SM Bureau & Studio Torbina

Founder of SM Bureau, a Paris-based interior architecture studio, Aleksandra is known for her distinctive approach and unwavering commitment to design excellence. Driven by a passion for transforming spaces, she combines functionality and aesthetics to create environments that are not only beautiful but also attuned to each individual. After more than a decade in the industry, SM Bureau recently launched SM Galerie, a natural extension of their creative world.

“SM Galerie was born much like an interior comes to life—organically, from a sensitive universe,” she describes, “it grew out of SM Bureau’s desire to create not just functional spaces, but places where beauty and emotion meet.” The gallery became a fluid continuation of her work: “a living space where art, design, and craftsmanship can dialogue freely, beyond the limits of a specific commission.”

At SM Galerie, contemporary artworks, designer furniture—both modern and vintage—and carefully curated decorative objects come together in an inspiring atmosphere shaped with care, honest gestures, noble materials, and an intention to last. “The soul of SM Galerie invites you to slow down, to notice textures, light, and silence,” expresses Aleksandra. The gallery and the bureau both coexist in the same setting, crafting a place that fosters community. 

The new gallery space was inaugurated with a debut exhibition titled Soul of Matière, presenting the poetic, sculptural work of Studio Torbina. This inaugural show sets the tone for a place where design meets intuition and where the essence of materials is allowed to speak for itself. Through a curated collection of objects in wood and stone, Studio Torbina explores the silent force of natural matter, revealing finishes, weights, and forms that resonate with sensitivity and restraint.

“Wood and stone are ancient materials,” explains Polina Torbina, “they carry a memory, a sense of time; they remember the earth, the tree, the mountain.” For this exhibition, the art curator and designer introduced wood into her language for the first time. She worked alongside her studio partner, Ghislain Besançon—who oversaw the production and manufacturing of the wood—to explore the contrasts of both elements: “warmth and permanence, softness and strength… I let the rawness guide the form,” she details, “every cut, every surface is meant to speak of something both personal and universal.”

It was through a mutual friend that Polina and Aleksandra met, an introduction that uncovered a shared sensibility: “We had been following Studio Torbina’s work for some time—their ability to reveal the essence of stone with such restraint and precision resonated deeply with us,” Aleksandra shares. “It felt natural to open with a collaboration that would embody our values.” “We spoke the same language—one of texture, silence, and simplicity,” adds Polina, “our practices met like two rivers merging—not losing their own current, but becoming something more complete together.”

Their mutual language is rooted in materiality, minimalism, and stillness. “Our differences lie in rhythm—Studio Torbina’s work often draws from the solidity and permanence of stone, while our interiors are shaped by the fluidity of light and the lived experience of a space,” mentions Aleksandra. “Together, we create something fuller—a conversation between macro and micro, interior and object,” comments Polina.

In Soul of Matière, that conversation is between two practices, two materials, and two ways of shaping space—but also between multiple creative voices. “Stone and wood speak different languages in Studio Torbina’s work, yet in the gallery they are joined by other artists working with clay, ceramics, and natural materials,” highlights Aleksandra. Together, these pieces create a layered dialogue of textures, tones, and nuances.

“We are drawn to creators who work with sincerity—people whose hands and minds are equally engaged in their craft,” Aleksandra affirms. “We look for works that resonate with our own aesthetic sensibility yet also have the ability to bring a new layer of meaning to the room.” And that is precisely what SM Galerie emerges as: a place of purposeful encounters between creators, collectors, and anyone who values thoughtful design, where quiet forms of beauty are revealed.