Inside the Whimsical, Technicolor World of French Design Firm Uchronia
Just five years after founding his architecture and design firm, Uchronia, Julien Sebban’s influence is already apparent. In that short time, he has amassed a portfolio that seamlessly melds history with fantasy—as his company’s name suggests—with wild shapes and an unhinged palette as his signatures. The imaginative spaces he creates serve as a testament to a unique approach to interiors and furniture design (his playful Peanut tables are in high demand).
One need only step into one of Uchronia’s vivid spaces to witness Sebban’s whimsicality at play. “We’re not afraid of anything that could be seen as kitsch or passé,” the designer, who moved to Paris after studying architecture in London, told ELLE DECOR last year. Rather, he seeks to “reveal the extraordinary in the underappreciated.” From residential projects to collaborations with prestigious brands like Prelle, Sebban’s signature style shines through, infusing each space with eccentricity and sophistication.
One standout project, featured on ELLE DECOR’s cover in May 2023, showcased Sebban’s prowess in transforming a classic Haussmannian apartment into a gemstone-inspired oasis. “We kept the original layout and the floors but turned everything upside down,” he said of the project. The apartment, with its dreamy color-blocking and intricate details, is a testament to his ability to reimagine tradition for the modern age.
Beyond residential ventures and product design, Uchronia’s ambitions extend to retail and hospitality projects, with notable works including Créatures, an eatery atop the Galeries Lafayette Paris flagship; several Sonia Rykiel boutiques; and the acclaimed Forest restaurant at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. Through his fearless approach, Sebban is creating a new spin on design’s past while helping define its future.
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