bedMATE of the month 4: Yann Pierre-Jean

Every month we visit a creative, colorful and inspiring person. She or he is the ' bedMATE of the month'.

The bedMATE is the most iconic item in our collection. The extra long pillow serves as a headboard , but also as a cuddle buddy, a friend who gives support.

We crawl into bed with the 'bedMATE of the month. We take a look at their home and their colorful bedroom. In conversation we discover how they experience the SUITE life . What's going on in their heads? Where do they get their inspiration from? What color do they dream in?

This month, all-round creative Nicole Huisman visited Yann.

Yann Pierre-Jean (often confused with Saint-Jean) is the man behind the new popular spot SAINT-JEAN in Amsterdam. SAINT JEAN is perhaps the most popular coffee shop in the Jordaan, if not Amsterdam. The coffee is delicious, everything is vegan, but the main reason why there is a (huge) queue every day of the week must be the now famous Cruffin. The Cruffin is a combination of a croissant and muffin and is completely vegan. No egg, no butter. Go taste it, it's hard to believe.

Yann (39) comes from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe and lives with his partner Tim and 3-year-old border terrier, Lenny, in Amsterdam West. Yann has been living in Amsterdam since 2013, after living in Paris and London. We caught up with him for some pillow talk and to find out more about his SAINT-JEAN adventure.

Yann worked in the fashion industry for years. He was in the management of brands like KARL LAGERFELD, CALVIN KLEIN, GERARD DAREL. As many may recognize (at least we do) it started to tickle at a certain point and he was ready for a new step. Inspired by the hospitality and experiences of traveling extensively, he decided to change course and start his own business.

Just as the pandemic hit in 2020, I started baking at home (like many others), mainly plant-based, and then I realized that in Amsterdam (or Den Bosch where we then secluded ourselves) there was no place that offered good, plant-based pastries , beyond the "ordinary" vegan recipes.

I developed some new recipes and started selling to neighbours. Later I built a small online shop called RUSTIC PASTRY. The reactions were so good and it was all so well received that I dared to open my own business. Halfway through last year (2021) I found the beautiful location at Lindengracht 158 ​​and Rustic Pastry SAINT-JEAN was born. The name SAINT-JEAN refers to my late grandmother; my biggest source of inspiration. I spent a lot of time with her when I lived in Guadeloupe; his was a great pastry chef.

SAINT-JEAN offers fantastic coffee and plant-based baking products, accessible to everyone, vegan or not! A majority of customers don't realize that everything is 100% plant-based, and Yann loves that.

When you enter SAINT-JEAN you immediately see that it is a place made with a love for design and fashion. It is quite natural, but secretly a perfectly curated interior, where it is very pleasant to be. Not high brow , but thought about it without seeing or feeling it immediately. Those are the best places.

Striking about SAINT-JEAN is the open bakery / kitchen at the back where customers often sneak in to see what they are doing or when the next batch of Cruffins is ready 😊.

Not only do we love Yann's Cruffin, we also love the interior of Yann's home. The sense of understated style and taste is also reflected in Yann's home. Natural, laid-back, light colors; a wonderful void. The brown and camel tones combined with white are not only reflected in the bedding, but also in all other places. Like the rug and the kitchen. And of course Lenny, the Border Terrier, fits in everywhere
good at.

It is precisely because of the use of a lot of white, brown and camel that the Cobalt Blue stands out completely. As with SAINT-JEAN, Yann's home does not have an abundant use of color. Not too many incentives. But it's certainly not minimalistic. A delicious balance that tastes good in every way. If you pay attention and eat a Cruffin at SAINT-JEAN (you definitely should!!), you will see that Cobalt Blue also graces the neutral color palette here.