Do you like contemporary design? “What I don’t like is design that is bland or ‘grey’. It is soul destroying; like a plague of mediocrity. I studied architecture when I was very young but for many years after that I continued to study art history and landscape. I admire the Renaissance man as someone with a wide, global idea of life. When you put it all together you find you have a deeper perspective.”

Your 16th-century home in Paris is a tribute to your expertise in art and design. Is it frustrating working with clients who lack the same understanding? “No. The wonderful thing is that someone who has created wealth is usually brilliant and so they learn very quickly. They also have to deal with power so it is actually very easy to work with them. I see what we do as helping to upgrade other people’s lives: you go through a door and deal with us, then go out the other door with something better.”

What do you think of the popular minimalist Scandi look? “Minimalism is easy; you don’t need a cultural background or to explain it but when you get into some­thing more complex, with historical refer­ences, you have to be able to defend it. To do that you need a certain knowledge. Some­thing contemporary looks international, but how do you know whether it is Russian or Italian? It has no soul.

Minimalist chic: a Hong Kong apartment shows how it’s done

“In the 18th century a person like me was called an ‘assemblier’ – that is what we do, we assemble interiors. It is a beautiful descrip­tion because it reflects how we bring an intelligent approach and passion.”