France

Subterms

    More stories

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Anne Holtrop organises Parisian jewellery boutique around wavy acrylic wall

      by

      Dutch architect Anne Holtrop has used rippled sheets of acrylic to create a water-like partition inside this Parisian boutique by jewellery designer Charlotte Chesnais.

      The store is set along Boulevard Saint Germain and is the second retail location that Anne Holtrop has devised for the brand.
      Anne Holtrop has designed a boutique for Charlotte ChesnaisLike the inaugural branch – which features a striking acrylic display table – Chesnais wanted this space to present her jewellery in a way that fosters a “unique spatial experience”.
      Holtrop’s answer was to use acrylic again – but this time to construct a towering partition wall.
      A wavy acrylic wall runs through the middle of the boutique”In the first store, we included a very large table that is almost the full size of the space,” he told Dezeen. “In the second store, we flipped this concept as the existing space has a great height and small floor area.”

      The translucent partition runs across the middle of the store and was CNC milled to have a rippled, almost watery surface texture. The divider is also inbuilt with tiered shelves and drawers, meaning any rings, necklaces or bracelets showcased inside seem to float.
      An infinity mirror is one of the few other decorative items in the storeThe rest of the store’s interior was largely kept simple. Walls surrounding the partition were washed with beige marmorino plaster and decoration was restricted to a curvaceous gold sculpture that mimics the form of Chesnais’ designs.
      There is also a trompe l’oeil infinity mirror and a small wooden stool.

      Studio Anne Holtrop creates gypsum walls that look like fabric for Maison Margiela store

      A doorway in the acrylic partition guides customers to a curved flight of stairs at the rear of the store.
      These lead up to a mezzanine-level room that’s dedicated to showcasing the brand’s fine jewellery collection.
      A curved staircase leads up to a room where fine jewellery is displayedAcrylic was used here again to make an expansive wall-mounted display unit. Other surfaces were coated with glossy forest-green epoxy paint.
      A plump sofa was set into the room’s back wall and a thick jade-coloured carpet was been laid across the floor.
      “We wanted to give it a different, more intimate atmosphere, in which you sit and relax like in a little cocktail bar,” Holtrop said.
      The second room is covered with glossy green paintThis isn’t the first time that Anne Holstrop has designed a space for a fashion brand.
      In 2021, the architect remodelled Maison Margiela’s London store, where he inserted a series of gypsum walls that resemble fabric cuttings.
      The photography is by James Nelson. 

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares159 Views

      in Rooms

      Rodolphe Parente respectfully rethinks a classic Haussmannian apartment in Paris

      by

      French interior designer Rodolphe Parente has completed a contemporary overhaul of a 19th-century Parisian apartment, reflecting both the building’s heritage and the “radical” art collection of its owner.

      Originally built during Haussmann’s major reconstruction of Paris, the 150-square-metre flat is located in the Canal Saint-Martin neighbourhood in northeastern Paris.
      Rodolphe Parente has renovated a Haussmann-era apartment in ParisAs part of the renovation, Parente sought to celebrate the apartment’s extensive period details. In the entrance hall, a band of gold leaf now highlights the geometry of the circular ceiling and missing sections of the mouldings were painstakingly reinstated.
      “The main idea was to preserve and at some points restore the classic Haussmannian codes of a Parisian apartment,” Parente told Dezeen. “It was important for me to keep the Parisian vibration as well as the radical tone of my client’s art taste.”
      Redfield & Dattner created an abstract fresco behind the dining tableParente began by opening up the apartment to improve the sense of flow, exposing long sealed-off doorways and connecting the dining room with the kitchen.

      Taking cues from the craftsmanship inherent in the apartment, Parente drafted in several contemporary craftspeople including custom painting studio Redfield & Dattner, which created an abstract fresco on the new wall behind the dining table.
      The kitchen balances cabinet finishes of stainless steel and pastel pink”I wanted to bring the hand of craftsmanship into this project,” said Parente.
      “The people I have worked with on this apartment bring something to the creativity in general.”
      A sculptural vintage sofa centres the living roomThroughout the space, a palette of warm neutrals was used to create a sense of immersion.
      “I chose neutral tones to subtly enhance the classical heritage of the apartment and keep an enveloping atmosphere,” the interior designer explained.

