Solli in Paris

Me sitting on a armchair/bed from Sweden

Leaving Paris also means leaving the job I had at Quintessence Playground. I worked there since 2010, it was a job I loved, it was very diverse, creative and I enjoyed working with antiques.
Ever since I was a child I loved spending hours on flea markets, always brought home old things…. I was a collector already back then ;-) My biological father was an architect and in my early ages  I used to play with the house models he built…I thought that was much more fun than dressing up the Barbie dolls ;-) When I was studying Engineering I took many courses in 3d-modelling and when I bought my apartment in Stockholm I made all the plans and drawing before the total renovation of the entire apartment.  Working at Quintessence Playground was therefore a natural step for me to discover and learn more about my interests.

There are many of you who have been asking exactly what I have been doing in the gallery and now I will explain my love-story with the job I was passionated about…

Quintessence Playground, me sitting next to the Eiffel Tower

Quintessence Playground is a 650 square meters concept store, the space is designed as a loft and features a selection of industrial furnitures and elements, exclusive antiques and unique curiosities. Some of the details that creates the unique ambience is the feature wall on the groundfloor that is covered with wallpaper created by the French designer Vincent Darré and the lightship installation made by the designer Alexandre de Betak that could be seen in the vitrina last February (2011).

I was involved in creating their website, I made a blog (Quintessence Lifestyle Blog for the owner Ludovic Messager) and a fanpage on Facebook. From time to time I also assisted in the decoration of the gallery and I also went on buying trips, throughout in France (south of France and some marché Antiquités Brocante on other places in France, and also to Antwerp in Belgium (two times in 2010 and 4-5 times in 2011), Sweden and Denmark for antiques digging.
I also did my own sourcing trips, went to Maison & Objét (a big international fair within interior) and to other flea markets in Paris.

Quintessence Playground, a bag we bought on one of our buying trips in Antwerp, Belgium. On the bed you can see a beautiful ancient dress that we bought in the flea market in 2010.

Since the concept-store is very big and constructed as a loft it is the perfect ambiance for photo shootings for designers making their lookbooks. I was involved in that work assisting in most of the parts. Just before I left I was also involved in the first process of a hotel-project and a very exciting restaurant project.

Most of Quintessence Playgrounds clients were designers, interior-designers and architects and celebrities, among them Philippe Starck, Paula Navone, Gisele Bündchen Madonna, Liv Tyler, Donna Karan, and Renzo Rosso. My work in the concept-store made me meet people I would have never met before and I was learning incredibly many things and at the same time I brought my knowledge and experience to improve the activities of the company.

Quintessence Playground

I loved going to work every day. Being a part of a job where giving new life to old things was like doing magic and that was the best part, taking care of and working in an environment filled up with beautiful objects and furnitures that had a past, a history.

Quintessence Playground, a beautiful mermaid with wings that we bought on Ile de Ré in the Spring of 2011

The gallery was like a second home for me, just like it was designed to be to match a lifestyle concept-store. I loved the rock’n’roll ambiance that was created with Gustavian furniture’s from Sweden, Louis XVI furniture’s from France, combined with industrial furnitures and objects…..enhanced with details such as skulls and fashion books completed the ambiance of Quintessence Playground.

Quintessence Playground, plates we bought in Antwerp, Belgium

It was not an easy decision quitting the work that I loved so much. I remember when the owner just had bought the big space, the walls we’re not painted yet and it was hard to imagine the result. I went along buying loads of color buckets for the painters to paint the walls, the ceiling etc….that was in the end of the summer of 2010…and I remember that Woody Allen was there on the same street at the same time with his film crew doing his movie “Midnight in Paris”, those of you who have seen it will recognize the flea market in some of the scenes.

Being there from the beginning of the birth of the new space of Quintessence Playground, being involved in the process and see how the owner gave life to his dreams and visions was an amazing experience and a journey I will never forget.

Cinepuce (image source )

 Cinépuce (a weekend with outdoor cinema, galleries that are open during the evening and parties etc..) in the flea market of St Ouen, took place on the weekend of October 15-16th and on the Friday before there was a big party in the flea market. We were invited to Ship Antiques party, it’s one of the shipping companies we work with. Had a great time, the whole team from Ship Antiques were there and they invited us for champagne, snacks and lot’s of sweets and bowls of candies that I almost finished by the end of the night! After some glasses of champagne at Ship Antiques we decided to have an after-party at Quintessence Playground, just 3 minutes away from Ship Antiques office. We invited everyone at the party to come with us….and it turned out to be a great after-party and people were dancing around in our big concept-store until 4 in the morning…

Ludovic Messager and me DJ-ing at the after-party at Quintessence Playground

Thierry Lasry, me and Ludovic Messager

Here are some photos from the photocall on the Thierry Lasry and Quintessence Playground party on October 4th at L’ARC:

Léonard Lasry & Thierry Lasry

Sofia and Johann

Ludovic Messager and me

Thierry Lasry & Quintessence Playground party at L'ARC

Thierry Lasry & Quintessence Playground party at L'ARC

Thierry Lasry & Quintessence Playground party at L'ARC

Photo credits:  Virgile Guinard, Paul Blind and Loic Novel.

