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ELITENESS SLEEP & LIVE BEAUTIFULLY
INSIGHTS Live better and longer
LEGACY 130 years of Elite – the story behind the success
The promise of a perfect night’s sleep
S W I S S M A N U FA C T U R I N G S I N C E 1 8 9 5 ELITEBEDS.CH
EDITORIAL
Nights that change your life
What if the secret of longevity was actually to be found beneath your duvet?
Today, we live longer, better lives, and as we pay more attention to quality of life, sleep is at last being recognised as a key pillar of our wellbeing. Deep sleep, on the right mattress, is a way of giving our bodies the renewal they deserve – night after night (see our special report on longevity, p.05). For 130 years, Elite has embodied this philosophy with passion. As a manufacturer of outstanding beds and mattresses, Elite combines tradition and innovation to deliver truly sustainable sleep. Choosing quality is always good for your health – and for the health of the planet. Noble materials, responsible manufacturing, unrivalled longevity and unique technical skill all add up to the promise of long- term comfort (read about how Elite and its DNA span the generations, with Edith Caillet and Marie Pugliese). We’ll sleep all the better if we can dream of a better world as we do so! So... when’s your next Elite night going to be?
Marie & François Pugliese
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The promise of a perfect night’s sleep
SWISS MANUFACTURING SINCE 1895 ELITEBEDS.CH
CONTENTS
Sleep and longevity What if sleep was the secret to living longer?
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Wooden springs Comfort without compromise
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In praise of bedrooms We meet acclaimed interior architect Iria Degen
Elite celebrates its 130 th anniversary We meet Edith Caillet and Marie Pugliese, preserving family heritage
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A legendary palace hotel
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Charlène Salignon talks to us about excellence – and a mattress bearing a familiar logomatelas à fanion
Online test How’s your sleep?
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An American in love with Elite Confidences from Erika Mobley
Elite Design Awards 2025 Four women and their dream beds with an Arts & Crafts ethos
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NEWS
Screens or sleep: it’s one or the other
N
orwegian research published on 31 March 2025 in Frontiers in Psychiatry
made no significant difference. To improve sleep quality, the researchers recommend cutting down on screen use at least 30-60 minutes before going to sleep.
looked at the impact of screen time on sleep. The study involving 45,000 young adults reveals that spending an extra hour’s screen time before going to bed increased the risk of insomnia by 59% and led to 24 minutes’ less sleep; the type of screen use (social media, films, gaming, etc.)
frontiersin.org
Sleeping with your favourite pet R esearch by the Mayo Clinic in the USA shows that sleeping with pets can improve sleep quality. 41% of the 150 participants in the study reported that they slept better when they had their cat or dog with them because they felt safer, helping the owners fall asleep faster and facilitating restorative sleep. Only 20% of participants said they were woken up by their pet, so it turns out that sharing your bedroom with your cat or dog could well be a key to sleeping better!
Dream on
E ven in ancient times, understand them as a way into our unconscious. Hippocrates pored over them (combined with the stars) in search of signs of illness. Dreams have inspired poets and artists such as the Surrealists, too, as well as being a constant source of interest in human science – despite which they remain something of a mystery. Ever Socrates saw dreams as the expression of our repressed desires; later, Freud came to since the Victorian era, groups of dreamers have set up ‘dream banks’:
intimate, collective archives that are still studied today in an attempt to understand the times we live in – and our own brains. There’s no exhaustive inventory of dream banks, but the largest are often accessible online; DreamBank, for instance, lists some twenty thousand dreams.
dreambank.net
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SLEEP & LONGEVITY
Sleep: a key factor in longevity
Guénolé Addor is a specialist in anti-ageing medicine who practices in the field of longevity, in which sleep is one of the key ingredients. We spoke to Dr Addor and asked him for some practical tips on how to enjoy a longer, better life.
Y ou may have specialised in longevity, but isn’t ageing in our genes? Of course, we’re all programmed to age. That said, our lifestyle choices give us some control over how we use our DNA; we can prevent our bodies from self-destructing. Some diseases such as Alzheimer’s and certain cancers are in fact not genetic but metabolic. Having a healthy body, following a balanced diet and getting restorative sleep are all ways of improving our chances of enjoying life for longer. My aim isn’t to force my patients to do anything, but rather to make them the CEOs of their own health. You were formerly an anaesthetist specialising in intensive care; how did you end up going into anti-ageing and longevity? It was actually my experiences in a hospital position that encouraged me to do so. Working nights plus a very heavy workload puts people in a permanent state of jetlag. Experiencing this spurred me to excel in managing my own sleep. At the same time, I noticed that some of my colleagues under similar stress would start to lose weight and become
depressed; I was also struck by how many of my patients’ chronic diseases had emerged due to unhealthy lifestyles. As someone who also plays sport, all this bolstered my conviction that people need to be supported and educated if they are to live and age healthily. How has sport influenced you? I’ve always been interested in human performance, in particular in sports like tennis, cycling, skiing and mountaineering, as well as endurance sports. When I was younger I was quite adventurous; I’ve sailed across the Atlantic and scaled a 7000-metre summit in Nepal. That has helped me more aware that what we do has an effect on our bodies; very early on, I understood the extent to which training, a good diet and sleep are vital – and how unaware many people are of that. As a result, they often suffer from easily preventable chronic diseases. In a day and age when many people think they can learn all they need to know from the likes of Instagram, professional advice and care are more invaluable than ever.
