Sybille de Margerie

What Sybille de Margerie does

Sybille de Margerie is a Paris-headquartered luxury interior design studio founded in 1989 (originally as SM Design, later rebranded under the founder's name) and structured as a French SAS. The practice operates with a team of approximately 20 employees across offices in Paris (headquarters, 52 avenue Victor Hugo), Florence (Piazza San Firenze 2, Italy), and Dubai (1001 Wasl Road Al Manara, UAE). The studio is led by founder Sybille de Margerie, with her husband Gilles Riahi as partner overseeing finance and development, Stefano Gambacciani heading the Florence studio, and Patrice Henry serving as Artistic Director.

The studio's offering is centered on bespoke interior architecture and design services across five core lines: luxury hotel interiors (guest rooms, suites, lobbies, public spaces), restaurant and bar design, spa and wellness interiors, high-end residential projects (chalets, villas, exclusive residences), and a more recent addition covering cruise ship interiors, exemplified by its 2024 work on Cunard's Queen Anne. A complementary Design Editions collection productizes curated furniture and décor pieces through partner brands including Pouenat, Zucchetti Kos, and Bilou-Bilou. The practice does not expose proprietary technology platforms; its commercial differentiation rests on creative direction, portfolio, and named awards rather than on software, data, or AI capabilities.

Commercially, the firm operates a project-based professional services model with bespoke, quote-based pricing and no publicly disclosed fee schedules. Go-to-market is direct and relationship-driven, anchored by named enterprise relationships with Mandarin Oriental Group, LVMH Hotel Management, Four Seasons, Hilton, IHG, and Accor, supplemented by private high-net-worth residential commissions. Geographic reach is global, with documented projects across France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Israel, the United Kingdom, Egypt, the UAE, St. Barths, and the United States. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the firm is privately held under founder/family control with no recorded external funding or M&A activity.

Name

Sybille de Margerie

Legal name

Sybille de Margerie, SAS

Website

https://sybilledemargerie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sybille de Margerie is a Paris-based luxury interior design studio founded in 1989. The 20-person firm delivers bespoke interiors for hotels, restaurants, spas, residences, and cruise ships, serving luxury hospitality brands and high-net-worth clients worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Interior Design Services: Custom interior design services for luxury hotels, boutique hotels, restaurants, spas, chalets, and exclusive private residences. Projects include full architectural interior design, FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment) specification, and bespoke furniture design.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sybille de Margerie is a luxury interior architecture studio providing bespoke interior design for hotels, restaurants, spas, chalets, exclusive private residences, and cruise ships. The firm delivers concept-to-completion design services including FF&E specification and bespoke furniture design, and also offers a curated Design Editions furniture and décor collection. Clients comprise major international luxury hospitality groups and private high-net-worth investors.

Product overview

Sybille de Margerie operates as a single-studio luxury interior design practice, not a platform-based product company. The core offering is bespoke interior architecture services delivered by a 20-person team across offices in Florence and Dubai. The studio specializes in luxury hospitality (hotels, restaurants, spas) and high-end residential projects, completing projects worldwide for clients including Mandarin Oriental Group, LVMH Hotel Management, Four Seasons, Hilton, IHG, and Accor. The studio also maintains a Design Editions collection featuring curated furniture and décor pieces. Founded in 1989 under the name SM Design, the practice is led by founder Sybille de Margerie and partner Gilles Riahi.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Luxury Hotel Interior Design Services Full-service interior design for luxury hotels, including guest rooms, suites, lobbies, restaurants, spas, and public spaces. Projects span hospitality brands such as Mandarin Oriental, Cheval Blanc, Four Seasons, and Accor.
• Residential Interior Design Services Bespoke interior design for private residences including chalets, villas, and estates. Specializes in luxury residential projects in prestigious locations such as Courchevel, London, Aspen, and Paris.
• Restaurant and Bar Interior Design Interior design for gastronomic restaurants and bars, including the three-Michelin-starred Le 1947 at Cheval Blanc Courchevel. Features bespoke furniture design and wine cellar concepts.
• Spa and Wellness Interior Design Interior design for luxury spas and wellness facilities within hotels, featuring pools, treatment rooms, and relaxation areas designed with holistic aesthetics.
• Cruise Ship Interior Design Interior design services for luxury cruise ships, including the Cunard Queen Anne with designs for public spaces, cabins, restaurants, and the spa.
• Design Editions Collection A collection of designer furniture and décor items including pieces from Pouenat, Zucchetti Kos, and Bilou-Bilou brands, available through the studio's design line.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mandarin Oriental Paris received 'Palace' distinction (2014); Cheval Blanc Courchevel received 'Palace' distinction (2011)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Studio Munge: Toronto-based luxury interior design studio with strong hotel, restaurant, spa and residential portfolio for international luxury operators. Comparable in hospitality focus, boutique scale and bespoke FF&E design capability.
• Pierre-Yves Rochon: Paris-based luxury interior design firm specializing in palace hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and haute residential projects for similar hospitality groups. Direct overlap with Sybille de Margerie in French luxury hotel interior design and same flagship clientele tier.
• Yabu Pushelberg: Internationally recognized hospitality and residential interior design firm with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and LVMH-adjacent projects. Closely comparable in scale, geographic reach and ultra-luxury hospitality clientele.
• Richmond International: London-based luxury interior design firm specializing in luxury hotels and residential projects for international hotel groups. Comparable in design-led brand, FF&E-heavy delivery model and luxury hospitality client base.
• Jean-Louis Deniot: Paris-based interior designer recognized for ultra-luxury residential and hospitality interiors with a similar French aesthetic vocabulary. Directly comparable in founder-led brand, Paris origin and HNW residential plus boutique hotel clientele.
• Tara Bernerd & Partners: London-based luxury interior design practice delivering hotels, restaurants and high-end residential projects for international hotel groups. Overlap in hospitality client base, FF&E specification and bespoke residential offering.
• Martin Brudnizki Design Studio: London-based luxury interior design studio with a hospitality-led portfolio (hotels, restaurants, private members' clubs) and ultra-prime residential work. Comparable client profile and design-led brand positioning.
• Champalimaud Design: New York-based luxury interior design studio with deep hospitality and residential portfolio including Palace-distinction and Five-Star properties. Direct comparable in service scope, brand positioning and target client base of luxury hotel operators and ultra-HNW residential.
• KCA International: London-based interior design firm specializing in luxury hotel, spa, restaurant and cruise ship interiors. Direct comparable across both core hospitality interiors and the cruise ship category that Sybille de Margerie recently entered with Cunard.

Broad incumbents

• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): Largest global hospitality interior design firm serving major hotel groups including Mandarin Oriental, Hilton, IHG and Accor. Operates as a broad incumbent with hundreds of projects annually; overlaps in client roster but at materially larger scale and broader segment coverage than Sybille de Margerie.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SdeMargerie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sybille de Margerie