What does the ideal dining table look like for someone who is permanently preoccupied with beauty? Serax asked this question to the Paris-Brussels stylistMarine Gabaut. The answer: a table covered with the Midnight Flowers collection by Marni for Serax in a beautiful villa amid the Portuguese Algarve.
"The light asymmetrical shapes of the plates add to the craftsmanship of the porcelain craft"
Marine, can you introduce yourself?
‘I am Marine and work as a stylist. Besides fashion, I love travel and travel photography. Every place has its own specific customs and objects that tell a certain story, and I want to get to know them all. Most often, I travel to colourful and wild landscapes that few have discovered before. Since I’ve always had a great interest in interior design, I’ve been taking objects home with me for a few years. Ceramic tableware, wicker baskets, tablecloths, carpets, etc. It can be anything, as long as the objects reveal an interesting story and reflect an assured craftsmanship’.
Why did you choose the Midnight Flowers collection for your ideal table arrangement?
‘The tableware offers the perfect balance between the minimalist style of Serax and the playfulness of Marni. The sleek house style goes hand in hand with the lush illustrations of flowers. This somewhat eccentric tableware fits seamlessly with my personality. I also like to combine different shapes, colours and styles in my work. As far as I am concerned, this Marni collection encourages people to let go of the wild child and really mix all kinds of prints when arranging the table’.
How does this tableware inspire you?
‘It’s a summer feeling. If you live in northern Europe, you value it very much. During my travels, I always try to collect colourful objects that produce that effect in the living room. In this way, you can brighten up your home during the cold winter days. Marni’s tableware collection has precisely that effect on the interior’.
In other words: an ideal tableware set for a holiday home or country house?
‘Indeed. That explains why I chose Quinta Do Muro as the setting for the dishes, a beautiful family home in the Algarve in southern Portugal. The building was designed by renowned French architect Pierre-Louis Faloci and built between 1983 and 1988. I discovered the Quinta while working in collaboration with a friend who often organises weddings. Indoors, you are surrounded by beautiful architecture. Every nook feels intimate. Every design and art object on display has been chosen carefully and, in some way, has a connection with the owners. You feel a whole family history unfolding before your eyes. What's more, the beautiful garden offers an incredible view of the sea. Every morning, I was out of bed early to admire the sunrise. But above all: the sleek lines of the Quinta perfectly combine with the organic shapes and colours of the Marni tableware. The botanically inspired patterns evoke the atmosphere of the Côte d'Azur, the Italian Riviera, Portugal, Spain, etc. In short, the warm southern Europe that is synonymous with decoupling from the daily routine and being in close contact with the sun, the sea and Mother Nature.'
This collection is a bridge between design and fashion. What do you think of such a collaboration?
‘I think the collaboration between Serax and Marni, between interior and fashion, can have a real creative impact. Marni’s quirky prints and colours are, in my opinion, the perfect basis for a strong tableware collection. Everything looks fresh but refined. The light asymmetrical shapes of the plates add to the craftsmanship of the porcelain craft. In short, Midnight Flowers is a tableware set I could fall in love with during one of my travels.’