With a background as an anaesthesiologist and intensive care physician, Guénolé Addor (45) arrived in Vaud from Brittany. He served as head of clinic at Vaud University Hospital before taking an interest in longevity.
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Guénolé Addor is a keen sportsman, giving him perso- nal insight at an early stage into how our lifestyles affect our health.
“Our lifestyle choices give us some control over how we use our DNA; we can prevent our bodies from self- destructing.”
Is that why you’ve made professional preventive care your speciality ? Yes. As a doctor, it’s at the forefront of my interest in health. Our lifestyles influence and determine our wellbeing, and once the terms are clearly defined, improving wellbeing isn’t usually that difficult or expensive. I practice what I preach, too. For instance, you have to start by paying proper attention to your biological clock, adopting regular habits based on the cycles of nature, the sun and so on. Light is one factor that’s frequently underestimated. Well, for example, getting up to watch the rising sun is a way of resetting yourself; the light gives you an energy boost for the day. That in turn means that we sleep better, and in the long term, enjoy better quality of life. However, we have to make sure to stay clear of artificial light, especially the blue light given off by screens. Unlike the sun, this light decreases melatonin levels and so tends to keep us awake. The problem is that most of us find it difficult to stay away from our devices ! One workaround is to apply a red filter to your phone in the evenings. How does light influence our longevity ?
Personally, I wear a pair of red-tinted glasses when I’m working on my computer at the end of the day. That tends to induce tiredness and in doing so, incites me not to spend too much time looking at a screen. Another option is simply to avoid looking at your devices in the two hours before you go to bed. It’s certainly one way of sparing yourself the stress induced by the global news cycle; it also encourages us to spend more time interacting with people. All of these adjustments can help our wellbeing – and contribute to our indispensable restorative sleep. Is sleep as important as all that ? Scientific literature abounds with papers bearing witness to how important sleep is. Sleep is an anabolic condition during which the body recharges its energy levels, regenerates tissue and manufactures proteins. Without sleep, the human body can’t function properly. Ideally, we need between seven and eight hours’ sleep a day. Tracking your sleep with a watch, smart ring or similar device can be a good plan. What’s the best way to ensure restorative sleep?réparateur ? We need to learn to use the tools nature herself has given us; taking sleeping pills doesn’t guarantee that we’ll experience restorative sleep.
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SLEEP & LONGEVITY
Melatonin secretion starts
Deepest sleep
Highest blood pressure
Lowest body temperature
Highest body temperature
Sharpest blood pressure
Circadian rhythm
Best muscle strength
Melatonin secretion stops
Highest testosteron secretion
Fasted reaction
Highest alertness
Best coordination
A first step is to pay attention to your biological clock and adopt regular habits that take the cycles of nature and the sun into account.
Our lifestyle is the most important factor: walking outdoors and cooking and eating fresh food all help. And as I’ve said, going to bed at more or less the same time every day is important, too. What’s the role of our beds in all this ? It’s foundational. We know that stem cells are released at night to help
repair our bodies. And while we may tend to forget it, we spend one-third of our time in bed. A good bed can help us feel more rested after six hours’ sleep than eight otherwise. What constitutes a good bed ? There are several important aspects. First and foremost, it must be right for our body shape; the bed base must be well ventilated, too, and we should
steer clear of the micro-plastics to be found in low-end bedding.
That means you really ought to have an organic mattress and silk or cotton sheets to provide better temperature regulation.
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Recipe: The ‘Golden Milk’ Elixir for a good night’s sleep
Dr Guénolé Addor recommends a bedtime drink to help you digest, relax, and soothe your nervous system. It’ll help get you in the right frame of mind to enjoy a really good night’s restorative sleep !
Ingredients: • 1/2 cup cocoa milk
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder or 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder or 2 teaspoons freshly grated turmeric • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 4 ground cayenne peppercorns • 1 teaspoon honey 1/2 teaspoon stevia powder (alternatively, you can use erythritol, xylitol or allulose) • 1 teaspoon coconut oil • 1 pinch of cinnamon Method: Put all ingredients except the cinnamon and coconut oil in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Leave to infuse for five minutes and then pour into a cup through a strainer. Add the coconut oil and cinnamon to taste.
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SLEEP & LONGEVITY
A startup to combat ageing
Now for some good news: it turns out we can counter the effects of ageing ! Dr Semira Gonseth Nusslé, an academic researcher who studied in Lausanne and San Francisco and specialises in epigenetic markers and their effects on health, has investigated the subject in some detail. Together with her husband Sébastien Nusslé, in 2019 she set up a startup called Genknowme SA. The aim of this spin-off from Vaud University Hospital is to help mitigate the effects of ageing and prevent chronic diseases with the help of tests and analysis. We asked her all about it.
Dr Semira Gonseth Nusslé specialises in research and preventive medicine. Her own research in the field of epidemiology led to her creating Genknowme, a startup.
