Step on the attic interior designer Jean Porschea unique place in the Salamanca neighborhood, is similar to entering a cabinet of curiosities where jewels coexist without fear. such as a French art deco buffet from the forties or an old English boat bed with works of modern art and brands well known to the general public. Because the Mexican architect and interior designer, who has lived in the capital for twenty years, likes few things more than mixing; the more, the better, and with an exquisite result, as demonstrated by the houses of Madrid and Menorca by the collector Jimena Blázquez or the restaurants Coque and Lelong Asian Club, in Madrid, which bear her signature. Your showroom completes the circle, The Interiorlistwhere you can find everything from fabrics and wallpapers – those that he likes to use profusely and that he shows off in his attic – to his own collection for sale to the public of objects, books and curiosities. “I define myself as a baroque minimalist. I believe in what they say about living only with what you need, but the problem comes when you need many things. Then you go baroque,” he jokes.
© Javier Alonso“I found this penthouse, which had been closed for many years, just when the pandemic began and it was as if I had won the lottery. From the terrace, the sunsets are unique”
© Javier Alonso-Let’s talk about this house. What is the most special thing about it for you?
-It is an attic with a 40 square meter terrace which was closed for many years. I found it right when the pandemic was starting, so it was like I won the lottery. The sunsets here are unique.
-Where did you start decorating it?
-Once I was clear about the distribution, I started looking at fabrics because in my house I wanted to experience the luxury of having canvas walls. I designed the fireplace, another important part for me, each and every one of the ceilings with their moldings and cornices, I bought furniture and antiquesI chose the kitchen, which is from Ikea – a discontinued model because the green was not liked – and together with the landscape designer Clara R. Spiteri I set up the terrace. I wanted everything to be as if it had been here forever.
© Javier Alonso“You have to try to make your house not look like a catalog. “Mixtures enrich spaces, and when you live in a rich space you live in a happy space.”
© Javier Alonso
© Javier Alonso-You are a firm defender of mixing what is good with what is not so good. Explain to me a little more…
-I think that, knowing how to mix it, everything is good. I also have to say that good is relativebecause for me an old dresser can be something very good and another person may think it is an old piece of furniture and be happy having it all brand new from Ikea. I was once told that a person arrived in Cuba with a container full of furniture from this brand and managed to exchange it for mid-century pieces made of tropical woods such as jacaranda and rosewood. There were those who called him a scammer, but for the people of Havana Theirs was old junk and they made a profit with brand new furniture. What I do believe is that you have to try to make your house not look like a brand catalog. And that’s what mixing consists of, buying in one place, finding something in another, discovering a wallpaper or a fabric and mixing it with the furniture. These combinations make spaces enrich, and when you live in a rich space you live in a happy space.
© Javier Alonso-Being Mexican, do you like to give your projects a touch of your country?
–In Mexico Color is in the culture but not in the houses, although I do believe that everything I experienced from that magic that captivates many is reflected in my work in some way, because many people talk about my use of color. That and the way of understanding luxury, which I try to reflect in the distribution of the homes and in the functionality that the residential architecture of my country taught me.
-Was anyone in your family dedicated to interior design?
-No one, but what I can say is that they had good taste. I remember my aunt, who rode some wonderful houses: covered the walls and she mixed antiques with other modern pieces, she made the most interesting distribution changes in her houses and all by herself, without an architect or interior designer. I always knew that I wanted to be an architect. Since I was little, the interiors of homes caught my attention.
© Javier Alonso“Shortly I will have been in Madrid for more years than in Mexico. When I came for the first time, I fell in love with everything, from the way of living to the friendliness”
-And how was your debut?
-I was 16 years old and we moved from a house to an apartment. We decided to sell all the furniture and I took charge of selecting new pieces. We bought furniture from French designers who had just arrived in Mexico, and it turned out very well. When I was studying Architecture, we bought land in a golf club where we built a house that had been designed entirely by me. Then my mother died and I sold it. The people who came to see it did not believe that it was a design by someone 21 years old. It was a learning moment in which my mind was occupied minimalism and modern aesthetics, which is often what is wanted in luxury homes in Mexico.
-What would you say then was the first project with your unique style?
-It was an apartment in Mexico that I bought and started to renovate. Halfway through the renovation, a person came who saw it, liked it, and asked me if I would sell it. I gave him a price and he said yes. I even left it with sheets and cutlery! Was my first ‘turnkey’. It was for me, but I only enjoyed it for two weeks.
© Javier Alonso
© Javier Alonso-You celebrate twenty years living in Madrid. What attracted you to the capital?
-Shortly I will have been here for more years than in Mexico! When I came for the first time, which was in 2002 to take a course, it reminded me a little of Mexico City, but small and manageable. You can see that we have the same roots, and the way of living, the quality of life, the light, the friendliness… I fell in love with everything. When I decided to live abroad in 2004, I had Spain on my mind and in a moment of doubt between Madrid or Barcelona I set foot here again and I felt like I had returned home, to the place I discovered and where I feel happy. Furthermore, in these twenty years I have made friends who love me and care for me. Many started as clients and have ended up celebrating my achievements and successes with me. I also couldn’t be where I am without my team in the studio, my carpenters, painters, wallpaperers, cabinet makers and all the people who are as excited as I am when we finish a project. They take photos because they say that we make magic. Without them, magic would not exist.
-How do you like to enjoy Christmas?
-I love walking and looking at shop windows and, at home, the terracedue to the state of the plants, sets the tone for when it is time to decorate it. The fireplace is an element that reminds me of my childhood and that is why I put the tree next to it. I sit in this corner and get to relive the memories of my family and friends.
© Javier Alonso“The fireplace reminds me of my childhood and that’s why I put the tree next to it. The terrace, due to the state of the plants, sets the tone for when it is time to decorate it for Christmas.”
© Javier Alonso
© Javier AlonsoGolden ‘Tips’
- Adapt the imaginary: Imagine that your decorative dream is ‘old Hollywood’ and you want make it happen in your home. “The main thing is that you soak up the aesthetics through books, movies and visits to places that inspire you. From here, you have to put the house in context and use your imagination. Then, things happen by themselves,” says Jean Porsche.
- Crescendo mixes: “If you are afraid to take risks, start with small touches, such as a cushion, a blanket or wallpaper. As you gain confidence, add more things to create a livable environment. Far away are the ‘gallery’ houses in which there seemed to be signs of ‘Do not pass’ or ‘Do not touch’“.
- Christmas message: “Always decorate the table as if you were going to receive people, even if you eat alone. You have to think that the main guest is you. I mainly like the decorations in red and green with a golden touch.”
© Javier Alonso