Elise Pioch founded Maison Balzac as an ode to her grandparents, Jeanine and André Balzac, and childhood memories in the South of France. Sentimental yet stylish, the collection of playful scents and delicate objects immediately transports one to another time and place. Below, Elise shares how a touch of color can captivate the eye and contribute to a unique signature style.
What were you like as a child? Do you come from a creative family?
I was shy and super creative, always making up stories with leaves, ants and mud in the garden. My dad won a poetry prize at the age of 18 and my mum makes everything feel warm, welcoming and happy. I guess their taste and innate ability to see beauty in absolutely everything influenced me.
You are originally from France. Do you think your upbringing there has influenced your eye for design?
I continuously hear, “You are so French!” so it looks like I have absorbed my Frenchness very deeply. I didn’t realize that until I exported myself away from my birth country! I definitely have a French eye.