G
enknowme: what’s in a name ? As English-speakers
research into the epidemiology of chronic diseases, I discovered the potential of biomarkers and their applications for the general public. That led us to develop tests and an analysis method focusing on ageing and chronic stress. Indeed, biomarkers are not set in stone. You mean that by becoming aware of certain key biomarkers, we can have a positive impact on them, in particular as regards ageing ? Precisely! Ageing can be reversed and the risk of developing chronic diseases can be mitigated. We’re currently seeing major advances in longevity medicine and early treatment of some diseases that can be detected by our tests. However, proper interpretation of the results is vital. Our partners are there to
may realise, the idea is to get to know yourself better by finding out what your genes say about you. Genknowme is in fact a medical laboratory that’s a spin-off from Vaud University Hospital. Practically speaking, we’ve developed tests that can measure how patients are ageing, taking into account their profile and lifestyle. A major part of the work in our lab involves studying patients’ epigenetic biomarkers; our algorithms can analyse this data to help clinics and practitioners provide more targeted treatment. What is a biomarker ? A biomarker is any measurable biological characteristic, offering insights into patients’ lifestyles, stress, and age. During my academic
recommend appropriate changes to lifestyle, diet, sleeping habits and so on, on the basis of each patient’s profile. Practically speaking, what do your tests measure ? We measure patients’ biological age using a blood sample, more
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specifically by looking at a number of markers present in their DNA. The results will tell us more about patients’ genetic heritage and their lifestyle. In some cases, there can be a difference of up to fifteen years between the resulting age and their age in real years. However, it’s important to note that this ‘age’ is not a life sentence; the fact is that behavioural changes can affect these markers. We provide patients with a review of the risks they face; they and their practitioner can then work on these together. Our approach actually offers plenty of hope. Yes, but not directly. Our solutions have been developed mainly for healthcare professionals, doctors’ surgeries and clinics specialising in preventive medicine and longevity that focus on improving physical health, diet and stress management. They prescribe tests for their patients and then work with them in the light of the results; the role of our laboratory is to analyse the data. Anyone interested in our tests can contact us to find out which practitioner or institution they should approach. Are your tests accessible to the general public ? It’s a rapidly-expanding field. We’ve had a lot more requests in recent months. Why is that ? There are many different reasons. Partly, there’s increased awareness in the wake of Covid; indeed, the pandemic revealed that some people’s lifestyles put them more at risk of mortality from the disease. Another factor is that in countries with quite a good health system, patients live longer but don’t necessarily enjoy the best possible health and wellbeing. Diet, exercise and alcohol intake all play a role in that, as does chronic stress, which can have an effect on longevity. Is there a lot of demand for these tests ?
Sébastien Nusslé is an expert in biostatistics and evolutionary biology and the co-founder of Genknowme.
Are you saying that it’s possible to die from chronic stress ? When we’re stressed, our bodies release stress hormones. This neuroendocrine process releases substances that impact our organs, with physiological effects; that’s a natural defence mechanism. However, if things don’t go back to normal, this stress becomes chronic, leading to long-term physiological changes that in some cases may have significant effects on longevity and chronic diseases. The impact of these reactions can be measured, and the effects mitigated accordingly. Is sleep important in all this ? Of course; sleep management forms part of our health review; sleep is also one of the factors that can increase our biological age. Here too, lifestyle and of course bed systems can have an impact. Unfortunately, we don’t yet have enough data to study all the related causes and understand them more fully. That said, we do hope to develop an epigenetic test for sleep once we have more reliable research in this field. With that in mind, we’re very open to setting up partnerships to support the development of this innovative project.
genknowme.com Genknowme S.A. Bat. Alanine / Startlab Rte de la Corniche 5 1066 Epalinges Switzerland
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To understand how the test developed by Genkowme SA works, food critic Knut Schwander (61), who is to be found four or five times a week in the best restaurants in French-speaking Switzerland after his working day, tried it out for himself. He visited MedIn Vita Clinic in central Geneva, where Dr Stefania Ubaldi agreed to subject him to two tests, one investigating epigenetic stress and one examining longevity and lifestyle – and then give him the results. To his surprise, the outcome was not exactly what he’d hoped for. “I suddenly discovered I was almost fourteen years older than I’d thought”
I have a dream job. For over twenty-five years, I’ve been in charge of a prestigious good food guide covering French- speaking Switzerland. After a day’s work managing my team, writing, proof-reading, and answering readers’ correspondence, I travel the region between Delémont and Grimentz from one gourmet address to another several times a week. Of course I do other things at well, but most of my time really is spent at the dining table or in my own kitchen, and it really is a dream job. It does however require a certain discipline to avoid ending up looking like the Michelin man – not least because he’s the mascot of a competing good food guide, but also because it’s important to pay attention to one’s health. I do try to do that, but apparently not well enough.
