Dorothée Meilichzon believes that every place has a soul. Her work—patient and passionate—is to unveil it.
Born in Paris, she grew up surrounded by fabrics, symmetry and hand-painted wallpapers, accompanying her mother, an interior designer, on trips to London. “My mother was very good at decorating. I grew up in a very well-decorated home,” she recalls. That sensorial childhood left a lasting impression.
At the age of twelve, her curiosity about objects and her desire to invent turned into a revelation: she discovered french designers like Philippe Starck and Raymond Loewy, and knew that design would be her path. “Until then I wanted to be an inventor, but I realised that being a designer would allow me to work on both the appearance and the functionality of objects.”
She studied industrial design at Strate College, with a period at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. There, she learned to put the user at the heart of every project, a principle essential to product design. But it was in 2009, at just 27 years old, that her creative voice found its true expression when she founded her own studio, Chzon, in Paris. She began as a freelancer, working sixteen-hour days from her apartment. “I had the opportunity to design a cocktail bar, the Prescription Cocktail Club, in Paris’s 6th arrondissement.” That was the beginning of her professional recognition.
Since then, she has devoted her energy to designing hotels, restaurants and bars, spaces that breathe authenticity. Her approach blends cultural storytelling, one-of-a-kind pieces, craftsmanship, local materials and a deep respect for the spirit of each location. Her design, rooted in sustainability, always begins with attentive listening, both to the place and to the client.
Dorothée creates immersive interiors where curved shapes, tactile textures and an unexpected colour palette coexist with natural ease. “French heritage is a great advantage, it allows me to be creative, to experiment with different styles and draw on the many influences we’ve inherited.” Among the creatives who inspire her, she names Jaime Hayon, Cristina Celestino, and American studios such as Commune and Roman & Williams.
Her creative touch extends beyond interior architecture: she also designs furniture, textiles and graphic elements, always with an integrated, emotional and functional vision. “Spaces that are easy to use; handmade, timeless pieces. I want my style to evolve, but I’ll always maintain my signature mix of materials, styles and patterns.”
Among her most emblematic projects are Hôtel Bachaumont, Hôtel Panache, Hôtel des Grands Boulevards and the Grand Pigalle Hotel in Paris; the Henrietta Hotel in London; and Menorca Experimental in Spain. In each, she has masterfully interwoven history, context and an organic narrative.
Internationally recognised, Dorothée Meilichzon has received numerous awards from institutions such as Maison & Objet, VIA, La Chambre du Commerce et de l’Industrie, AD Magazine, Wallpaper, House & Garden and Dezeen.
From her studio in Paris, she has completed over a hundred projects in locations as diverse as London, the Cotswolds, Ibiza, Menorca, Venice, Basel, Monaco, Saint-Tropez, Val d’Isère, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Zhengzhou, Riyadh, Manama, Dubai, Seoul, New York, Portugal, southern France and Corsica.