      Studio Razavi inserts sculptural furniture block into 19th-century Parisian apartment

      Against this cohesive backdrop, surprisingly colourful elements leap out including the lacquered yellow light above the dining table – Parente’s own design – and the vivid purple rug used against caramel-coloured walls in the main bedroom.
      The kitchen balances cabinet finishes of stainless steel and pastel pink with a frame-like marble splashback, created by French artist Alice Guittard for Double V Gallery.
      “The kitchen is a deconstructed block sitting in the Haussmanian environment,” Parente said. “It is connected to the historical elements through its composition.”
      Period wall panelling remains in the reading roomIn the living room, a sculptural vintage sofa is sited in the centre of the space, anchored by a graphic rug and positioned to disrupt the angles of the room.
      Parente played with contrast via the material and colour palettes throughout the apartment. In the reading room, period wall panelling highlights the modernity of the sofa and chair with their highly lacquered side panels.
      Parente designed a custom chair and sofa for the space”For this room, we have designed custom-made furniture with contemporary and radical shapes bringing a form of reflection to the space,” the designer said.
      The idea of juxtaposition continues with the art displayed in the apartment, with the client’s often provocative pieces completing the aesthetic in each room.
      Colours clash in the main bedroom”The client showed total faith in this balance between modernism and legacy for the interior design. He also wanted to keep this dialogue for the decoration and focused on staying eclectic in his choice of furniture and art,” said Parente.
      “The client has a radical point of view regarding art and design. It was a real pleasure to create a dialogue between the existing pieces and the interior design.”
      A vivid purple rug contrasts with caramel-coloured wallsOther Hausmann-era apartment renovations in Paris have seen interior designers make more dramatic interventions, with Atelier 37.2 adding a sculptural wooden volume to house a new bathroom while Studio Razavi inserted a multifaceted furniture block that takes on a different function in each room.
      The photography is by Giulio Ghirardi.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares109 Views

      in Rooms

      Halleroed mixes French and Japandi influences inside L/Uniform’s Paris boutique

      by

      In the arty Paris district of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Stockholm design studio Halleroed has designed a new boutique for French bag and luggage brand L/Uniform.

      Taking cues from the brand’s simple, rational approach to design, Halleroed design lead Ruxandra Halleröd created a series of backdrops that allow the products to “pop out in a beautiful way”.
      Halleroed has designed a boutique for L/Uniform in ParisThe boutique is comprised of two rooms that drawing on L/Uniform’s French heritage alongside a mixture of Japanese and Scandinavian design traditions – also known as Japandi.
      The first room was designed to nod to the vernacular of the traditional French marketplace, with stepped display furniture and rustic materials, such as walls papered in woven raffia.
      In the first room, bags are hung from integrated wooden hooks”It reminds us of L/Uniform’s use of French canvas on its more functional bags, but on a bigger scale,” Halleröd told Dezeen.

      “We used a Shaker-inspired approach where bags are hung from hooks. There’s an association with everyday market life because some of these bags are specifically made for bringing to the market.”
      To create a striking visual contrast with the natural textures of this space, Halleroed added a monolithic display table in deep burgundy with a high-gloss finish.
      Glossy red details feature throughout the store in finishes and furnishingsThe second room is more “elegant and eclectic”, according to Halleröd. Here, L/Uniform’s leather handbags are displayed against a palette of soft pink and green, featuring an olive-coloured velvet sofa and pistachio display cabinet alongside tactile elements like the handwoven jute-and-wool carpet.
      The same glossy red finish from the first room is also reprised – in this case applied to two exposed pipes, around which Halleroed has constructed a low timber cabinet.
      Pistachio display cabinets provide additional storage”We worked with colour, texture and material as one entity, creating contrast and also unity,” said Halleröd.
      Around the counter, Halleroed added cedar cladding “for a Japanese look and feel”.

      Halleroed combines futuristic and primitive for Acne Studios store in Chengdu

      This is mirrored across the shop with details such as a rice-paper pendant light by Isamu Noguchi and chairs by George Nakashima, as well as cedar table lamps with rice-paper shades created by a Japanese cabinetmaker.
      Gallic influences are reflected in the lighting by Pierre Chareau and Charlotte Perriand and the bush-hammered limestone floor, which according to Halleröd has a “calm, vintage touch that for us is very French”.
      Travertine floors and stone counters bring a sense of refinement to the spaceHalleroed also brought Swedish elements into the mix, reflecting the studio’s own approach.
      “With our minimalist Scandinavian mindset, we prefer to work with fewer elements and materials but in a conscious and precise way,” said Halleröd.
      “Working with wood and craft is something that I think is common for both Japan and Sweden, while we think of the warm tones here as being both French and Japanese.”
      Timber joinery nods to Japanese and Scandinavian craft traditions”Many of the items in the store were handmade specifically for the space, which was important for us since we believe that this reflects the L/Uniform mentality and approach,” she added.
      Since it was founded in 1998, Halleroed has completed a number of high-end boutiques around the world.
      Among them are an Acne Studios store in Chengdu and various outposts for Swedish streetwear brand Axel Arigato in Berlin, Paris, Copenhagen and London.
      The photography is by Ludovic Balay

      Read more: More

    • 138 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Traditional Hong Kong diners inform interior of Bao Express in Paris

      by

      Design studio Atelieramo has completed a retro interior for a Chinese restaurant in Paris, featuring celadon-green walls and curvaceous wooden booths modelled on those found in Hong Kong diners from the 1970s.

