Raphael Navot is a discreet man yet an impressive interior architect. Our first event together was on the set of the 2016 edition of the AD Intérieurs exhibition at the Monnaie de Paris. It also was the beginning of a collaboration marked by technical challenges and leading to unique designs: The Forêt Opus by la maison Oscar Ono.
Raphael Navot is an endless source of creativity, highly inspired by the beauty of raw materials. The lines he designs are pure; the tones he uses and soft; and the techniques and savoir-faire he is looking for are at the junction between art and craftmanship.
When he creates a new project, may it be furniture with the Moon Sofa (Domeau & Pérès), or the Nativ Collection (Roche Bobois), or a selection of tapestry and rugs with the series “Land” from the Galerie Diurne, not one inch is left unconsidered. Nature resonates in every piece, every object, every scenery (the Parisian nightclub Silencio, the Hotel National des Arts et Métiers, the art gallery at the Domaine des Etangs to name a few). And with Raphael Navot it rimes with perfection.
With la maison Oscar Ono, Raphael Navot has shifted the lines of traditional wood floors. For the Forêt Opus, he opted for using endgrain woodblocks and elaborated a series of endless patterns highly sophisticated. The repetition of the patterns is imperceptible to the eye. The vision gets lost in the multitude of lines that draw a fantastic map on the floors and walls. Navot knows well that sophistication can be refined. He knows where to draw complexity or to put on simplicity. This very precise balance also is one of his specificities.
Exquisite and complex nature, beautiful and raw materials, yet Navot’s decorations are far from being wild. The worldly renown designer has his personal signature. The places and objects he conceives are tamed. They invite to contemplation; they inspire comfort and meditation; they evoke music and travelling. They produce those calm vibes that only emanate from unique places; the kind of feeling you usual get when lost in an amazing landscape. Raphael Navot has an eye for beauty, and you can perceive it in his look. His presence is similar to his creations, never too loud and never out of place.
In the world of interior design Raphael Navot is following his very own path, guided by nature and man-made techniques. We can wonder where it will lead him next, new materials, new lines or maybe new spaces from indoor to outdoor design. Wherever his curiosity and creativity take him, la maison Oscar Ono will proudly be there, sourcing crafted hardwood, meeting up to his inspiration and expectations.
