Are We Ready To Take Brad Pitt Seriously As A Designer?

News just in… Surface Media recently reported that Brad Pitt has announced plans to restore a recording studio at Château Miraval, his idyllic winery in the South of France. It’s the latest endeavour in the A-list actor’s flirtations with architecture and design.

Brad Pitt certainly needs no introduction, but the Oscar-winning star’s forays into architecture and design are slightly less-documented. In 2012, he launched an Art Deco–inspired furniture line with Frank Pollaro after he discovered hundreds of Pitt’s furniture sketches. He spearheaded the Make It Right Foundation, which promised housing for New Orleans residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina, though construction mishaps resulted in a deteriorating housing stock, nearly a decade of controversy, and a class-action lawsuit. This past year, Pitt also narrated a documentary about Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple.

A complete restoration

Now, Pitt has announced plans to team with French producer Damien Quintard to restore a recording studio at Château Miraval, the actor’s winery in the South of France where Pink Floyd, The Cure, and Sade have all made music.

Originally founded by pianist Jacques Loussier in 1977, the studio fell into disuse and has sat abandoned for nearly two decades. Its equipment was still in decent order, however, convincing Pitt and Quintard to restore the existing structure instead of starting from scratch. Slated for completion next summer, the duo will rethink the studio inside and out, including creating a custom desk with a fully integrated Dolby Atmos system, recording booths, and a room for vintage synthesizers.

A designer in the making?

Pitt isn’t the first celebrity to attempt a crossover into the world of design. Kanye West’s Star Wars–inspired prefab homes made waves when they were first announced, but were demolished by the L.A. County Department of Public Works in 2019 for lacking appropriate permits. Other household names such as Venus Williams and Lenny Kravitz, however, have found cross-disciplinary success with major hospitality projects and product collections. There is one movie star-turned-designer who has very much caught our attention: Seth Rogen, whose cannabis-related creations transcend stereotypical stoner accessories and confidently stand as sculpture (more on this below).

“I was stunned by the simplicity of [Château Miraval]. This place is all about giving back to nature and honouring the curves of the domain,” Quintard told AD. “When you enter this sanctuary of wildlife, you feel that you’re part of everything. From the olive trees to the vines, everything is bathed by light.”

So who really knows what the next step is for this icon… but we do know that all eyes will be on him when he makes his move!

Original post Surface Magazine