Before I reveal the results of my tests (a real slap in the face for me) I need to tell you a little more about my everyday life. I’m 61, weigh 80kg and am 1.78m tall. I take medication for excess cholesterol (a hereditary condition) and when I’m not in a restaurant, my kitchen or my office, I do gardening, run, and walk an annual average of 12,380 steps a day (6.5km). Full disclosure: I always start my day at 6.15am with a quarter of an hour of floor exercises and every week, I have a one-hour Pilates session. In summer, I go down to Lake Geneva three times a week and swim for 20 minutes. And when I find the time, I play golf (albeit very badly). As to sleep, my Oura ring tells me that on average, I sleep 6 hours 14 minutes a night. When it comes to stress management, six months ago I handed over several of my responsibilities to decrease my workload
“As well as easing back on a lifestyle that’s rather too hectic, perhaps I need to get myself an Elite bed to make sure of getting restorative sleep...”
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and make sure I didn’t suddenly burn out. You may not believe it, but despite having the best job in the world there are a few drawbacks. Do I have any secrets left? Just one: my alcohol consumption. I’d say it’s around 16 glasses a week, which is too much, but not as bad as what my test ended up telling me. Now you know everything! Given my profile, I was pretty confident when I went to see Dr Stefania Ubaldi at the MedIn Vita Clinic in central Geneva. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank her for the time she took to make this article possible. As with her other patients, she started by filling me in on the aims of this kind of test and how it works. Two weeks later, after the results of my blood test, she explained them to me. Let’s get it over with: I wasn’t at all happy. But then again, who has medical tests done just for the fun of it? The aim is to find out more about one’s state of health and in doing so, find ways of improving it. It turns out that I have a lot to do in that respect; let’s say it will be a big change from my usual menu! Indeed, whereas my nice little connected ring was telling me that my cardiovascular age was five years less than my actual age, the test had me 13.7 years older in biological terms. I’ve suddenly found out that I’m an old man! You can imagine how happy that made me. The blame lies mostly with my diet: not enough fruit and vegetables (restaurant owners, please take note!). Fortunately, I don’t smoke; at least there’s no bad news on that score. But the two other values the test looked at were also very different to what I’d anticipated. Apparently my body behaves as if it has absorbed 22 units of alcohol a week rather than the 16 that I’ve actually downed, with all the metabolic implications that has. That
needed taking seriously: “You’re right at the upper limit,” warned Dr Ubaldi. I should have guessed as much. But what I really didn’t expect was the last result: the actual epigenetic impact of my physical exercise was almost six times less than what I’d reported. All that effort for such meagre results! Dr Ubaldi did say that the test results could be inaccurate for top-level athletes, but unfortunately I don’t think I can be said to fall into that category. The good news is that unlike our actual age, we can in some measure rectify our biological age. In other words, if we do what it takes, we can actually get younger – sort of! In my case, there were some simple things I could do. One was to drastically decrease my alcohol intake. I swear I’m going to go for pairing dishes with non-alcoholic drinks! That’s simple enough… in theory. At the same time, I’m going to eat more fruit. I think I should be able to manage that. Physical exercise is a little more complicated: “Given your DNA, you should perhaps think about other forms of exercise to achieve the best results,” advised Dr Ubaldi. Achieving that will require a little more thought. But forewarned is forearmed, I’ve heard, and the game is worth the candle. So much for the first test, which covers longevity and lifestyle. As to stress, unfortunately things are no better. Even though I’ve already tried to lighten my packed schedule, the results tell me that “it is vital to make improvements.” In terms of diet, physical exercise, and stress management strategies, “a holistic intervention is highly recommended,” says the report. The same goes for sleep.
(accompanied by medical oversight), persevere and be patient: I’ll need to bear in mind that it takes several months for lifestyle changes to have an effect. When it comes to sleep, “there’s no hard-and-fast, universally applicable rule about how much sleep we need,” explained Dr Ubaldi. As well as easing back on a lifestyle that’s rather too hectic, perhaps I need to get myself an Elite bed to make sure of getting restorative sleep... in any event, no matter what my detractors may say, being a food critic is definitely a high-risk profession – even if it’s still the best job in the world.
I’ve been put on notice! Now it’s up to me to identify appropriate measures
The promise of a perfect night’s sleep
SWISS MANUFACTURING SINCE 1895 ELITEBEDS.CH
IN CONVERSATION WITH IRIA DEGEN
An ode to bedrooms
Iria Degen has transformed some of the smartest interiors, outfitting luxury hotels, offices and prestigious homes. The internationally-renowned Swiss interior architect and member of the Elite Design Awards jury was recently in Lausanne, where she took time out to tell us about her simple recipes for the successful design of a bedroom. She sees bedrooms as the most intimate room in the whole house, and the most important; and of course the bed takes centre stage.
I
f you had to list a home’s rooms in order of priority, where would the bedroom be on that list?
