At Home with House of Fraser and Christiane Lemieux

When we heard that House of Fraser was working with Christiane Lemieux, we were curious and a little excited. Lemieux is the designer who founded DwellStudio in New York, the brand that made graphic, grown-up textiles feel fresh again. Her home range for House of Fraser brings that sensibility to British high streets, and after spending some time with it we think it deserves attention.

The collection is built around the kind of rooms Lemieux is known for: calm, tailored and quietly confident, with pattern used where it counts. Think upholstered pieces in soft greys, considered side tables and accessories that look collected rather than bought in one go.

Who is Christiane Lemieux?

For anyone new to her work, Christiane Lemieux started DwellStudio in 1999 and built it into a well-loved name for bedding, fabrics and furniture with a strong graphic signature. She is also the author of Undecorate, a book that celebrates homes put together with personality rather than by the rulebook. We have written a short profile of Christiane Lemieux if you would like to know more about her background.

When DwellStudio was sold to the American online retailer Wayfair in 2013, Lemieux kept a London-based offshoot sold through House of Fraser. That is the range we are looking at here, and it feels very much like her own work: considered, comfortable and ready to be lived with.

The House of Fraser Christiane Lemieux look

If we had to sum up the House of Fraser Christiane Lemieux collection in a phrase, it would be city calm. These are pieces designed for real homes, and particularly the smaller flats so many of us live in. There is a pied-à-terre feeling to the whole thing: the idea of a compact, beautifully put together city base where every piece has to earn its place.

• Tailored upholstery: neat, well-proportioned sofas and chairs that do not swallow a room.
• Graphic accents: pattern on cushions and throws, used with restraint.
• Mixed materials: wood, metal and glass brought together so nothing feels too matchy.
• A soft palette: greys, inky blues and warm neutrals that are easy to build on.

The best city homes work like a good capsule wardrobe: fewer pieces, each one chosen with care, and all of them happy to be worn together.

Bringing a pied-à-terre style home

You do not need to buy the whole range to borrow its ideas. The pied-à-terre approach, as we see it in this House of Fraser collection, is really a way of thinking about a home. A few principles we have taken from it:

1. Start with one good sofa. In a small sitting room, the sofa sets the tone. A grey, tailored shape is a forgiving backdrop for colour and pattern.
2. Go big with art. One large black-and-white print or photograph often looks more polished than a scattering of small frames.
3. Bring in green. Plants soften clean-lined furniture and make a room feel lived in.
4. Edit often. A pied-à-terre works because it is uncluttered. Rotate accessories rather than adding more.

Storage matters too in a compact space. Our piece on Cubit shelving looks at a modular system that adapts as your home does.

Is it worth a look?

Department store homeware can sometimes feel a little safe, so it is refreshing to see House of Fraser bring in a designer with a clear point of view. Christiane Lemieux has a gift for making rooms feel effortless, and this range translates that into pieces that suit British homes, from Victorian terraces to new-build flats.

Our advice is to go and see the upholstery in person, sit on it, look at the fabrics in daylight and imagine them in your own space. If you are visiting a big House of Fraser store, the home floor is worth an unhurried browse with this collection in mind. And if you are shopping the sales, keep an eye out for her pieces in our end of sale edit.

Looking back: House of Fraser went into administration in 2018 and was bought by Sports Direct, now Frasers Group, and many of its stores have since closed. Christiane Lemieux has gone on to new ventures, so this range is best seen as a snapshot of a lovely moment in British high-street homeware.

Questions readers ask

What did Christiane Lemieux design for House of Fraser?

The DwellStudio founder created a home range for House of Fraser, including upholstered furniture, tables and accessories with her tailored, graphic style.

What does pied-à-terre style mean for a home?

It describes a compact, carefully edited city home where every piece earns its place, with a calm palette, good upholstery and a few strong accents.

Is the House of Fraser Christiane Lemieux range still sold?

House of Fraser has changed a great deal since 2018 and many stores have closed, so treat the range as a past collection and look for pieces secondhand.