Balancing Act

Comforting tones of azure complemented by cheery bursts of colour adorn this family home in Paris envisioned by French creative Marianne Evennou

- Ian Phillips

It was back in 2000 that the couple, Bruno and Clemence, acquired the approximately 1,900 sq ft apartment, housed in a typical Haussmann style building in Paris’s tony 16th arrondissement. Clemence, who works in the cosmetics industry, immediately fell in love with the large bow window in the dining room and the fact that the back of the house looks out onto a schoolyard with trees.

THE INCEPTION

Initially, the owners decided on redecorating the space themselves. That changed once they discovered the work of Parisian interior designer Marianne Evennou. “There’s a kind of poetry in the way she uses colours,” enthuses Bruno. “It was also a means of having a third person to prevent us from arguing over choices,” adds Clemence.

Acting as an arbiter was particularly important in this case because the couple has different tastes. “It was obvious right from the beginning that they had contrary but complementary personalities, each with strong traits,” states Marianne. “Bruno has a freer, more baroque aesthetic, whereas Clemence is much more classical.”

THE REVAMP