What are these key components that make such a difference ? As I said, the bed itself is the heart of the matter. After all, we all spend eight hours a day there (or at least we should!). Managers bouncing between time zones whilst remaining operational are well aware of the fact that a good bed is a good investment. Luxury cars often stay in the garage and are changed quite often; beds on the other hand have a direct impact on our comfort and quality of life. We need to be aware of this and realise that we may hold onto the same bed for fifteen or twenty years; beds need to be seen in terms of value rather than price. There are two main aspects to pay attention to: the mattress and the structure, in other words the bed base and the headboard with all its possible features such as bedside tables, electrical controls and reading lights, as well as the mechanical components that stay out of sight but What creates the value of a good bed ?
make a huge difference… it’s all rather complex actually, so a good quality bed is quite a major investment, but one that’s well worthwhile, since it really does change your life. What about design aspects ? Comfort has to come first. Once that’s assured, I recommend a timeless, neutral design. Way-out, multicoloured and unusual models might be tempting as an impulse buy but you may well tire of them, whereas a bed should be a long-term investment. Colour and originality can come from other sources like ornaments, furniture and artworks. There’s only one valid trend as far as beds are concerned: timelessness. What should the priorities for the rest of the bedroom be ? The bed serves as an anchor around which the rest of the decor is built; creating a good bedroom involves paying attention to light and intimacy, too. As I always say, you can never have too many fabrics in a bedroom: lined curtains, carpets and
The bedroom is a unique, highly personal room, one that’s different from any other room in the house. Most living spaces are designed with everyone in mind, whereas the bedroom is the most private place of all. In some ways, this therefore makes it the most important – and the bed is the star of the room. In Louis XIV’s day, guests could be received in the bedroom. Today, however, it’s simply a place to sleep away from outside eyes, isn’t it14 ? Indeed, but it’s also where we go to get away and recover; we can feel vulnerable there if it’s not comfortable. I always emphasise how important it is to make it a place where we can really do ourselves good. Achieving that calls for very special attention, involving key components whose apparent simplicity belies their importance.
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IN CONVERSATION WITH IRIA DEGEN
Iria Degen heads up a team of a dozen in-house and independent interior architects, architects and designers working all over the world. As a specialist in interior design, Iria Degen takes a holistic approach to achieve inclusive results. Her style calls for high-quality, natural materials in discreet colours and uncluttered shapes that create a serene, harmonious atmosphere, as seen here in Majorca at her Tres Hermanas finca.
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“ Interior design is in my blood .”
upholstered furniture accentuate a sense of comfort, both psychologically and acoustically. I recommend direct lighting at the best way of managing light: a reading light and a standard lamp provide warm lighting and a sense of warmth, too. Having a bench or chair is also vital so as to have somewhere to leave items and clothes. You can personalise the space with a work of art. The best designs for beds are timeless, but their structure is constantly evolving. Do you keep up with developments in this field ? Of course; that’s why I’m a member of a large number of juries at events seeking to promote creativity in design. One such event is the Elite Design Awards in Lausanne, an international contest open to seasoned professionals as well as students that raises awareness of expertise and innovation in areas important to Elite, notably timeless elegance and artistry. Who won this year’s edition ? We awarded first prize to a young Polish woman, largely because of the skilful way she’s incorporated the bedside table into the structure, as well as for her innovative ideas, suitable for all types of customers and age groups. The second prize has gone to a Parisian. Her unprecedented project is both contemporary and floral, resulting in an interesting contrast between elegance and the unexpected. Doesn’t that qualify as a ‘way- out’ project, though ? Not in the slightest. The whole art is to innovate and surprise whilst remaining within the bounds of what’s commercially relevant. Rather than rewarding the most outlandish artistic projects, our role is to honour those that meet users’ needs and expectations. Being a member of these juries is always a good opportunity for me to question my own practice and put myself in the shoes of those who assess our work and approach. For Elite, it’s also a way of supporting the future: every year, the winning project (and sometimes the second or third
prizes too) goes on to be produced by your outstanding manufactory. In what way do you see Elite as being outstanding ? It all began with the first project for which I turned to Elite. When you visit the production facility in Aubonne, things become clear very quickly. I realised how authentic and exclusive the brand and its products were. Everybody’s heard of beds and mattresses whose brands have become familiar thanks to their marketing. Elite, on the other hand, prefers to invest in quality and development. Its discreet but remarkably effective Swissness is just right for me. Do you sleep in an Elite bed ? Yes, and I’ve done so for many years. When I was student, I slept on a futon, but as time went by, I realised there were much better options available! A good bed and mattress are an excellent way to treat yourself; they’re good for couples too, because each
side of the bed can be personalised as appropriate for an individual’s size and tastes. I’ve included several different Elite mattresses in the Tres Hermanas finca I’ve designed and outfitted in Majorca, so as to test the differences. Tell us more about this ideal holiday home you’ve created in Majorca; everything there can be tried and purchased, is that right ? Yes, it’s a dream location combining architecture, interior and outdoor design, styling, art, light fittings and accessories. It’s a work in and of itself; my own work inasmuch as I was able to make all the decisions, albeit not a home for my own use. It’s a ‘living experience’, a living showcase that can be rented to stay in; if guests are won over, they can order the same furniture and ornaments to make them part of their own homes – and that includes Elite beds.
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IN CONVERSATION WITH IRIA DEGEN
Tres Hermanas is Iria Degen’s dream home that can properly be described as her own work, since she defined everything in it. This ‘living experience’ – which of course includes beds by Elite – is a living show home, available for rentals.
An outstanding career After studying law, Iria Degen went on to become an indoor architect, creating atmospheres and furniture alike. Her unusual career has met with international success. Here’s a profile based on five questions.
