Charles Guerlain & Marion Saxod

Which place do you currently call home and where do you work on your projects?

Marion: ‘Currently’ is an interesting word for us because we’ve been moving around a lot over the past ten years! We met in the south of France, in a beautiful garden called ‘Domaine du Rayol’, on a lovely spring day. Since then, we’ve been searching for the place where we truly belong—a balance between our personalities and our needs, somewhere in between the peaceful, restorative countryside and the vibrant, dynamic city.

Charles: At the moment, we are living in the small village of Les Mesnuls, just 45 minutes from Paris, yet a world away from the city’s bustle. Life here is incredibly peaceful: we are surrounded by forest, wild animals, and a beautiful garden, with nature flourishing all around us. Just as we said—it’s all about finding balance…!

Marion: We spend a lot of time working outdoors, directly immersed in nature. Our projects also require us to travel a lot; sometimes, our entire studio consists of nothing more than a laptop in a completely different city, an afternoon spent in a chef’s professional kitchen, a perfumer’s laboratory, or a visit to a garden.

Where is your studio located & how does it look?

Marion: Our studio is located in our home, in a separate space that allows us to step away from our family life and think creatively, as we are not only business partners but also a family of four.

Charles: Our studio looks like a botanical cabinet of curiosities. We collect countless fragments from nature—dried flowers, fresh vegetables used for imprints and patterns, tools, pigments, wax, bars of soap, and perfume samples. We have as many tables as possible so that everything is within reach, ready to be captured in an instant and transformed into those ‘gardens from above’ that tell the story of a piece or an entire collection.

Are there any projects that are personally important to you—whether recently completed or currently in progress?

Charles: We are deeply attached to one of our very first projects, called The Blood of Stones, because it takes us back to an incredibly intense period of our lives—emotionally, creatively, and logistically. When we create a performative project or piece, we always root it in a season, a material, and a territory. This one was created in Nice, France, during winter and tells the story of nature’s rebirth in spring. We sculpted a fountain, disguised as a garden shower, from local limestone (Fonvieille stone). This piece tells a story we hold dear, one that embodies who we are and the essence of our practice: the gardener’s end-of-day ritual. Throughout the day, the gardener touches countless organic elements—flowers, dust, soil, leaves, essential oils—he sweats, and carries with him the scents of the landscape. We wanted to condense all of these sensations into a floral water. To do so, we collaborated with perfumer Paul Guerlain, my brother, who created a unique fragrance capable of telling this story. He composed Petrichor—which can be translated as “the blood of stones”—the distinctive scent of the earth after the rain. Once the stone piece and the perfume, both deeply embedded in the narrative, had been created, it became essential for us to make the story tangible and alive.

Within the fountain, a floral water is gradually created over the course of a few hours thanks to effervescent stones made from perfume, limestone powder, and other organic materials. Through a closed water circuit, these small stones slowly dissolve, creating a fragrant floral water in which visitors are invited to dip their hands and carry the perfume on their skin, just like the gardener.

Within each new project, we collaborate with it, it is the story of the ritual of a gardener at the end of his day.

Do you have a favourite place in your area where you like to relax and linger?

Charles: We enjoy walking in the forest, which is actually at the edge of our garden. Our kids ride their bikes, our dog Diosma comes along, and we enjoy the seasons and the quiet. It’s also an opportunity for us to look for new patterns, new ideas, and inspiration. The kids create a lot of imaginary stories on their own—it is very refreshing.

Marion: We also go very often to the garden where Charles works, La Vallée de la Milière, where we can harvest fruits and aromatic plants and create bouquets—an art in which Charles truly excels!

Are there any urgent political issues or problems in your region?

Charles: Not really, we are very lucky. We create together within our studio, nysae, but I am also the head gardener of a beautiful garden very close to our home, brought to life by Yann and Tom Arthus-Bertrand and supported by Guerlain (LVMH). We have just experienced an intense heatwave, like so many people across France and Europe. Nature is deeply intertwined with both our practice and our lives, and I have been a gardener for as long as I can remember. I can see how quickly things are changing: water shortages appearing so early in the season, fewer pollinators, fewer insects… These may seem like small changes to some people, but they are, in fact, profound and deeply worrying transformations of our environment.

In your opinion, what has developed well in the last 5 years—and what has not?

Marion: In our opinion, one of the most encouraging developments of the past five years has been the growing commitment to sustainable materials and processes. Artists, designers, and industries are rethinking their practices, seeking new ways of creating that are more respectful of the environment and more conscious of their impact. Beyond the materials themselves, these new approaches often carry powerful messages and invite us to reconsider our relationship with the living world.

What has not changed as positively, in our opinion, is the pace at which these transformations are happening. While there is a growing awareness of environmental issues and a genuine desire to create more responsibly, many systems of production and consumption remain deeply unsustainable. Too often, sustainability becomes a trend or a communication tool rather than a profound change in the way we produce and consume. We still rely on extractive practices, overproduction, and an ever-accelerating rhythm that leaves little room for care, slowness, and attention to the living world.

As gardeners and designers, we witness these changes firsthand. Climate change is no longer an abstract idea but a daily reality: ecosystems are becoming increasingly fragile. These observations remind us that, despite encouraging initiatives, there is still an urgent need to rethink our relationship with nature and our responsibility towards it.

