Where architecture opens outward and nature becomes part of the home

Interior Design and Garden as One

Unlike many interior designers, Marianne Tiegen's journey into interiors began outdoors. Her background is rooted first in floristry, and then in gardens, an origin that continues to shape her design philosophy today.

Her interior design career began at Petersham Nurseries in London, where she worked as a buyer for garden and outdoor furniture. Gradually, her focus expanded to include interior furnishings and home decor, with a particular emphasis on antiques. While she was initially designing gardens and outdoor spaces for clients visiting the nursery, those same clients soon began asking her to design their homes as well.

She continued working as a buyer for major groups, specializing in antiques and outdoor furniture, before eventually launching her own interior design practice. As her London clients increasingly commissioned projects across the globe, her practice naturally expanded beyond the city, leading her to establish studios in Paris, Verbier, and Los Angeles. From the very beginning, one principle guided her work: the seamless connection between indoor and outdoor living.

Curated Outdoor Spaces

For Marianne, outdoor spaces deserve the same level of care and intention as interiors. "You can't have a highly curated home filled with unique pieces and then place generic modern furniture outside," she explains. "The outdoor space is just as important."

Just like inside a home, contrast is essential. Materials, textures, and colors should interact and complement one another, not only through the plants themselves, but through the containers and furniture that accompany them. She often combines antique zinc planters such as dolly tubs or other zinc with antique terracotta vessels like Anduze pots. These are then balanced with more contemporary pieces from makers such as Atelier Vierkrant or Potterie Ravel. But placement is key.

"You don't mix things randomly," she says. "You create clusters, play with heights, and allow for asymmetry."

Some areas, however, benefit from more structure and symmetry. Entrances, pathways, and formal approaches to a house often call for this kind of order, which helps emphasize the architecture and proportions of the building. In these cases, classic wooden Versailles Orangerie planters (from Jardin du Roi Soleil) work beautifully. And wherever possible, she recommends incorporating water. "Even a small water feature on a terrace can completely transform the outdoor experience."

Bringing Home Décor Outside

Outdoor living should feel as thoughtfully styled as any interior room. Dressing an outdoor table, regardless of the season, is part of that philosophy. A dining table might feature a Médicis cast-iron urn filled with an arrangement gathered from the garden, the surrounding landscape, or from a good flower shop using seasonal flowers. Small terracotta pots with seasonal plants or herbs might also be placed along the table.

The same elements can appear both inside and outside, reinforcing the dialogue between the home and the garden. Terracotta pots filled with bulbs in winter and spring are another favorite detail, bringing a subtle sense of nature into both spaces.

These small gestures also ensure that an outdoor dining table always feels ready for an impromptu alfresco meal. Marianne often uses naturally dyed tablecloths inspired by the colors of the season, allowing the table to feel alive and connected to its environment.

Mixing Old and New

Outdoor furniture follows the same philosophy of thoughtful contrast. Marianne enjoys pairing 19th-century garden furniture, such as Arras chairs and benches, with more contemporary pieces from brands like Tectona. The dialogue between eras creates richness and personality. In fact, when designing homes, the outdoor environment is always part of the process from the very beginning. Her studio's mood boards always include plants and outdoor imagery for every room, ensuring the house feels like a refuge, an oasis where nature is gently invited indoors.

Connecting Nature Through Fabric

One of the studio's most distinctive approaches to bringing nature inside lies in its fabrics. About half of the textiles used in their upholstery are dyed using a unique plant-based dyeing process. The remaining fabrics are left undyed, celebrating the natural tones of materials such as natural wool, linen, and hemp. Plant-dyed fabric walls are sometimes incorporated as well, reinforcing the connection between the interior and the natural world.

The team is also developing a natural water-repellent treatment for these fabrics to allow them to perform outdoors. In the meantime, clients who wish to use interior fabrics outside can apply water-repellent solutions themselves, provided they carefully follow the product instructions.

Using natural materials is not just aesthetic. It is also an environmental commitment. Their bespoke furniture is made from materials that are fully biodegradable, further strengthening the link between design and nature.

Designing for Place

Each project calls for a distinct approach shaped by its surroundings. A home in the mountains, in the heart of a city, or by the ocean should feel naturally anchored to its environment. With studios in Paris, Verbier, and Los Angeles, Marianne Tiegen team approaches each location through its own lens, beginning with a deep understanding of the region's native flora and landscape.

A balcony in Verbier, for example, might feature chunky furniture and stone-topped tables like those by Sempre. Often, these pieces are custom-made with local carpenters using reclaimed wood.

The patina of these materials gives newly built furniture a timeless quality that blends naturally with the surrounding landscape.

Unexpected pieces can also bring character. A florist's potting bench placed in a mountain chalet, for example, introduces an element of surprise, something singular that sparks curiosity.

Elsewhere, the tone shifts. An outdoor space in Los Angeles may feel more curated and relaxed, while a Parisian terrace will often feature antique French garden furniture. What gives a space its soul is this subtle mix of eras, origins, and local influences.

"There isn't a perfect formula," Marianne says. "You simply feel when something is harmonized."

To create that harmony, she believes you must genuinely love gardens and nature. The goal is to recreate, gently and thoughtfully, what the surrounding landscape already offers. Sustainability remains essential throughout the process. Whether antique or reclaimed, materials are chosen carefully so that design never comes at the expense of environmental responsibility.

Blurring the Boundaries

Sometimes the exchange between indoors and outdoors works both ways. Vintage outdoor pieces, such as those by Willy Guhl or Mathieu Matégot, are occasionally brought inside, their weathered patina adding character and authenticity to interior spaces.

The natural patina that develops on pieces left outdoors over time is impossible to replicate. A stone table or sculpture that has remained outside for decades acquires a surface that becomes almost like a work of art. Only nature can create this perfectly imperfect beauty. Whenever possible, Tiegen likes like to bring one of these naturally weathered pieces indoors. They reconnect the interiors with nature. Years of searching for antiques allow us to discover these rare and unique objects. Whenever possible, Marianne Tiegen also enjoys creating small orangerie-like spaces within a home: light-filled sanctuaries where plants can thrive and inhabitants can retreat.

At the completion of a project, she always presents the home adorned with flower arrangements and a curated selection of vases and pots, guiding clients on how to continue bringing seasonal flowers and nature into their daily lives. Because, ultimately, the home and the garden are never separate. They are part of the same living landscape.

Paris ©J. Wilson

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