Tell us about your roots and the bedroom you had as a child ! I come from a family of intellectuals where design was not the foremost concern. In my bedroom as a child in Zürich, I was always moving the furniture around, seeing what I could do with the space. Later, rather than going to fashion stores, I would visit antiques fairs. When I was a student my bedroom looked onto a cabinetmaker’s workshop, and one day I ordered a made-to-measure desk from him. That was how it all began, but it had obviously been in my blood all along. How did your career really start ? I married a photographer; we settled in Paris, where my qualifications in Swiss law were not much use. I began by designing the layout of his studio, and realised I enjoyed it. I suddenly found out who I was, and summoned up the courage to go into interior design. I wanted to experience the job first-hand before embarking on four years of study; a friend who
was a design architect advised me to aim for the top and get in touch with Andrée Putman. I called… and I got an appointment. When I arrived at the agency, before I’d even met anybody I knew that I’d found my world; it was my calling.e. So after Paris in 2000 you came to Zürich in 2003; why did you choose Switzerland ? After my time with Andrée Putman and my studies at the Camondo design school in Paris, we decided to start a family and return to Switzerland. It’s our country, after all! Thanks to my Parisian experience, I’d developed an open-minded approach that was a real asset in connecting with customers from all types of background: understanding the other person without judging them is vital to avoid any cultural misunderstandings. That’s been really helpful in my job. You have a boy and a girl; how do you balance family life with an international career ?
My son is 18; my daughter is 13. It’s never been a problem for me to reconcile work and family life. I followed my own mother’s example; as a doctor, she brought up four children as well as working in her surgery every day. It’s a question of organisation. What’s more, I’m lucky enough to live and work under the same roof. My wider family lives just down the road from us, too: we’re quite a tribe! Is there a particular project you’d love to work on ? I’d like to outfit a boat or a plane; the related constraints would be highly stimulating, as I found out by doing work for a caravan, where every centimetre and every gramme count. I’m interested in the world of travel, too; it’s fascinating. Alternatively, there are huge worksites like the Aarau canton hospital and the 145- room hotel in Luxembourg that we’re currently working on.
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ELITE DESIGN AWARDS 2025
Four female winners in 2025
Held every year, the prestigious Elite Design Awards honour leading talents in design. 2025 marked the eighth edition of the contest, for which the chosen theme this year was the Arts and Crafts artistic movement. Originating in the nineteenth century in England and Scotland, Arts and Crafts championed a return to artisanry and the values of quality, simplicity and beauty. This year’s Elite jury of internationally recognised designers had the task of designating three contemporary projects as the winners. The projects in question are the work of four young, talented female artists – here’s a brief overview.
First prize
Weronika Poręba – ANDE A tribute to craftsmanship and comfort
“I love creative work and designing artefacts that people then become very attached to,” says Weronika Poręba. Originally from Poland, the young artist started studying design in 2013 and set up her own company in 2020. “It became my passion – and later my entire career,” she explains. Weronika first heard about the Elite Design Awards through a chance remark by a friend: “I decided to enter the contest straight away. Furniture design is my favourite
specialisation and this type of competition is a great way of putting your skills to the test.” Hers very definitely caught the attention of the top-level jury tasked with selecting this year’s winners: “This kind of international recognition is very important to me. I have to confess that I couldn’t wait for the results to be announced!” she admits. That said, it came as a complete surprise to hear to learn that she had won first prize: “The Ande bed that I designed for the contest is now my favourite piece!” reports the enthusiastic winner, who holds a
masters in fine arts and furniture design from the University of Fine Arts in Poznan. In line with the 2025 theme of the contest, her graceful creation is a tribute to the artisanal tradition, combining minimalist lines with maximum comfort for an irresistible invitation to a good night’s sleep. Wernonika rightly sees winning first prize with Ande as inspiring confidence in professionals and the general public alike, making her feat a tremendous source of motivation and an encouragement to scale further heights in design.
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ELITE DESIGN AWARDS 2025
Clothilde Verdim – MAY Rethinking everyday life
Second prize
“I found the idea of designing a bed – a vital and intimate part of our homes – to be an unusual and stimulating exercise in my craft” explains Clothilde Verdim, winner of the second prize in the 2025 Elite Design Awards for her project, MAY. As well as co-founding a Paris-based firm specialising in retail design and restaurant outfitting, Clothilde takes personal pride in designing her own furniture and ornaments alongside her official business line.
She felt a very special connection with the Arts and Crafts theme, too: “It instantly resonated with a sketch I’d done during a stay in Oxford, where I rediscovered the patterns designed by one of the movement’s founding figures, William Morris.” She sees her award as an encouragement to develop and share her ideas, and is eagerly looking forward to new partnership opportunities in the future. MAY embodies Clothilde’s quest to match Elite’s expectations, in particular by highlighting upholstery
expertise through her use of piping. Clothilde, who trained in design at the Ecole Supérieure d’Art et de Design and later at the University of Strasbourg, explains that the result is a perfect fulfilment of the purpose of good design: “being useful and improving everyday life whilst also offering a fresh take on a familiar environment.” She sees design as “a tool for rethinking the world at everyday level; a hybrid experience that combines freedom and discipline with a focus on others.”
