Paris Panache
Modern Living|Winter 2023
Designer Robert Normand’s unerring eye for colour and aesthete’s appreciation of decor, objects and art are on full display in his Paris home, where a series of interleading, beautifully dressed spaces each contributes something unique to a house that is an artwork in perpetual progress
ROBYN ALEXANDER
Paris Panache

A first viewing of interior designer Robert Normand’s home takes the form of a series of colourful impressions – an experience reminiscent of taking an initial glance at Henri Matisse’s 1904 painting, “Luxe, Calme et Volupté”. In Robert’s Paris house, as in that famous artwork, flashes of unexpected colour catch the eye one after another. Here is an unexpectedly rich hue of yellow carpet underfoot – and there, a delightfully distracting pair of extravagantly patterned urns. Over there, mulberry-coloured window blinds contrast with a seafoam rug. A bright slice of blue and white bathroom adds brightness, while a swathe of caramel oak cupboards conveys a rich sense of calm. Slowly, a pattern emerges, and one begins to comprehend the picture as a whole.

Robert grew up outside Paris “in a large family home”, and moved to the city when he started to work as a designer of fashion, then interiors, 20 or so years ago. But after many years spent living in the hyper-stimulating heart of the iconic metropolis, “I was tired of being in such a very busy place,” he says. This need for surroundings that were a touch more peaceful – plus a yen for some additional space – were Robert’s main reasons for moving to the suburbs. His new home is located to the east of central Paris, in a diverse and vibrant enclave in which, nevertheless, the atmosphere is not as frenetic as that of the centre. “It is a lively suburb,” he says, explaining that here he can be at the happy medium that is “in between two contrasting states, the ‘overexcited’ centre and the ‘maybe too quiet’ countryside”.

Bu hikaye Modern Living dergisinin Winter 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Modern Living dergisinin Winter 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MODERN LIVING DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Colour Compact
Modern Living

Colour Compact

Interior designer Kim Stephen’s terraced home in Barnes, London, combines her signature flair for colour with a clever use of its relatively compact spaces

time-read
4 dak  |
Winter 2023
Paris Panache
Modern Living

Paris Panache

Designer Robert Normand’s unerring eye for colour and aesthete’s appreciation of decor, objects and art are on full display in his Paris home, where a series of interleading, beautifully dressed spaces each contributes something unique to a house that is an artwork in perpetual progress

time-read
3 dak  |
Winter 2023
The Art Of Chic
Modern Living

The Art Of Chic

The ideal recipe for eclectic chic 21st-century style? Combine the classic details of a Haussmannian apartment with owner Emmanuel de Bayser’s eye for the finest mid-century furniture and design objects – plus a growing collection of contemporary art. Parfait!

time-read
4 dak  |
Winter 2023
In The Zone
Modern Living

In The Zone

A tightly knit curation of design-savvy details, furniture and finishes makes for an innovative spin on apartment living in Cape Town

time-read
3 dak  |
Winter 2023
The Fabric Of All Things
Modern Living

The Fabric Of All Things

With a nod to traditional English decorating and with references to its Asian locale, this Singaporean family home is a visual tapestry of pastels and patterns

time-read
3 dak  |
Winter 2023
Brute Force
Modern Living

Brute Force

Referencing the industrial architecture of Chicago and New York, the stylish design of a Sydney home offsets raw, Brutalist surfaces and hardware with softer, seductive furnishings

time-read
2 dak  |
Winter 2023
Black Magic
Modern Living

Black Magic

Dark colours and graphic forms combine to create an urban ‘bush lodge’ look in this luxe family home on KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast. The result is serendipitously sexy

time-read
3 dak  |
Winter 2023
I'll Take Manhattan
Modern Living

I'll Take Manhattan

...and Italian summers too. A New York City loft remains true to its industrial roots while undergoing an upgrade inspired by the warm light and soft textures of the Med

time-read
3 dak  |
Winter 2023
Quiet Riot
Modern Living

Quiet Riot

By offsetting elegant restraint with strong notes of natural, artistic and design exuberance, architect Frederic Berthier’s Paris apartment combines architectural stillness with human energy to beautiful and refreshing effect

time-read
5 dak  |
Winter 2023
Fresh Start
Modern Living

Fresh Start

Interior designer Lynne Harris-Whitfield has melded old and new in her relaxed family home in Cape Town, which combines considered space planning with a trove of creative touches

time-read
4 dak  |
Winter 2023