The first time we met Vanessa Sicotte, she walked in to the gallery in an adorable (short) skirt which showed off her unimaginably long legs and started to tell us all about how she started her amazing business called Damask & Dentelle. Her enthusiasm for décor, design and detail were so clear, and her ability to describe her business and her followers was so defined – well, we realized pretty early on that this was one smart (and stylish!) cookie. She’s smart, she’s energetic, devoted to her family and her business, and here she shares with us her ideas of happiness, extra terrestrials and creativity.

The Poster Romance Questionnaire (with apologies to Proust and Vanity Fair):

1. Where is it that you best express your creativity – the boardroom, the classroom, the bedroom or the kitchen?

I strive to be creative in all spheres of my life although some clearly come more naturally…

2. An alien arrives on your doorstep. In a limited amount of time, you would like to introduce him to our culture and way of life. Which three places would you take him to, and why?

The Guggenheim Museum, in Manhattan’s fall cool and crisp air…but also for its incredible architecture and the artwork it showcases.

Les Jardins du Luxembourg after the rain for the smells and sights.

The coastline of Sardinia aboard a catamaran, because leisure is truly one of man’s greatest assets.

3. How would you describe your present state of mind?

Humbled … by the beauty of nature, by the talent I get to encounter in my work, by the generosity of pure strangers I sometimes meet, and above all by my children; and whimsical because I still feel like a kid and because I believe in Santa.

4. Six words that best describe you…

Driven, tall, creative, joyful, goofy, genuine

5. Your new extra-terrestrial buddy asks for a definition of ‘happiness’ (a concept which does not exist on his planet). What would your definition be?

Waking up (later than 6:15 am for added happiness points) with the winter sun beaming through my window and my 3 munchkins jumping on our bed. Then, hitting the slopes with a 30 cm of fresh snow! The same level of happiness can be achieved with finding a perfect derelict piece of vintage furniture in an antique market and then thinking of the endless ways to transform it.

6. If you were going to be confined to a space with four blank walls for a period of time, which kind of artwork would you like to bring with you?

Art Deco and Art Nouveau pieces resonate with my taste and sensibility. I love their respective sense of the ornate and their use of color. I differentiate the two as such: Art Deco comes across in vivid & contrasting colors and geometric shapes such as stylized flowers and foliage. Art Nouveau, on the other hand, is characterized by intricately detailed patterns of curving lines and is rooted in the British Arts & Crafts movement.

7. The alien wins $10 million in the lottery and asks for advice on what to do with it. What would you suggest?

Buy real estate and decorate (with timeless pieces that will keep their value if not increase them)!

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

If I could change anything about me it would be not to wish to change anything. I am a firm believer in the perfectly imperfect home, why not then feel the same about myself?

9. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

My kids first and foremost and the creation of Damask & Dentelle in 2009

10. Before returning to his planet – having decided Earth was no place for a sane extra-terrestrial – the alien asks one final question: how do you find peace on a place like Earth?

“If you find the answer elsewhere, please do come back and let us know”