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ELITE DESIGN AWARDS 2025
Rachel Forster and Ella Doran – A ROOM WITHIN A ROOM Utility and sustainable beauty
Third prize
Rachel Forster and Ella Doran have known each other for twenty-five years; Rachel is an interior architect while Ella designs products and fabrics. They have several things in common: for one thing, both grew up in atmospheres of artistic creativity. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by how good design can improve people’s lives,” says Rachel. Ella, meanwhile, learned how to work with wood and fabrics at a very early age. Both went on to careers in the world of design and artistic
creation. Rachel graduated from the Royal College of Art in London and founded Forster Inc in Shoreditch; in recognition of her work, in 2007 she was nominated Interior Designer of the Year by 100% Design. Ella, who teaches at the Royal College of Art alongside her own studio practice, is known and acclaimed for her keen eye and vibrant use of colour. Both women are also committed to an approach based on the circular economy, seeking to design sustainable products that can be dismantled and reused; indeed, that was the thinking behind their
design of ‘A Room Within a Room’, a remarkably elegant four-poster bed that combines Ella’s expertise in fabrics with Rachel’s construction knowhow. Their contemporary interpretation of the genre, inspired by the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh as seen in Hill House, Glasgow, secured them a place on the podium at the 2025 Elite Design Awards. “We’re really proud to have been presented with this Elite award in their Milan showroom,” they say. “All we have to do now is enjoy a good night’s sleep in the bed in question!”
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ELITE DESIGN AWARDS 2025
Turning dreams into reality: Milan 2025
UK entrants Ella Doran (left) and Rachel Forster (right) won third prize. They are pictured here with the Swiss Consul Stefano Lazzarotto and François Pugliese.
It was on the sidelines of Milan Design Week, during the Salone del Mobile 2025, that our Elite Gallery in Milan — located at the very heart of the event, in the vibrant Brera district — hosted the two winning projects of the Elite Design Awards 2025. Our workshops in Aubonne worked with dedication and precision to bring these two award-winning beds to life: ANDE, a contemporary, minimalist bed that celebrates noble materials such as walnut wood and bouclé wool fabric; and MAY, a floral bed that evokes the promise of spring. The four finalists travelled to Milan to receive their awards and to discover their creations — now tangible objects shaped from wood and fabric. It was an emotional evening for these four women designers — winners of our 2025 competition — who witnessed firsthand the exceptional creative power of Elite and the craftsmanship capable of giving form to even the boldest visions.
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130 YEARS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP
Birth of a bed: a dialogue between design and expert craftsmanship
To celebrate our Maison’s 130th anniversary, our upholsterers and decorators have created a bed that embodies the artisanal excellence that has defined us since 1895.
I n the heart of our workshops, each bed comes to life in the hands of our craftsmen, enjoying the creative freedom that allows us to imagine unique pieces tailored to reflect each person’s style and way of life. For this anniversary bed, the choice naturally fell on one of our best-sellers: the Square model. Its headboard, made up of 15 padded squares, provides the perfect canvas to showcase exceptional fabrics. For this creation, we selected a textile adorned with the Dot pattern, originally imagined by Ray Eames. A meeting of two legacies — modernist design and Swiss craftsmanship. This bed reads like a dynamic musical score, where the movement and rhythm of the motif are highlighted by the repetitive geometry of the Square composition. A playful yet modern touch for a celebratory bed.
A symphony around a dot
The American designer duo Ray and Charles Eames are known for the 1956 Lounge Chair and the moulded fibreglass shell chair of the 1950s — creations that have become timeless icons. In 1947, Ray Eames was 35. Whilst her husband Charles devoted himself mainly to the design of structures and materials for furniture, Ray devoted a large part of her energies to designing the textiles used to clad their creations. Drawing inspiration from both organic and mathematical shapes, the DOT pattern reads like a musical score. It was not produced during Charles’ and Ray’s lifetimes. It was Lucia Eames (Charles Eames’ daughter from a previous relationship) and Mary Murphy of American textile manufacturer Maharam who resurrected the motif from Ray’s original drawings, putting it on fabrics from 1999 onwards.
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130 YEARS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP
Measurement ‘Measure in all things’ was never truer than it is here: every headboard requires specific measurement.
Cutting Then it’s time to cut – which requires a steady hand.
Sewing Assembling a patterned fabric calls for all the skills of a quilter.
Assembly The squares on the headboard are quilted one by one, and assembled with meticulous care.
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130 YEARS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP
"I never saw my mum idle"
Edith Caillet welcomed us to her cosy living room on the ground floor of her family home on Rue du Lignolat, Aubonne, just over the road from where Elite mattresses are produced in the Caillet workshops. Edith Caillet is a bright, elegant woman with a remarkable memory. For our 130th anniversary year, she’s retraced the recent history of Elite for us; to some extent, it’s her own story, too.
