Policronica crafts Parisian hotel interior using “invasive wood”
Design studio Policronica has transformed the interior of Hotel Elysée Montmartre in Paris, relying almost exclusively on a single species of wood. More
France
Subterms
Latest story
More stories
- in Rooms
Toledano + Architects adds wavy mezzanine to compact Biarritz apartment
French firm Toledano + Architects has renovated an apartment in the seaside town of Biarritz, adding a raised sleeping area that looks out towards the nearby lighthouse through a large bay window. More
- in Rooms
Uchronia designs Cafe Shin to be “halfway between Paris and Seoul”
French studio Uchronia has completed the interiors for Cafe Shin in Paris, which features a central coffee counter topped with a washi-paper roof to emulate a traditional Korean house. More
- in Rooms
Paris apartment merges “minimalism with the grandeur of Napoleon-era architecture”
French architect Joris Poggioli has renovated his Paris apartment, aiming to preserve its historic features while integrating modern design elements.
Poggioli sought to renovate the apartment located in a mansion that was once Napoleon Bonaparte’s office, while preserving its “historic soul”.
Joris Poggiolio has renovated his apartment in Paris”It was an opportunity to merge my passion for minimalism with the grandeur of Napoleon-era architecture,” Poggioli told Dezeen.
“The goal was not just to restore but to allow these historical elements to shine once more in a contemporary context, while also bringing forth the voice of our generation, our era, through my intervention.”
The apartment is located in a mansion where Napoleon Bonaparte had an officePoggioli aimed to restore the 90-square-meter apartment’s original features, which had been obscured by years of modifications.“When I first stepped inside, it was like entering a fortress with layers of flooring, insulation, and makeshift walls,” explained Poggioli.
“Slowly, I peeled away these layers, revealing original parquet, mouldings, and architectural details that had been hidden for decades”.Studio Est adds “brutalist elements” to Battersea Power Station apartment
Influenced by Napoleon’s historical connection to the building, he sought to honour its heritage while introducing a modern touch.
To achieve this, Poggioli focused on subtly highlighting features of the apartment, including the grand proportions, the flow of light through large windows, and the overall sense of space.
“I wanted my design to feel like it was embracing the historical skeleton of the building, enhancing its spirit rather than competing with it”.
It has high ceilingsThe 4.2-metre-high ceiling, a focal point of the apartment, heavily influenced his design choices.
Elements like an oversized headboard in the bedroom and a mezzanine-like upper floor were introduced to accentuate the tall ceiling.
“The soaring ceiling height was one of the most striking features of the apartment,” explained Poggioli. “It immediately influenced how I approached the design, giving me room to think on a grander scale”.
“The void, the space itself, became necessary for thought—it allows mental images to escape and flow freely,” he continued.
The bedroom features an oversized headboardThe apartment also features sculptures borrowed from a client, a collector of Amerindian art, whose pieces have been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Puiforcat also lent a series of bowls designed by American artist Donald Judd, while the other pieces come from Joris’ collection.
“These pieces were selected because they represent a bridge between tradition and modernity, much like the apartment itself,” said Poggioli.
“Amerindian art brings a sense of deep-rooted culture and craftsmanship, while the Puiforcat bowls, with their sleek, timeless design, add a layer of refinement,” he continued.
“Together, they create a balance that reflects the overall philosophy of the space—a harmonious coexistence of the past and the present, each enhancing the other.”
Various sculptures can be found in the apartmentOther apartment renovations recently featured on Dezeen include an apartment in Barcelona by architect Raúl Sánchez and a brutalist apartment in Canada by architect Jean Verville.
The photography is by Alice Mesguich.Read more: More
- in Rooms
Claves evokes classic Parisian bistro interiors at cafe Le Cornichon
French design studio Claves has transformed the interior of a Paris cafe, introducing bespoke retro-style decor that mirrors the architecture of local bars and tobacconists from the 1930s to the present day.
Claves founders Laure Gravier and Soizic Fougeront were assigned to craft a space fuelled by nostalgia and French tradition for the reopening of Le Cornichon, a contemporary neighbourhood cafe, bar and restaurant owned by Bertrand Chauveau and Paul Henri.
Claves has redesigned a contemporary neighbourhood cafe to evoke Parisian bistros”As the owners’ aim was to create a place where people from all backgrounds could come and go from morning to night, every day of the week, the decor had to lend itself to all kinds of scenes”, the design studio told Dezeen.