Thierry Lasry & Quintessence Playground party @ L'ARC

On October 4th, my friend Thierry Lasry (sunglass designer) and Ludovic Messager (owner of Quintessence Playground) arranged a party during the fashion week in Paris at the nightclub L’ARC. Ludovic Messager decorated the nightclub for the party and it became a success. Here are some photos from the evening:

Me and my friends

Me and Vanessa

Me and my friend Harvey (one of the DJ's on the party)

Solli

vintage metal chairs

We buy many beautiful things to the gallery where I work at, Quintessence Playground, but it’s not often I share the photos on them with my readers but this time I will! Not long ago we bought a large lot of vintage metal chairs in many different colors. I can imagine they have been used in outdoor restaurants and café‘s in Bali where they originally come from. I like the way they have been “aging” by color that partly have faded away and the bumps on each chair that makes them unique and charming. My preferable ones are the chairs in turquoise because the color reminds me of oceans with crystal clear water :-)

vintage metal chairs

vintage metal chairs

vintage metal chairs

vintage metal chairs

ELLE Décoration N°200

Finally the French ELLE Décoration (N°200) has been released with the reportage about Quintessence Playground, where I work on the week-ends :-) I wrote about it in March that a team came from ELLE Décoration and that I later also took photos on Ludovic Messager (owner of the gallery and interior designer and antiques-dealer) for the reportage. You can find the reportage on the pages 96-101, six pages with photos and information about the gallery. If you live in Paris you should definately come by and visit the gallery @ 3 Rue Paul Bert in Saint-Ouen. Me, I’m working in the gallery @ 14 Rue Paul Bert.

Quintessence Playground – Ludovic Messager, interior-designer and antiques-dealer

ELLE Décoration N°200

ELLE Décoration N°200

ELLE Décoration N°200

@ Quintessence Playground

Today was a beautiful day having the sun shining all day long :-) When I didn’t have any clients in the gallery I was sitting outside in the sun reading IDEAT for inspiration……

Quintessence Playground

It was such a beautiful weather this morning, the sun was shining and for the first time I didn’t felt cold when I was walking outside :-) Earlier today I was working at the concept-store, Quintessence Playground…until 13h.

We’ve recieved lot’s of new beautiful objects and I’m really looking forward to work there during the weekend :-)

QUINTESSENCE PLAYGROUND: 3 Rue Paul Bert, St Ouen (I’m working in the smaller gallery at 14 rue Paul Bert)

New kitchen @ Quintessence Playground, photo: Ludovic Messager

Our new kitchen at the concept-store where I work….I love it! Industrial design, very Scandinavian…clean, simple and with practical details. Last week me and the owner chosed some photos taken by Olivier Zahm to put above the kitchen. We started with the photo with Karl Lagerfeld, which for me symbolizes fashion and party. The next one is on a woman laying down next to a pool, she seems to be pretty destroyed after a party…so for me that one sympbolizes the aftermath of hardcore partying. The third one is on pills – things some people take to maintain their hardcore lifestyle. The last photo (my favourite one) skulls!!! That simply symbolizes death….

New kitchen @ Quintessence Playground (photos taken by Solli and Ludovic Messager)

TRON by Betak @ Quintessence Playground from Solli K on Vimeo.

As I promised you before, here is a videoclip I’ve made with the lightshow installation we have at the gallery where I work, Quintessence Playground. During February, the TRON Legacy by Betak lightshow installation will be displayed in the window of the gallery Quintessence Playground 3 rue Paul Bert, St-Ouen.(TRON Legacy is an American science fiction film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and will be released in France on February 9th and the film’s soundtrack is composed by Daft Punk)

Alexandre de Betak is a French fashion and furniture designer and is well-known for his lightinstallations and is called as the Fellini of fashion. He has been involved in the production of Victoria Secret’s fashion shows, John Galliano‘s fashion show, Dior, Rodarte and several others and his shows that lasts between 6-15 minutes takes between 6 to 12 months to produce… Alexandre de Betak has also been involved with designed the interior of the private club B.C (Black Calvados) and his latest work is the TRON by Legacy lightshow installation. Have a look on some of the creations by Alxeandre de Betak here.

TRON Legacy by Betak @ Quintessence Playground, 3 rue Paul Bert, St-Ouen

Boney M, hanging high @ Quintessence Playground, 3 Rue Paul Bert, Paris

Today it was almost crowded with clients at work which was really good :-) Met some Swedish clients but also many from the States, Italy and Germany. In the middle of the chaos Boney M was complaining on why he was hidden in the corner of the gallery, and not in the center…Boney M..he always wants attention! Said and done, we brought him up and put him on one of our big industrial tables and turned a big lamp (that had been used during several movie shots 50 years ago) on Boney M and suddenly he was pleased :-) But I wonder what Reese Witherspoon was thinking when she stepped into the gallery this afternoon, everyone are not so pleased to see Boney M but luckily Reese didn’t mind ;-)

"Tron by Betak" @ Quintessence Playground, Paris

This high-tech TRON lightinstallation that is designed by Alexandre de Betak was taken from the Colette window where it had been during two weeks and now it has been installed in one of the windows at the gallery where I work, Quintessence Playground. Alexandre came by today to check out the installation and we will have it for a month so if you want to have a look stop by at Quintessence Playground. The lightinstallation is amazing…..I’ll make a video-clip tomorrow so you can see the cool effects live ;-)

It is really fun to work at the gallery, it’s like a concept store, the largest in Paris with it’s 650 square metres and we have lot’s of International clients. Today we had visitor’s from Elle Interior (Sweden) who wanted to write about the gallery in their next issue, they had been here in September and were amazed by the gallery. It’s really one of a kind and very unique. I’m doing their website and I’ll put a link to it as soon as it’s finished!

"Tron by Betak" @ Quintessence Playground, Paris

Boney M @ Quintessence Playground (Ludovic Messager), 3 Rue Paul Bert, Paris

Many people have been asking me about my job I have on the weekends…well, I like to keep things secret, but I promise you to write more about my job soon. But first, let me introduce you to one of my collegues at my work, Boney M ;-) As you can see he has been working there for ages!