In Conversation with Pierre McKell
Founders Jacques Pierre Levet and Connor McKell Bingham talk exciting new beginnings
Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles: Pierre McKell was officially founded just last year. What inspired you two to start your own firm and what is your vision behind it?
Connor McKell Bingham: At our previous firms, we both worked closely with the head principals and founders and had great exposure to what it takes to run a business. I think we, as designers, have big opinions and views on the type of work we’re doing. Jacques and I have similar perspectives on the design process, and we really connected on that and wanted to create something that was unique to our vision. A big component of that was our outreach and focus on education. In a professional practice, it’s tricky to incorporate that and takes a special type of firm structure.
Jacques Pierre Levet: Connor and I both have a similar view on what home can mean, which is different for everybody. For us, it’s a desire to help create a well-crafted space that matches whatever the client’s feeling of home is.
AH&L: As founders of a new firm, you collaborate every day. How do your individual backgrounds and personalities complement each other?
JPL: I’m definitely a maximalist. I grew up surrounded by historic buildings, and my family had a farm in Louisiana, so there were old things and texture everywhere—which I love. I definitely approach design with that in mind. Although Connor is a little different, we come at design and work in similar ways. In terms of what we bring to the table, our two backgrounds are different but complementary.
CMB: Touching on design personality, you could call me a classical minimalist. I went to the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture for my undergraduate degree as the last undergrad to go through the program, and then I went back to Colorado for my master’s degree, which is very different from a lot of the traditional practitioners today. Because of my background, I’d say there are elements of my work that are more modern than Jacques.
AH&L: Inspiration can be found in many places and in many forms. What inspires you and your work?
JPL: Lots of historic precedent. A huge inspiration for me is seeing how people live and enjoy their homes. It’s not just a museum—it’s how do these homes really function, live, entertain, and support families? There’s so much to learn from studying and experiencing that.
CMB: It’s also energizing to see the phenomenal work being done by our peers today. The high caliber of work is inspiring.
AH&L: The future is bright for Pierre McKell. Is there anything as a firm you are eager to sink your teeth into—whether that be certain projects, regions, or styles?
JPL: All of it. I love to experience projects where we have a full team that thoroughly enjoys it. Fortunately, we have a lot of those right now, but when you have the interior designer, the landscape architect, and the client all enjoying the process, those are the really great, standout projects. And that’s more of what I’d like to focus on versus the actual details of the project itself. We both love working on interior architecture and have an affinity for decorative arts and objects. To be able to either work with interior designers more deeply or to immerse ourselves more into that would be fantastic.
CMB: Yes, expanding not only just in terms of architectural design, but into potential product design to widen the type of deliverable that Pierre McKell can offer interests us. It’s not the goal, but to have certain products that are architecturally informed, I think, would go a long way for key areas.
AH&L: Atlanta has a tight-knit design community. What is it about this city and its people that makes it a great place to open up a firm?
JPL: There are a number of things that come to mind. I think it’s unique how supportive the design community is compared to other places. There are many designers that have opened doors for us, brought us into other groups, and through this process, have supported us. Also, the number of extremely accomplished designers who take a lot of time to either coordinate programming or to provide opportunities for young professionals is amazing—I’m thinking of Jim Strickland, Jackye Lanham, Tammy Connor.
AH&L: As a budding firm, what would you like people to know about Pierre McKell?
JPL: Just that we enjoy the heck out of what we do. We thoroughly love working with our clients and design teams. This is a job, yes, but I don’t know what else I would do personally. It’s just a part of us.
CMB: We care so much about the work. We not only love doing it, but we love the process and everything that comes along with it. pierremckell.com
A Day in the Life
Morning to night with Pierre McKell
7 a.m. Connor grabs a coffee, whisks his kids off to school, and begins the commute up to Midtown Atlanta.
8:30 a.m. Connor and Jacques walk across the street to Spiller Park Coffee for a quick breakfast and to review the plan for the day ahead.
9 a.m. The morning unfolds with a pair of consultant calls, while schematic sketches for a new East Hampton house develop in the margins between conversations.
12 p.m. Lunch on the go, then up to Buckhead for a framing walk-through at one of their high-rise apartment projects.
1 p.m. A working meeting with the builder and interior designer follows, reviewing lighting selections and sketching adjustments directly on-site.
4 p.m. Back at the studio, they join a municipal review meeting for a new bar in Seattle, while Jacques quietly scrolls the LiveAuctioneers website, flagging a few tempting lots as they wait to be called.
5:30 p.m. They grab a cocktail—most likely an old fashioned—as the conversation drifts to their upcoming work trips.