“The morning coffee while reading the paper, the business lunch, the aperitif with friends, the romantic dinner, the evening out.”
The interior of Le Cornichon incorporates nostalgic chrome fittings and laminate detailsLe Cornichon is positioned on a corner site, its facade and architecture designed to be indistinguishable from that of a local Parisian bar or tobacconist.“These are highly identifiable but timeless places, which don’t refer to any particular period, or rather which cross the eras by adjusting as they go along”, said Claves.
Touches of different period styles are reflected in the cafe’s decor. Its interior was completely redone from floor to ceiling, and Claves also redesigned the bay windows and blinds for its facade.
A glossy lacquered wave ceiling is highlighted by painted walls with textured plasterClaves designed the cafe’s speckled mosaic flooring to reflect the typical architecture of the 1930s, while the creation of a glossy lacquered wave ceiling was a nod to 1950s Italy.
Textured plaster was applied to painted walls to create contrast and highlight the ceiling.
“We used the classic palette of Parisian bistros, including Bordeaux red, bottle green, cream and chrome details”, said the design studio.El Fant Café and Bar celebrates both traditional and contemporary Finnish design
The counter and waiter station of the bar are covered in laminate travertine effect panels in matt red, with walnut effect worktops in gloss black.
Le Cornichon’s bar was clad in laminate fittings reminiscent of Formica, a material invented at the beginning of the 20th century and used in many post-war bars and tobacconists.
Neon green bar lights pay homage to the space-age design style of the 1960s”We wanted customers to feel comfortable and at home very quickly, that there would be ‘regulars’,” said Claves. “That’s why we’ve taken the codes that everyone knows and built a space that’s rhythmic, harmonious and punctuated with amusing details.”
1980s-style mirrors and chrome rod strips, inside and on the facade, add shine and give rhythm to the space. The studio also added neon-green lights to evoke the space-age design style of the 1960s and lend a party atmosphere to the cafe.
A decorative ‘smoke’ frieze aligns the velvet-padded banquette seating area”We also wanted to create a very cinematic space, like in Cédric Klapisch’s film Un air de famille,” explained the design studio. “This is reflected in strong markers such as the painted ‘smoke’ frieze and the fresco in the toilets.”
The decorative frieze, which evokes wisps of smoke, was created by decorative painter Mauro Ferreira.
Le Cornichon’s toilet displays a fresco mural paintingAccompanying laminate tables are green banquettes padded in thick velvet, which were custom-designed and produced by a Parisian workshop in the style of typical comfortable cafe bench seating.
Wave-shaped backrests echo the ceiling design and the wisps of smoke in the frieze. Chromed steel and black artificial-leather chairs were also custom-designed and made by another local workshop.
Numerous items were hunted down by the design studio to add a patina element to the interior, including the washbasin, mirror and bar lights.
“The pinball machine was hired from a vintage arcade game enthusiast and the postcard holder was bought from a specialist website,” said Claves.
Before founding Claves in 2022, Gravier and Fougeront gained experience working together over several years for French interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch.
Other retro cafe, bar and restaurant interiors that have recently been featured in Dezeen include the Fika restaurant in Almaty, Kazakhstan, by NAAW Studio and the Sant Ambroeus Coffee Bar Aspen in Aspen, Colorado, by Giampiero Tagliaferri Studio.
The photography is by Matteo Verzini.Read more: More
- in Rooms
RMGB decorates Versailles townhouse with custom and vintage furniture
Interior design studio RMGB has redesigned a 19th-century townhouse opposite the Chateau de Versailles, using marble and steel to modernise it while “preserving French heritage”.
The home’s new owner recently sold his apartment in Paris to move back into the townhouse, which had been his childhood home, and asked for a careful renovation to take the interior back to its original state.
RMGB restored the home’s damaged parquet flooring and mouldings before adding bespoke and vintage furniture.
The townhouse’s original mouldings were repairedDue to its location near the Chateau de Versailles, designers Baptiste Rischmann and Guillaume Gibert had to consider each change carefully.
“The most difficult part of the project was complying with all the requests made by the Architecte des Bâtiments de France, given that the house is opposite the Château de Versailles,” the studio told Dezeen.“They were very demanding about the aesthetic of the project. We had to stay within a certain logic of preserving French heritage.”
