Jessie Derogy & Dorian Felgines

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

We actually live in a 3rd floor apartment right in front of Limoges city hall, in the city center. It is a very weird and yet nice place to live in. Sometimes it feels like living in a boat… It’s a very old building, and over the years the floorboards have shifted so much that they’ve formed something like the hull of a boat. All our furniture is propped up on wedges. Nothing is straight in this apartment. You have to find your balance inside and adapt. As much as we love this apartment, we spent over 5 years in it, in few months we are moving into a house we just bought. We work everywhere in the apartment, in the kitchen we’re debriefing ideas while cooking, in the guests room/desk we draw and write the first projects draft. In the staircase we have spontaneous, brilliant solutions, in the bedroom we have some dreams and plans for what’s next to come.

Where is your studio located & how does it look?

That is the real place where everything takes shape or almost. Our studio is located just outside the city center, in between the city and the countryside, in a kind of village. It is a building from the 70’s, first made to welcome butchers, hairdressers, florists etc. but no one has settle business there. The city hall has decided, after the failure, to host artists and designers for a very cheap rent. So our studio, from the outside definitely look like a somewhat abandoned shopping area from the 1970s, but from the inside it is a very bright space, thanks to several windows following the sun. The surface is around 80m2 but feels like it is much more because of the height which is around 4m. It isn’t far from being the perfect workshop, it is a place in which we can focus, and work either on our computer or prototyping directly with materials, we love that.

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

I think we would have never thought of saying that one day but the biggest project we are working on right now, since one year and for the next two years at least it is a house/workshop we are buying. It is really common at our age to buy a house but for us it is like a permanent showroom, a test in real scale. All ideas we had about door handle, shelves, lightning and the things we wanted to draw but never get the chance to apply it to a project, we will now be able to produce and live with it as an experience. The house/workshop will not be only a convenient place to live and work it is a project in itself.

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

It is not really nearby or as to say in the neighbourhood, since it is 50km from home, but it is truly a paradise. It is called Le Lac de Vassivière and even L’île de Vassivière. The island host an art center which the main topic is the landscape, the land art and every arts that evolves around nature. You can walk around the lake and all over the island, where you’ll find severals sculptures and art installations along the way. The place is beautiful in every season.

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

Some things has well developed, like the aesthetics of porcelain, and it’s renewal that is following the big trend in ceramic actually. The green spaces in the city of Limoges have also improved considerably. There are still not enough for my liking, but their use has changed. For the past three years, instead of filling the green spaces with flowers, they have been mostly filled with vegetables. These vegetables are primarily used to supply school cafeterias, but the surplus is distributed to the public. Vegetables, their leaves and flowers are just as beautiful as flowers, and they also provide sustainable food. It’s a simple and brilliant idea.

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

Yes, I will definetly go for Non sans raison regarding porcelain. They have a very discrete and intimate shop in the city center. Regarding food we have the best french gouda made by Maison Maris which is a biological farm. Actually all their products are amazing!

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

We have many roads where small pieces of porcelain are embedded. The ground resembles a large terrazzo, and the porcelain pieces glow in the dark. These are (part of) the waste from the porcelain industry, which is processed and recycled locally.

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

There’s a restaurant called “Au Panda” on a charming little square in Limoges, on the ground floor of a rustic stone building. They serve traditional Chinese cuisine, and their specialty is Chinese hot pot. Their food is excellent, and the owner is always ready to welcome you, even late at night! (That’s incredible for a city like Limoges). They have a lovely terrace in the summer, and they’re really inexpensive. It’s our go-to spot.

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

Maison Broussaud, they are a French sock manufacturer, located a few kilometers from Limoges. The company has been awarded the EPV label, which stands for Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company). Their craftsmanship is incredible. They have a small boutique in downtown Limoges, and their factory outlet is a real gem.

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

Jessie Derogy: I could live without any app I think but if I have to play along so I would say and you’ll see that I am not the funniest, but my bank app, my gmail app and Instagram.

Dorian Felgines: I couldn’t live without my bank app, Instagram and my camera app.

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

Jessie Derogy: I really like the online version of Le Monde, as well as Apartamento and Disegno Journal. But mostly we keep up through poadcasts, documentaries, and books.

Dorian Felgines: I also read Le Monde and enjoy being surprised by all sorts of articles from very different sources. I also like reading and looking at Frame and Usbek & Rica. We woke up almost every morning listening to the radio, either France Culture or France info. That’s our way to keep up with politics, social and cultural issues on a daily basis.

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

Jessie Derogy: I will try to bring a true artistic direction to the integration of porcelain into the city, in order to create unity and a sense of coherence.

Dorian Felgines: I will change the urban planning regulations to improve public transportation and facilitate projects such as the tram-train.

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

Jessie Derogy: I will try to bring a true artistic direction to the integration of porcelain into the city, in order to create unity and a sense of coherence. I would choose to live in Brittany or the Landes region, for their respective landscapes and proximity to the sea. If I were to choose a different country, I would say Spain. Despite the real climate challenges, given the heat waves recorded in Spain, but for their rapid and significant political, social, and cultural transformation.

Dorian Felgines: I would choose to live in Switzerland for its incredible landscapes, its cultural tranquility, and its highly developed taste in graphic design and architecture. Or Mexico for its climate, cultural richness, vibrant colours, and simply its Hispanic lifestyle.

Jessie Derogy: Okay, let’s go for Mexico!