The bright house of designer Bruno de Comon in Vietnam
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11 Mar 2023
Designer Bruno de Caumont lives in Ho Chi Minh City, but remains French to the tips of his nails. In his house, the Asian riot of color paradoxically combines with European sophistication
Hall. The console, inlaid with mother—of-pearl, is the work of local craftsmen. On the walls are photographs from the Bruno de Caumont family archive. The mirror and sconces with forged bases are made according to the sketches of the owner.
Photo
Antoine Baralhe
"Every new house is a blank sheet on which you can draw anything you want. My home in Ho Chi Minh City was no exception to the rule," says Bruno De Caumont. He was brought to Vietnam by chance. Bruno began his career by trading in an antique shop in the Paris suburb of Saint-Ouen, then worked as a decorator and at one time served as creative director of the French textile company Edmond Petit (among his achievements is the launch of a collection of fabrics dedicated to the famous decorator Madeleine Castaing).
The interior of the dining room refutes the stereotype that pink and red colors do not match each other. Thalos table and stools and Amman bench made of lacquered wood, designed by Bruno de Comon.
Photo
Antoine Baralhe
Like many interior designers, he often ordered furniture for his projects based on his own sketches and eventually decided to put its production on stream. Three years ago, Bruno decided to start his own furniture manufacturing company and came to Vietnam to find craftsmen who know how to work with lacquer products. "It should have only taken a few days. But I'm still here!" he says.
In the design of the hall, Bruno de Caumont applied the classic principle of additional colors. Pink and green in combination with each other seem brighter.
Photo
Antoine Baralhe
"A new house is a blank sheet on which you can draw anything you want"
All the furniture in the living room is made according to the sketches of the owner. On the walls, Vietnamese advertising posters are side by side with the signature prints of Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Photo
Antoine Baralhe
Bruno settled on a narrow street in one of the oldest quarters of Ho Chi Minh City, in a spacious house with a pale green facade. It was this facade that became the starting point for the designer when choosing the color scheme of the interior. "I believe that there is a connection between the outer shell and the inner space of the house that cannot be broken. For me, the interior is a continuation of the facade," he says. "That's why I immediately bet on the green color."
Small living room. Unusual lamps were chosen for the room — a Murano candle chandelier from the 1930s and antique kerosene sconces. The table is made according to the sketch of the owner. On the floor there is a carpet with a geometric ornament Flavor, Bo Concept.
Photo
Antoine Baralhe
"I came to Vietnam for a few days. It's been three years, but I'm still here."
Office. Bruno's favorite technique is the combination of two bright and atypical colors for furniture in one piece. A desk and chairs from the Annam collection.
Photo
Antoine Baralhe
The bright, bold shade of the living room serves as a unifying beginning: the wall above the stairs and the corridors are painted in the same color. However, according to Bruno, a completely monochrome interior is boring, so the designer chose a noble shade of gray to fence the stairs, door frames and the doors themselves. After that, he continued to act under the motto: "Every room has its own color!" On the lower floor there is a pink shade of lotus, in one of the bedrooms — golden yellow, in the small living room — rich orange. Even the stools are painted in the colors of orange and rose petals.
The kitchen is decorated in black and white. On the shelves and work surface there are traditional Vietnamese bowls made of white and blue porcelain.
Photo
Antoine Baralhe
Bruno de Caumont juggles flowers with unsurpassed dexterity and audacity. However, he is not afraid of black and white either. To recreate the spirit of the 1950s in the house, he upholstered the banquette with a fabric with a "crow's foot" pattern - Christian Dior's favorite ornament— and laid out the floors with chess tiles in the spirit of the great Andre Putman, whose interiors were recognized as classics of French decor during his lifetime. "Here I will buy figures and arrange tournaments! You can play chess, or you can play checkers!" he jokes. Bruno ordered several sconces with wrought iron bases based on his own sketches, which also remind of the fifties — their outlines reproduce the motif of window grilles popular in the decor of that time.
"As time goes on, I tend more and more to noble simplicity"
Bedroom. There is an Isis banquette at the entrance, designed by Bruno de Caumont. Above it is a mirror from the 1950s. The bed is covered with a duvet, Catherine Denoual.
Photo
Antoine Baralhe
Furnishing the rooms, Bruno used mostly furniture from his own collections. His signature technique is to paint objects in two bright contrasting colors, for example, yellow and purple. Bruno's works are juxtaposed with vintage items from Asia and Europe. However, the designer tried not to clutter up the space with furniture and accessories. "As time goes on," he says, "I tend more and more to noble simplicity." Which, we note, does not cancel the love of bright colors at all.
Bathroom. Coming up with a contrasting pattern of green and white tiles, Bruno was inspired by the interiors of the great French decorator Andre Putman. However, she preferred the classic "chess" tiles — black and white.
Photo
Antoine Baralhe
