Tristan Auer

Tristan Auer (1970–) is a renowned French interior designer and a contemporary heir to the great tradition of Parisian décorateurs. A “designer of interiors and emotions,” as he likes to define himself, Auer demonstrates a remarkable ability to reinterpret styles and atmospheres from the past—ranging from Baroque to the 1920s—and to combine them with more contemporary elements. Unmistakably French, luxurious, and refined, his work is shaped by two exceptional mentors: Christian Liaigre, with whom he worked for several years starting in 1996, notably on the Mercer Hotel in New York, and Philippe Starck, with whom he later collaborated until 2002, overseeing among other projects the design of the Taschen store in Paris. After establishing his own practice, Auer received major commissions from the fashion world, designing boutiques and private residences for figures such as Karl Lagerfeld and entrepreneur François-Henri Pinault. Other widely acclaimed projects include the renovation of the interiors of two Parisian institutions: the historic Bains-Douches nightclub, which he transformed into a luxury hotel, and the five-star Hôtel de Crillon, listed as a historic monument since 1900. His approach to product design likewise reflects a preference for luxurious, classically inspired aesthetics. Many of his creations are produced in collaboration with small artisanal workshops, alongside pieces intended for a broader audience and manufactured by brands such as Poltrona Frau, Contardi, and Veronese Paris. Frequently selected by the French edition of Architectural Digest among the AD100—the one hundred most influential figures in international design over the past year—Auer was named “Designer of the Year” in 2017 by the French fair Maison & Objet.