Humbert & Poyet's Knack For Translating Complex 3-D Ambiences

The name Humbert & Poyet keeps cropping up in design circles. Based in both Paris and Monaco, the studio is known for the refined, bold designs of Beefbar restaurants around the world, including Hong Kong. Each has a distinctive visual concept and identity that are inspired by its location, thanks to Emil Humbert (right) and Christophe Poyet’s trademark knack for translating complex 3-D ambiences. Writer Y-JEAN MUN-DELSALLE finds out more.

- Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle

In Beefbar Paris, Emil Humbert and Christophe Poyet used an existing art nouveau interior as the backdrop for their meticulously opulent design. In Beefbar Mexico, they installed black wood and bronze panelling, custom alabaster lighting, leather walls and a raw granite bar.

For couturier Alexis Mabille’s Parisian boutique, the Humbert & Poyet studio thought of the space with cinema decor, imagining plays of mirrors, geometry and textiles that emphasised the creator’s glamorous spirit.

Obsessed with attention to detail, the two 30-something founders even design most of the furniture pieces and lighting themselves to offer a total experience to clients across the globe, creating spaces not dependent on time and trends, and expressing an urban Mediterranean lifestyle.

They represent a new definition of luxury – one that’s understated yet theatrical, less austere and more enjoyable, mixing eras, from classicism to modernism. Like directors, they design every project like a movie or stage set, with the interiors transporting users and allowing them to immerse themselves in the space, aiming to create a scene with the best lighting and the best decor to tell the right story.

Born Legendary

The Humbert & Poyet adventure was born from a meeting between two men, two skills and two visions of the profession. Raised in Paris, Emil is the son of an advertising executive and a ballet dancer. Monacoborn Christophe learnt to compose visually from his photographer grandfather.