The French art of joyful living with Maison Balzac

When Elise Pioch Balzac launched Maison Balzac in 2012, Australia’s tastes were deep in the throes of millennial grey and all-white kitchens, not influenced by trends the maison serves as an antidote. Named after her beloved grandparents, the brand began with scented candles inspired by her childhood in the South of France. Thirteen years later, Maison Balzac has become one of the most recognisable homeware brands in the country, blending French refinement with Australian ease. In many ways, the brand's joyful use of colour and playful forms helped pave the way for the more expressive, personality-driven interiors we see today.

Your career began at Hermès in Paris during Martin Margiela’s time as artistic director. What did that experience teach you about building a luxury brand?

Joining a house like Hermès was an amazing experience that taught me about genuine storytelling, poetry in every detail and sincere humility. I created my brand with each of these values in mind and I think I succeeded in keeping them at the heart of everything we do.

Growing up in France and starting the brand in Australia—how do these two cultures show up in your work? French design often leans formal, while Australian living is relaxed. Where do you find yourself on that spectrum when designing?

Maison Balzac was born out of a desire to express my French culture in a foreign country (Australia) so the two worlds continuously and harmoniously collide. I enjoy the deep cultural history behind every French aesthetic or rules and I marry it to the optimistic, free and happy spirit of Australia. Product-wise, this looks like a classic wine decanter with an unexpected, bright sun as the stopper.

Can you share a memory you have not yet translated into your designs, but dream of recreating?

There are so many more childhood memories that I look forward to introducing to the Maison Balzac future collections. For example, I haven’t really brought to life the many insects that used to be my friends in my parents’ garden: ants, beetles and slugs to name a few.

Maison Balzac recently released the final part of the Cadaqués collection. Can you take us into one specific moment on the Costa Brava that captures what you’re trying to recreate? What were you eating, who were you with, what made time feel suspended?

There is one specific moment that we managed to capture brilliantly: I remember sitting underneath a century old pine tree on a very hot and sunny day in Cadaqués, by the sea, and the smell of the sweet bark warmed up by summer mixed with the sand and salty air was magnificent. I promised myself to capture this moment and I finally did! Our Cadaqués candle smells exactly like that moment.

Entertaining has shifted from formal matching sets to personality-driven tablescapes. How has this cultural change influenced what you create and how customers use Maison Balzac pieces?

I am not influenced at all by the current trends, I actually decided to translate my passion for fashion into unusual and playful tableware objects 13 years ago. I had an intuition that the way we decorate our homes would become more meaningful and more important - I was right! My parents and grand-parents spent their lives entertaining and creating beautiful tables, turning them into beautiful moments and memories so it is something profoundly infused in me.

There’s a confident playfulness to Maison Balzac such as coloured pompoms, lobster platters, and celery candles, yet the pieces always feel sophisticated. How do you calibrate that balance between whimsy and restraint?

I am glad you can notice the confidence and the playfulness in each product because they really are the true expression of my taste, my world. I don’t hesitate to only listen to my inner voice and not to external advice or opinions! This way I deliver the true essence of my voice, the same voice I had when I was 8 years old in the South of France (hence the playfulness).

What’s next for the story of Maison Balzac or for your own endeavours outside of the brand?

It is such a joy to unfold the narrative of Maison Balzac and we will continue to do that by adding new categories of products and new ideas of course. Personally I am designing the renovation of our bathroom at home and I am thinking about introducing some custom made pieces in the mix.

Three words to describe Maison Balzac?

Playful, Elegant, French!

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