I n 1946, Geneva-Cointrin had just opened an intercontinental runway – and Robert Caillet travelled by train to Zurich on business. He had just bought Elite, a company located in Caslano in Italian-speaking Switzerland which made bed bases and spring mattresses. During the journey, he suffered a stroke; he survived, but was left partially paralysed. Edith Caillet was 7, her older brother Maurice was 14; her sister Marianne, the eldest child of the family, was 17. Even with the company being located opposite the family home in Rue du Lignolat in Aubonne, Robert could no longer manage its affairs on his own. His wife Yvonne stepped in, enlisting her mother to take care of the children; with the help of her generous and open-minded husband, she gradually took over the business. As Edith Caillet recalls, ‘My father was in no way a male chauvinist.” Yvonne Caillet turned out to be a good entrepreneur at a time when in Switzerland, wives tended to be subservient to their husbands. Married
women still had to ask their husband’s permission to sign a contract of employment or a lease, or to open a bank account, but out of necessity, Yvonne Caillet broke out of her traditional role of housewife. She was active on all fronts: in the workshops, drafting bids, doing administrative work. As Edith Caillet acknowledges, with some admiration, ‘I never saw my mum idle.’ Robert passed away in 1948, when Edith was just nine years old. The following year, Yvonne relocated the mattress and bed workshop in Italian-speaking Switzerland to Aubonne, with the result that Italian could be heard in the Rue du Lignolat workshops as artisans from the former factory site moved there to work. With their springs and wool and horsehair fillings, Elite mattresses became renowned throughout the region for their quality and ability to retain their shape, in particular due to their patented ribbed surround. Marianne soon started helping her mother, while Maurice completed an apprenticeship in upholstery in German-speaking Switzerland. For her part, Edith went to Germany and then England to finish her schooling. “I was
just like any other girl; I wasn’t the slightest bit interested in the firm.”
In 1953, Maurice Caillet officially took over his parents’ business, Etablissement Caillet, at the age of 21, making him the third in a dynasty of Vaud upholsterers and saddlers. Maurice enjoyed speed even more than upholstery, entering motor races and joining the Ecurie de la Côte racing team. At the 1956 Grand Prix des Frontières 1956, the Maserati driven by Maurice collided with British driver Chris Threlfall’s Tojeiro-Bristol. Maurice was seriously injured and Edith Caillet had to become still more involved in the company, even as Marianne settled in Milan with her husband. Despite not having any particular career aspirations at the time, “I became involved in the firm quite naturally,” explains Edith Caillet. The 1960s marked a turning-point. The workshop on Rue du Lignolat was no longer up to code. A new build was required; here too, Yvonne Caillet demonstrated her good business instincts, buying some land that was near Allaman railway station – and unbeknown to her, also close to
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Edith Caillet being held by her father as a child.
Edith Caillet was just nine years old when her father died following a stroke.
“I was just like any other girl; I wasn’t the slightest bit interested in the firm.”
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130 YEARS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP
Switzerland’s first motorway, on which works would commence in 1959. Elite’s present-day location is the result of some changes in land use. “En Roveray is part of the municipality of Aubonne. Back then, apart from a tram line running from Allaman station to Aubonne and Gimel there were only a few sheep there,” recalls Edith Caillet. With the active participation of Maurice Caillet, the young and talented architect Gilles Barbey built a factory, a body shop and houses under a contract with the R. Caillet firm. 1964 saw the Expo 64 world’s fair in Switzerland as well as the opening of the A1 motorway – and was also the year Edith Caillet met her husband Horst Wagner, ten years her elder. A German, he was a company boss himself. Edith was Vaud born and bred and couldn’t imagine leaving everything to follow her husband, instead continuing to live and work with her mother. “My husband and I had separate homes for thirty years. I would work all week long and then take a flight to Germany every Friday evening.” At the end of the 1970s, Edith Caillet took over at the helm of the company, which employed some forty people at the time. Yvonne remained involved in the business for many years, even after reaching retirement age. The furniture business was changing, and the arrival of a large Swedish firm in 1973 marked the start of a difficult period for furniture makers. The market became polarised: at one extreme were industrial manufacturers selling slatted bed bases and foam mattresses; at the other were the artisanal manufacturers like R. Caillet SA producing top-of-the- range beds and mattresses for a niche segment. When she turned 67, Edith Caillet started looking for a buyer to whom she could pass on the family firm and heritage, but it proved to be a difficult task. Eventually she met François Pugliese (who was in his forties at the time) through the offices of Raymond Ducrey, the senior partner in her asset management firm. With a background in the automotive industry, Pugliese was looking for a new challenge. Edith immediately discerned his
a ‘boxspring’ in French, brought a new lease of life. François Pugliese adopted a new sales strategy too, opening Elite stores. The market had changed: upholsterers and decorators were gradually losing ground and disappearing. Pugliese opened the first Elite Boutique in Aubonne in 2009 on the site of the former body shop. “It was the only way forward,” concurs Edith Caillet.
Between them, the Caillets had got it just right: Yvonne had realised the importance of the mattress side of the business; Edith had found the right buyer. Today, Marie Pugliese represents the next generation of women in the firm. Before even turning 30, François Pugliese’s daughter is already finding her feet in the company, and just as naturally. We spoke to her, too.
In 2006, Edith Caillet and her brother Maurice sold the family firm to François Pugliese.
entrepreneurial spirit, ideas and exceptional capacity for hard work; the deal was sealed in 2006. Very quickly, the current boss of the firm (renamed Elite SA) understood the importance of continuing to capitalise on the hand-made, artisanal ethos to satisfy a loyal customer base expecting the highest standards. François Pugliese preserved its historic expertise whilst also innovating. The return of the iconic upholstered bed base, rebranded as
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