et des Lettres by the French ministry of culture. I hired a DJ and we partied all night. Which is your favourite room and do you perfume the spaces? The kitchen. I work there all the time and watch television, even though I have a giant movie screen in the living space. I use the candles I'm working on to judge my works in progress. I'm the first customer to test my products. I have a custom steamer trunk that goes everywhere with me. Inside there's more than 200 scent samples. I'll sit quietly in the kitchen composing new perfumes, mulling over ideas. It's almost a meditation for me. Does music play a big part in your life? The movie screen, hidden in the ceiling, has a sound system, which is a wonderful luxury. I studied piano and music from the age of seven and was devastated when I failed the exam to study at the school of dance at the Paris Opera. I picked myself up and discovered the world of fashion, not at the centre but at the edge of couture and luxury, with my perfumes. The rejection didn't put me off and I still play Chopin, Mozart and Bach on the 1920 Pleyel baby grand which has pride of place in the living space. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.