Sophie Dries
people • DESIGNERS
Architect and designer Sophie Dries, founder of Studio HMNOP, brings a distinct vision that merges architecture, art, and design. A graduate of ENSA Paris-Malaquais and Aalto University in Helsinki, Sophie also honed her understanding of Contemporary Art at L’École du Louvre, a foundation that deeply informs her multidisciplinary approach.
Her career began in the esteemed ateliers of Jean Nouvel, Pierre Yovanovitch, and Christian Liaigre, where she developed a refined sensitivity to materiality and spatial composition. In 2014, Sophie established her eponymous studio in Paris, followed by a second outpost in Milan in 2017, marking her international presence.
In 2015, Sophie’s artistic exploration took her to the iconic Villa Can Lis in Mallorca as part of the Jorn Utzon Foundation’s architectural residency. Here, she unveiled “TRACES”, her debut collection of rugs—a poetic dialogue between texture, form, and the natural landscape.
WEBSITE: sophiedries.com INSTAGRAM: @sophiedries
Words: designeers
DECMEBER 2024
DESIGNEERS
What inspired you to start your studio, and how has your vision evolved since its founding in 2014?
Sophie Dries
It wasn’t something I had meticulously planned; it came about naturally as a response to client requests and opportunities. I pursued it without overthinking, though it has indeed turned out to be a significant life change. My vision has always centered on collaboration—working collectively with the artisans and makers involved in my interiors and objects, honoring their craftsmanship, expertise, and the use of natural materials.
DESIGNEERS
What are three words that define your design philosophy?
Sophie Dries
Timeless, sharing, experimenting.
DESIGNEERS
Your projects effortlessly combine elegance with raw materials. How do you achieve this harmony?
Sophie Dries
Effortlessness is quintessentially Parisian—we strive to create the impression that it all came together naturally, as if no hard work went into it at all. I love when contrasts are put together in unexpected way but nevertheless elegant, like what I can do with raw Selenite mineral and bronze.
DESIGNEERS
Tell us about a project that feels like the perfect representation of your studio’s ethos.
Sophie Dries
Residential projects are very personal to the owners I like to say that making someone’ s home is like a painter doing a portrait, it has to look like the owner but in the style of the artiste who signed it. So maybe some of my objects like the Olfactory column that I have designed for D’Orsay, which has very architectural reference of a column, and merge raw cork with precious selenite minerals and brass ring.
“Effortlessness is quintessentially Parisian—we strive to create the impression that it all came together naturally, as if no hard work went into it at all.”
Sophie DRIES
DESIGNEERS
How does your love for art and craftsmanship influence your architectural projects?
Sophie Dries
I engage with contemporary art almost daily—it’s a constant presence in my life. I work primarily with art collectors and live with an artist, so art naturally serves as one of my greatest sources of inspiration, alongside nature, an endless reservoir of beauty.
My creative process begins with my relationship to the workshops. Every design project starts with a meaningful encounter with a craftsperson—whether they specialize in glass, papier-mâché, wood, metal, or ceramics. Conversations with them lay the foundation for the work, followed by material experimentation through samples. Only then do I move on to design and function.
DESIGNEERS
If you could design a dream home for any historical figure, who would it be and what would it look like?
Sophie Dries
One of my idols is Josephine Baker—Adolf Loos even designed an (unbuilt) house for her. Frida Kahlo, who actually met Baker, also lived in an architecturally iconic home. But if I could dream, I would design for living icons like Miuccia Prada, Cardi B, or Björk.
The house would be shaped by the conversations we’d have, blending feminine intimacy with bold, powerful statements—reflecting their unique female gaze and individuality.
DESIGNEERS
We love your furniture collaborations. Can you share the story behind one of your favourite pieces?
Sophie Dries
Every collaboration begins with an encounter and a conversation. My Alchemia collection—available at Nilufar Galleryin Milan and crafted in Murano—was born from a series of material experiments. We explored incorporating minerals into glass, but most either burned or created bubbles, proving incompatible.
When we discovered the mesmerizing effect of mica, its unique pattern and inclusions captivated us. Light, we realized, would enhance its beauty, and so we decided to create a lamp—a piece that celebrates the interplay of material and illumination.
DESIGNEERS
What exciting projects or collaborations are you currently working on?
Sophie Dries
I am currently designing an art gallery in Tokyo, set to open in early 2025, which will also feature my furniture in the private collectors’ lounge. For Salone 2025 in Milan, I will be launching a new collection of sheers. Additionally, I’m working on the redesign of an apartment in Paris, housed within the former 1920s residence of Helena Rubinstein.
DESIGNEERS
On your coffee table right now?
Sophie Dries
Marie-Laure de Noailles, artist and collector, featured in Johan Fleury de Witt's show at Villa Noailles, an aluminum ashtray by Starck from the 1980s, the Matsutani retrospective catalog I picked up during my recent trip to Tokyo, a Robert Ryman exhibition catalog from the Jeu de Paume in Paris, the latest issue of l’Étiquette magazine where I’m featured for my fashion style, and a malachite centerpiece.
DESIGNEERS
Dream project location?
Sophie Dries
Japan was dream and came true, next dream is Namibia.
DESIGNEERS
Most inspiring Parisian building?
Sophie Dries
Le Conseil Economique d’Auguste Perret (also Mrs Prada’s favorite).
DESIGNEERS
Favorite material to design with?
Sophie Dries
Stone, wonder of nature and forever partners of architects.
DESIGNEERS
Finally, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone creating their dream home or space?
Sophie Dries
Work with an architect—they will save you time, money, and ensure the design reflects your personality and lifestyle. The key is having the right conversation about how you want to live and envision yourself in the space.