RMBG also renovated the parquet floors in the houseRischmann and Gibert aimed for the redesign to respect the home’s original layout while giving it a more modern feel.
“The house hadn’t been remodelled for several decades,” the designers said. “We all had to rethink and modernize the whole while preserving a trace of history.”
“Our initial idea was to preserve the original volumes and infuse them with a new aesthetic and tell a new story, a new life for our customers.”
The kitchen features a marble island and a custom-made steel cupboardThe designers created custom furniture for some of the rooms in the 230-square-metre house. In the kitchen, they added a large stainless-steel cupboard with retractable doors.
Nearby, a large Calacatta Viola marble kitchen island hides the hob and oven, adding a monolithic yet decorative touch.Monolithic green marble forms “majestic wall” in Milan apartment
“The idea was to integrate colors and materials in small touches, such as the pinkish-orange of the sofa or the blue shade of the rug,” the studio said.
“The materials play the same role for us, from the shine of the parquet and its deep hue to the brutality of the kitchen marble. Our aim is always to create balance by contrasting materials.”
The studio chose vintage armchairs for the living roomIn the living room, Rischmann and Gibert added a ceiling light by designer Nacho Carbonell, a Lek sofa designed by Christophe Delcourt and a pair of 6911 vintage armchairs by furniture designer Horst Bruning.
RMBG chose the furniture for the house based on how the different pieces would work together in terms of both shape and colour.
“We tried to achieve the most harmonious, fair ensemble possible,” the studio said. “At no point did we want to overdo the aesthetics, which meant we had to work more surgically.”
Sculptural furniture adds character to the bedroom”While the pinkish orange of the sofa adds a touch of acidity, the dark blue of the rug brings a little more classicism to the space,” the duo added.
“The white, taut lines of the dining table temper the more extreme materiality of the kitchen island. Each piece of furniture designed or selected for the project was subjected to a rigorous selection process.”
Black marble decorates the bathroomIn the bedroom, the studio added a sculptural bed inspired by the work of French designer Jean Royère. The bathroom, like the kitchen, features striking stonework, with a bathtub and basin in Grigio Carnico marble.
“The basins and the bathtub in the parental bathroom in Grigio Carnico marble, for which we revised the design of the classic basins, giving them a more contemporary look with cleaner lines,” Rischmann and Gibert said.
Other interiors with striking marble designs include a Milan apartment with a “majestic wall” and an all-marble extension to a Victorian house.
The photography is by Matthieu Salvaing.Read more: More
- in Rooms
Rudy Guénaire draws on American modernism for Matsuri restaurant interior
French designer Rudy Guénaire has created the interiors of Japanese restaurant Matsuri in Paris, combining wooden furniture covered in lacquer with pastel-coloured domes informed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Located in Paris’ 16th arrondissement, the 200-square-metre restaurant was given a full redesign by Guénaire.
As the menu focuses on “Japanese sushi from a Californian angle”, Guénaire drew on Japonisme – the Western fascination with Japanese design – for its interior.
Matsuri is located in Paris’ 16th arrondissement”I drew on everything that has marked me from these two countries that I adore,” Guénaire, who runs Nightflight Studio, told Dezeen.
“From Japan, I took this idea that fascinates me, which is that the Japanese frame everything,” he added.“As if everything had to be an island, firmly delimited by something that protects it and makes it unique.”
Rudy Guénaire referenced American modernist design for the interiorThe American influence comes across in the shapes used to decorate the interior, which features colourful ceiling domes that are lit from the inside.
“From California, I took these incredible obliques that make me melt,” Guénaire said. “The kind you find in Frank Lloyd Wright or John Lautner’s work.”
“A slant that recalls the Native American tent, the primordial shelter,” he added.
“American modernists loved Japan and sometimes, they’d never even been there. It’s this Japonism that I wanted to prolong.”
The restaurant features Japanese postersAt the centre of Matsuri is the kaiten – conveyor belt – on which the sushi comes out. The designer used wood throughout the restaurant and covered it in lacquer for this centrepiece.
“The kaiten is covered in high-gloss lacquer, reminiscent of the beautiful lacquer worshipped by the Chinese and then the Japanese,” he said.
“I used wood throughout because in Japan, everything is made of wood, that’s just the way it is and has to be!”
