Let’s Chat To… Jean-Pierre Biasol

All eyes are on: Biasol. Masters of texture, the studio is a representation of how being adaptable to the brief can help open doors (in places as far away as China). Join us for a chit chat with studio founder and director, Jean-Pierre Biasol.

You may know Biasol as that studio who took care of Bec Judd’s Forever Home renovation, or brought all the whimsical wonder to the Budapest Cafe in China. Or perhaps you got to know them for their love and on-point execution of marble.

Regardless of what popped the studio on your radar, they’re definitely one that have their secret sauce figured out – and we can all agree, it’s delicious! We managed to get a hold of the studio’s founder and director, Jean-Pierre Biasol, who gave us the low-down on projects, materiality, beginnings, and clients. We also scored a bunch of yummy-scrummy images to share – so sit down, coffee-up, and scroll onwards.

DS: How did it all begin – can you remember the moment you decided to get Biasol up off the ground and running?

J-PB: It was during the peak of the GFC recession, I had just returned from studying in Italy to Melbourne and eager to begin my design career with a design studio. Unfortunately, no design studios were hiring, it was a challenging and difficult time. Having experienced these difficult times, we wanted to give others an opportunity to be part of our studio, and so through the support of friends and family some opportunities arose, and I decided to setup Biasol Studio in 2012.

Studying in Italy gave me a lot of exposure to many of the design greats which really plays a significant part in influencing the way we think as a studio. Many of these design greats fused and blurred the lines between Art, Architecture, Interiors, Products, Graphics and Branding. A concept which strongly resonated with me and the very foundation of why we set up the studio — we see design as one, whether we are working on an interior, building, product or branded environment.

DS: Your “The Budapest Cafe” project is so imaginative and exciting – can you chat to us about the background of this project? Are you able to touch on the logistics and challenges of working on a project on the other side of the world?

J-PB: Our client wanted to engage an international design studio to deliver an internationally recognised destination, one that would set a new benchmark in her hometown of Chengdu. Our studio works extensively across the globe and in particular London, so we have great experience in working with different time zones. We were quite fortunate our client was well travelled and wanted to create something truly authentic and unique.

Inspired by Wes Anderson’s distinctive visual style and Melbourne’s café culture, The Budapest Café is designed to feel feminine and fun, with layers of surprising design quest to encourage its guests to explore and physically engage with the space.

DS: If you could pick three personality traits or characteristics in a perfect client, what would they be, and why?

J-PB: We love forging friendships with our clients and like any long-standing friendship communication is key. 

Passionate about their home and/or business, we want to see people thrive! Whether we’re designing their forever home or helping them transform their business. It always starts with passion. 

Open-minded to the design journey — Starting with a brief we love working in close collaboration with our clients and delivering beyond their expectation. Letting the design and end outcome speak a common language. 

DS: Biasol sure know how to rock a bit of marble. What do you think draws you to using this material in your projects?

J-PB: We love that every piece of marble or terrazzo has its own unique character and charm, it’s about appreciating materiality for these qualities and knowing how to detail it into the project where it showcases all its qualities. It’s amazing what nature and man can produce together, and as a design studio we love to push the boundaries in which these materials can be transformed through our design process, yet still capture its beauty in all its glory. 

DS: We love that Biasol is expanding through furniture. Do you have any new industrial design-esque projects on the horizon that you’d like to shout out?

J-PB: We love the tactile nature of products and furniture and we’re always looking to build on our furniture and home deco collections — stay tuned we have four to five new collections being launched 2022.