Profile

After reading law at Geneva University, Christophe Gollut came to London to study Interior Design at the Inchbald School in 1969. He is a decorator who puts rooms together with no nod to the fashion trends of the day. His style has remained the same since the 1970's. An uncontrived subtlety, which gives the impression that the room has always looked that way, is combined with an effortless spontaneity, prompted by the architectural strengths and weaknesses of the property.

This innate sense of style and design throws into chaos the general assumption that it is the English who have the lion's share of style. To foreigners, Christophe represents everything that is essentially English, yet to the English themselves, and among them many of his friends, he could not be more foreign! His taste is first and foremost European, and he eschews the idea of fashion in interior decoration, preferring to create rooms where 'everything will last about a thousand years'.

Christophe's talent together with his appreciation of the miniature and detail makes his style blossom. Entering a room design by Christophe Gollut is always a pleasure. The atmospheres he creates overwhelm the senses with colour, texture and mystery. Each space is tailored to the individual in the context of the architecture of the building, its setting and prevailing climate.

Christophe does not work to a formula, but has an educated instinct, an intuition for understanding the most appropriate treatment for the space at hand. He can be simple or elaborate but always gives the same meticulous attention to detail while achieving the impression that his rooms have been created through casual evolution.

Christophe was a member of the Board of Development of the Almeida Theatre, and on the Board of the Beamont Group of the National Gallery.