Chic but never ostentatious – that is designer Vanessa Faivre’s verdict on her design for this family home in Paris’ Pigalle district. With its tall rounded windows, elegant archways and sweeping curved staircase, it’s easy to see why.
Throughout, its classic architecture has been complemented by understated joinery and natural textures, interspersed with an occasional colour pop or graphic light fitting. ‘I couldn’t be insensitive to the bones of this house,’ she says. ‘Its organic shapes and generous ceiling heights lend a feeling of space and serenity. Our impulse was to reinforce that in a softly contemporary way.’
Once occupied by the novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas, the house forms an atypical footprint, culminating in a gentle triangular shape at the front, with a trio of archways at the rear which once gave access to the building’s stables.
This story is from the June 2023 edition of Living Etc UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2023 edition of Living Etc UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
modern extensions
WITH STRIKING USE OF COLOUR, MATERIALS AND SHAPE, THE LATEST DESIGNS ADD SO MUCH MORE THAN AN EXTRA ROOM
think like a pro
It's not just interior designers who are skilled at picking the perfect palette architects are in on the act, too, and Richard Parr knows just how to get the ideal shade
colour decoded
As with all successful schemes, there's much more going on beneath the surface of this space than first appears -Livingete's colour expert Amy Moorea Wong reveals all
enduring style
B&B Italia has pioneered modern Italian furniture design since 1966 - but its latest collection feels as fresh as ever
TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED
Seventeenth-century origins meet vibrant contemporary design in a cleverly reimagined Amsterdam canal house
ROCK OF AGES
The owners of a Menorcan home have made a stylish yet sustainable retreat using the island's signature stone
FORCE OF NATURE
An unexpected flood into what was already a dark basement flat prompted a new vision, full of light, natural materials and foliage
TOP OF THE WORLD
High above the busy streets of Bangkok, two talented designers have created a tranquil retreat that nods to chic 1970s style and makes the most of the views
A PLACE IN THE SUN
An apartment within a former luxury hotel celebrates - and updates - the style of France's Côte d'Azur
OUTSIDE IN
The design of this modernist bungalow in South Africa was dictated by the trees on the plot and the desire for an indoor-outdoor flow