The central kaiten was covered in glossy lacquerPastel-hued domes decorate the ceiling above the kaiten, creating soft lighting and adding a touch of colour to the mainly white and wood interior.
“For the ceiling, I think I got the idea from the amazing ceiling of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Penfield House,” Guénaire said.
“I used industrial skydomes that I turned upside down and lit from the inside.”Space tourism informs design of Ichi Station sushi restaurant in Milan
The colour was toned down to create the right atmosphere for the restaurant.
“We set up a sophisticated lighting system with very subtle colour control,” Guénaire added.
“I chose cheerful, very American colour bases, and then, we subtly desaturated them to approach the Japanese aesthetic where nothing is ever garish.”
Guénaire added pastel-coloured domes to the ceilingGuénaire also designed chairs for Matsuri that draw on those found in traditional Izakayas – Japanese pubs – though he says the original ones don’t correspond to his memories of them.
“While searching for photos of Izakaya, I never found this chair shape,” the designer said.
“Yet, as I recall, it’s exactly this chair that I’ve seen everywhere. All small and cute,” he added.
“Maybe that’s what Japonism is all about. You invent a lot when you think you’re bringing back memories.”
The designer created chairs that reference Izakaya furnitureThe interior of Matsuri, which is part of a restaurant chain founded in 1986 by a French-Japanese couple, is also decorated with old posters brought back from Japan.
“We always have friends coming back from Japan. We asked them for a little help!” Guénaire said.
Other Japanese restaurants on Dezeen include a sushi restaurant and sake bar with oxblood tiles and the Aragawa steakhouse selling “UK’s most expensive steak”.
The photography is by Ludovic Balay.Read more: More
- in Rooms
Jakob Sprenger embellishes Aesop store with salvaged plaster medallions
Austrian architect Jakob Sprenger has installed 1920s plaster medallions above a large sculptural sink as the centre of skincare brand Aesop’s store in Paris.
Located within a residential neighbourhood in the district of Ternes in Paris’ 17th arrondissement, Sprenger designed the store to “create a feeling of simple domesticity”.
The space was designed around four 19th-century painted gypsum ceiling medallions that the team found during the initial stages of the project.
The flooring was made from reclaimed French tomette tilesThe baroque-style medallions were originally made in 1923 for the now-demolished Hotel de la Guilonniere in central Paris.
They were placed directly above a sculptural sink that sits at the centre of the triangular store.“At first, we weren’t sure how to incorporate them, but their artistic quality and provenance immediately caught my attention,” Sprenger told Dezeen.
The medallions were attached to the ceiling and one of the wallsAs is typical of most Aesop stores, the sink can be used by customers to trial and test the brand’s products.
Above the sink, a large elliptical cut-out in the ceiling was designed as a frame for both the sink and the medallions above.
“The triangular floorplan with a wide south-facing facade has a rather unusual geometry but allows for an impactful arrangement of functions and exciting perspectives,” explained Sprenger.JamesPlumb fuses bulrush and hemp elements at Cambridge Aesop store
The design team organised the space into two “differently proportioned” sections, with the primary sales area at the front of the store and the billing and checkout nook at the back.
Sprenger explained that the two sections were “flanked by softly rounded geometries, harmonising the visual tension of the triangular room with narrow corners”.
Millwork and accent walls across the store were painted in burgundy-red lacquerBurgundy-toned window bays were created at either end of the space, where there is seating for customers.
Adjacent to one of the windows is a fragrance armoire, where customers can test the brand’s perfume range.
The checkout nook has a curved counterThe billing and checkout nook was created as an intimate space painted in burgundy red lacquer, featuring visible brush strokes.
Candles and incense are displayed on recessed shelves on one side of the nook.
Recessed shelves display the brand’s candles and incense rangeAccording to Sprenger, the main design challenge was amending the facade, which was added in the 1990s.
The design team aimed to create an “inviting ambience” by adding textile awnings and lacquered paneling above a plinth clad in lutecian sandstone.
An alabaster-coloured Aesop street sign contrasts the dark background of the facade.
The facade features a plinth of lutecian sandstoneSprenger previously designed Aesop stores in Rome and Salzburg.
“Our mission is to create lasting values that resonate meaningfully with their surroundings,” he explained.
“We approach every project as a unique entity embedded in its historical, architectural and cultural context,” Sprenger said.