Do you know a hidden gem when it comes to local manufacturers—whether it’s arts and crafts, sustainable products or food?

Charles: We would love to collaborate with Les Ateliers Saint-Jacques and the Fonderie de Coubertin, located 30 minutes away from our village, because they embody something that resonates deeply with our practice: the dialogue between craftsmanship, material, and creation. For nearly seventy-five years, these workshops have preserved and developed exceptional expertise in wood, metal, stone, and bronze, bridging heritage restoration and contemporary artistic production.

Our work is rooted in materials, landscapes, and gestures. We are deeply interested in the stories that materials carry and in the way traditional craftsmanship can give form to contemporary narratives and experiences. Collaborating with the artisans of the Domaine de Coubertin would be an extraordinary opportunity to learn from this savoir-faire while bringing our own perspective as artists and designers working at the intersection of nature, ritual, and sensory experience. We believe that meaningful projects emerge from encounters between different practices and ways of making. The dialogue between our multidisciplinary approach and the remarkable expertise of the Ateliers Saint-Jacques and the Fonderie de Coubertin could open up new and unexpected possibilities for creation.

Is there anything particularly innovative in your region? Also in comparison to other places you have already visited?

Marion: Compared to Charles, this is not the region where I was born and raised. Instinctively, I would be more attracted to city life, but while this region may seem very calm and tranquil, in reality, there is a vibrant creative life here. Many artists live in the area—actors, painters, photographers, carpenters, and more. There’s a sense of anonymity and safety: a welcoming environment where creative people gather with their children, share drinks, and exchange ideas and practices in the simplest way, far from the buzz of vernissages, cocktails, professional meetings etc. From what I understand, this place could be compared in some ways to places like Cadaqués, Vence, or even Barbizon, where artists would go to “escape” and live a simpler life.

Do you have a secret restaurant tip that you would like to share with us?

Charles:  Le Bistrot du Jardinier!
Not only because it is run by our friend’s mother, whom we are very fond of, but also because it embodies everything we love: simplicity and authenticity. It’s a place that welcomes everyone—children, dogs, spontaneous visits, and friendly gatherings. Everything is homemade and prepared with fresh ingredients, and the terrace overlooking the park makes it even more special.

Is there a local shop whose products are only available in your region?

Marion: There is a shop we like to go to—Epices et tout—in a nearby village called Houdan. Charles is a very talented cook, and this place is a wonderful épicerie fine offering a wide selection of spices and unusual products. The wine section is also super nice .

What are your 3 favourite apps that you use every day and couldn’t live without?

Marion: I’m the only one who really uses a smartphone. If he could, Charles would probably get rid of the thing altogether!

– Instagram, of course—you can’t really escape it these days (laughs). I use it exclusively for work and to stay connected with people.

– Mapstr is another essential one for me. It’s where I collect all the places we love or dream of visiting. There are so, so many pins… one lifetime will never be enough.

– We also really like PlantNet, especially when Charles gives up on identifying a plant—which doesn’t happen very often, as he is quite knowledgeable! (laughs)

– And then there’s WhatsApp, because I’m very close to my friends. Since we moved a lot, we have friends all over the place! We’re constantly using voice messages, sharing pictures, ideas, inspirations, and little moments from our everyday lives. I also share a lot of our creative process with them to get their thoughts and impressions. In a way, my phone has become a small archive of friendships, inspirations, and future journeys.

Do you have any favourite newspapers or online magazines? And how do you keep up to date with politics or social and cultural issues?

Marion: For cultural content, we use an app called Cafeyn, where we can read online magazines such as AD Magazine, etc.
I enjoy paper versions of magazines like BEAU, Intramuros, or Formae, as well as special issues of Milk Magazine about hospitality and amazing places around the world.

Charles: Regarding politics and social issues, we read Le Monde Diplomatique, Society, and Le Monde.
We also really enjoy La Salamandre, a magazine entirely focused on nature.

Marion: There is also a beautiful in-between media outlet, activist and independent, called La Relève et la Peste. They do amazing work: the photography is incredible, and the information is precious.

Imagine you could be mayor for a year—what would you change?

This is a very difficult question, and we don’t really have the right answers. We think we would focus a lot on children and the way they see the world, taking actions that relate to them directly but ultimately benefit everyone, because they are truly the future. Good education, accessible to everyone, working as a group, more artistic practices, and a lot of time outdoors—these would be key priorities. It might seem naive, but how often are parents actually educated by their children? Very often, because children see the essential things, the things we may have forgotten. So perhaps you should ask this question to one of them! (laughs)

One last question: If you could choose another place to live—regardless of financial or time constrains—which one would you choose?

Charles: I would choose Corsica without hesitation. To me, it has everything: the sea, island life, the mountains, the food, the rivers, and a rich cultural heritage. It’s a place where nature feels incredibly powerful and where life seems to move at a different pace.

Marion: I might have chosen somewhere more “exotic” (laughs), but I have to admit—he’s right! Corsica really does have it all. There is something deeply magnetic about the island, a balance between wildness and gentleness that resonates with both of us.