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Friday Five with Jean Pelle of PELLE

Jean Pelle is one-half of the team behind New York City’s PELLE, an independent design studio she co-founded with partner Oliver Pelle, who she met while they both pursued their Masters in Architecture at Yale University. After stints at Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects in New York City, Eric Owen Moss Architects in Los Angeles, and EHDD Architecture in San Francisco, Jean set up her own studio in 2008. After publishing her Bubble Chandelier as a DIY project in Readymade Magazine, the piece took off in popularity and put her studio on the map. A few years later, she joined forces with Oliver to found PELLE and they created a full series based on that fixture, which began it all. The duo recently moved into their new studio in the Flatiron district in NYC, showcasing their collection of modern, sculptural designs, which range from furniture to lighting to art objects. In 2018’s first Friday Five, Jean Pelle tells us about five of her favorite things, including a rare car, musician, accessories, location, and a famed NYC restaurant.

1. The Delorean DMC-12
I’ve been thinking about this car ever since I heard that the Delorean Motor Company would be releasing new DMC-12s from the 1980s starting in 2016. (The rollout has not happened yet). This is a car that epitomizes the cool stylings of the 70s and 80s. I love its segmented lines, the stainless steel body, the louvered detailing and those amazing gull doors.

2. Beck
Beck for me is like the musical parallel of the design career I’d like to have. He’s a genre chameleon and has changed it up so much despite what is on the line for him as a serious musician. You sense that he wants to get a taste of it all – I really love that about him.

3. Accoutrements
I do appreciate a good pair of shoes and a great handbag to go to work in every day. It’s a plus when they look beautiful and function just as well. The Loulou Boot from YSL has an elegant silhouette as well as a stacked heel that is at the ideal height for me. My workbag is the Orly Tote from Want Les Essentiels and is basically my briefcase. It has deep compartments to hold my sketchbooks and an outer pocket for my phone and MetroCard. I feel ready when I have these items with me.

4. Litchfield, Connecticut
Our family’s favorite place to go for some weekend relaxation. Litchfield County is all about nature and the outdoors. We go there to stay at a farmhouse and spend our time hiking, exploring the wooded areas, and all of the splendid places to eat.

Photo by David Leventi Photography

5. The Odeon Restaurant
This is probably my favorite restaurant in New York because I know I’m always going to have a great meal here – no matter what. It’s the classics like steak and oysters on the half shell. I also like the atmosphere of the Manhattan regulars.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.