Aesop stores recently featured on Dezeen include an outpost in Seoul informed by traditional Korean pavilions and another covered in mint green materials in Los Angeles.
The photography is by Ludovic Balay.Read more: More
- in Rooms
Necchi Architecture takes cues from retro nightlife at Hôtel Château d’Eau in Paris
Interior design studio Necchi Architecture has combined lacquer, chrome and retro design accents to evoke the “uninhibited atmosphere” of the disco era at the Hôtel Château d’Eau in Paris.
The 36-room hotel is located on Rue du Château d’Eau in an area that was the hub of 1970s nightlife with the iconic club Le Palace, frequented by Yves Saint Laurent and Kenzō Takada, and the home of French musician Serge Gainsbourg, nearby.
Necchi Architecture chose black lacquer panels to make the bedrooms feel more spaciousIt is this avant-garde attitude of Parisian nightlife that Necchi Architecture aimed to imbue into the sultry and highly stylised interiors of Hôtel Château d’Eau.
“[We aimed] to reflect an attitude, rather than a particular décor; one that is reflective of the Château d’Eau areas recent history and character,” Necchi Architecture co-founder Alexis Lamenta told Dezeen.
The lobby area is filled with collectible furniture and flea market findsUpon entry guests are greeted at a curved reception desk clad in chrome panelling and bookended by matching chrome lamps.The space, wrapped in a dark burgundy gloss, flows into an “intimate fumoir” featuring chrome columns, mirrored panels and wall mounted vases.
Leopard print is used throughout the hotel’s interiorThe lounge area, which also doubles up as a breakfast room, is filled with antique and collectible furniture and decorative pieces, intended to create the feeling of a “suave and lived-in space” where guests can relax.
Leopard print is introduced as a key design element with the placement of a pair of antique Italian ceramic leopards in the lobby area. This 1970s print is replicated throughout the decor, featured in soft furnishings, the hotels exterior signage and the winding staircase carpeting.
Hôtel Château d’Eau’s interior nods to iconic nightclubs of the 1970sThe bedrooms are defined by deep pile carpets, with lower level floors featuring lime green, ascending to deep purple on the next floor, then graduating to a bronze-toned orange on the hotel’s top level.
This statement carpet envelopes the lower portion of the bedrooms, covering the skirting, the bespoke side tables and the bedstead.Beata Heuman designs colour-drenched Hôtel de la Boétie in Paris
“We imagined a scenario for the bedrooms where all needs are focused around the bed,” explained Lamenta.
“The mini bar is integrated into the bedside tables, the wardrobes are exposed, and the desk is a mobile tray to place on the bed,” he continued.
“This is a bit of a break from classic hotel traditions but we wanted the space to feel tailored to our daily actions.”
Black lacquer was chosen to distort the ceiling height in the bedroomsMirrored glass and high gloss black lacquer panels were chosen in the bedrooms as a “functional detail rather than an aesthetic choice.”
“We chose the black lacquer because it helps distort the ceiling height and increase the architectural space,” said Lamesta.
“The gloss also brings in natural light at any time of day,” he continued. “We used lacquer and mirrors to eliminate any notion of volume, making the natural light more sensual, and – depending on the time of day – it has a vibrant effect.”
Bronze-toned deep pile carpets are used on the top floors of the hotelNecchi Architecture also collaborated with Paris-based artist Géraldine Roussel on a series of geometric artworks hung above the beds, made from clear glass and inspired by the Op Art movement.
The graphic identity of the bedrooms continues into the bathrooms with chequered wall tiles, which contrast polished stainless steel basins.
The bedroom artworks are by Paris-based artist Géraldine RousselThe project is Necchi Architecture’s debut hotel and the seventh opening for Parisian group Touriste.
Following Touriste’s previous more playful interiors, including Luke Edward Hall’s Hôtel Les Deux Gares and Beata Heumans Hôtel de la Boétie, Necchi Architecture were chosen to “bring something a little moodier and more grown up” to the group’s repertoire, Touriste founder Adrien Gloaguen told Dezeen.
Necchi Architecture created custom stainless steel basins for the bathroomsOther retro-inspired interiors featured on Dezeen include Bella Freuds penthouse apartment designed by Piercy & Company and a north London townhouse by Studio Hagen Hall.
The photography is by Ludovic Balay.Read more: More
