playful with a speciality animal print that is a revisit of leopard print which Marguerite acknowledges as a classic in France. The third private room is a large carpet adorned with this classic leopard pattern, and modern, feminine colours.

The Private Lounge has a simple yet effective design, using masculine colours for a classic look, and in the Personal Shopping Lounge, Marguerite takes inspiration from the Japanese screens present in French decoration. The design for the Grand Magasin features a bird motif inspired by Chinese ceramics from the Qing dynasty. This is a high traffic area, so it needed to be a rug that could be read in all directions – a circular and decorative piece.

These rugs create an alchemy and a common thread that offers a soothing view that appeals to the store’s customers. Marguerite’s knowledge of colours allows her to choose those most suitable for the environment. Despite being unique and colourful, they do not overpower the other furnishing elements chosen by the architects.

MLM Creation

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