      Architect Tala Gharagozlou and designer Virginie de Graveron oversaw the interior concept for Bao Express, a restaurant near Bastille in the 11th arrondissement that serves dim sum and bao buns.
      Bao Express is a Chinese restaurant in Paris. Top photo by Géraldine MartensHoused in a former button factory, the 500-square-metre space is divided into three areas: a bakery, a diner and a basement bar.
      Atelieramo set out to create a series of distinct yet connected spaces that evoke the architecture and pop culture of 1970s Hong Kong – in particular its greasy spoon cafes, locally known as cha chaan tengs.
      Diners can sit in the eatery’s cosy wood-lined booths”We reinterpreted snippets of that vibrant Hong Kong urban atmosphere with its coloured pavings, pastel colours, neon lights and dense mix of patterns and motifs,” said the studio.

      “The aim was not to create a decor but rather, with a playful nod to these references, create a new atmosphere distinct to Bao’s new space.”
      A larger skylit dining area is located in the rear. Photo by Géraldine MartensThe adaptation of the existing abandoned building involved significant alterations to the floor plates and structure, along with the addition of a new staircase and circulation.
      From the street, customers enter a small bakery and cafe serving sweet and savoury snacks to eat in or take away. What appears as a simple neighbourhood cafe conceals the presence of the larger dining areas, which are set back in the building’s plan.
      A new staircase leads down to the basement bar. Photo by Bérénice BonnotThe kitchens are visible from the street and guests walk past colourful crates of raw produce before passing through a metal curtain to reach the main Bao Express diner.
      The long dining space features cosy booths with sinuous wooden frames. The pastel-green walls are contrasted with bespoke bright-red sconces and simple mosaic panels that echo the materials of the central bar.

      Superette models playful cannabis dispensary on Italian deli

      Towards the rear of the building is a larger dining area topped with an expansive skylight. This bright and airy space is filled with plants that create the feeling of dining in a winter garden.
      Exposed masonry walls painted in celadon-green form the basis for a playful colour palette featuring contrasting peach and pink elements as seen in the glossy tabletops.
      A hammered-metal artwork by SupaKitch decorates the ceiling in the barThe studio’s eclectic use of colour and pattern extends to the geometric tiled floors and punchy black-and-white stripes that are painted on the walls of the staircase leading down to the basement bar Underpool.
      This bar area features a hammered-metal ceiling installation by French artist SupaKitch, with a rippled surface that reflects the blue-green interior and creates the impression of looking up at an upside-down swimming pool.
      The artwork creates the impression of looking up at a swimming poolBao Express is part of a family of eateries in Paris owned by restaurateurs Céline Chung and Billy Pham. Atelieramo was responsible for designing several of the duo’s restaurants, each of which has a unique character inspired by different aspects of Chinese culture.
      Another eatery informed by traditional cha chaan tengs is The Astor restaurant in Hong Kong’s Eaton hotel, designed by New York studio AvroKO, which mixes elements of the city’s diners and street food stalls with nods to the arthouse films of Wong Kar-Wai.
      The photography is by Carole Cheung unless otherwise stated.

      Read more: More

    • 150 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Citrons et Huîtres oyster bar creates impression of “diving into an aquarium”

      by

      French interior designer Marion Mailaender has completed a seafood bar in Paris named Citrons et Huîtres, which features oyster-shaped door handles and a stainless steel counter informed by fishmongers.

      Mailaender, who specialises in creating spaces “with a great sense of humour”, designed the bar to resemble an elevated market stall, where guests can dine inside or take away platters of oysters and shellfish.
      Citrons et Huîtres is an oyster bar with coral-coloured stoolsCitrons et Huîtres has a raw steel facade informed by the storefronts of local fishmongers, which have floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto the streets of Paris.
      Guests enter the bar through a door with a bronze handle shaped like an oyster shell, while a matching neon sign is fixed on the facade above the bar’s name.
      The bar has door handles shaped like oyster shellsInside, the space has a vaulted ceiling that reaches more than four and a half metres in height, which is painted blue together with the walls to create the impression of “diving into an amazing aquarium”, the owners said.

      The walls are decorated with prints by Mailaender’s husband, the artist Thomas Mailaender, who used a cyanotype printing process dating back to 1842 to produce ethereal blue photographs of coastal scenes.
      An oyster-shaped neon sign decorates the facadeCountertops are rendered in stainless steel and finished with a “pearly sheen”, while coral-coloured stools line the bar.
      The bar serves local French oysters from Brittany, presented on stainless steel trays that complement the interior.
      “Like a market stall with its stainless steel seafood counter, Citrons et Huîtres invites guests to savour the most incredible oysters while sipping on a glass of white,” the bar’s owners explained.
      Walls and ceilings are painted in a moody shade of blueThe name Citrons et Huîtres was chosen to reference a still-life by French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who once had his studio in the same building that now houses the oyster bar.
      “At the height of his glory in 1900, Renoir created Citrons et Huîtres, a piece of art that celebrates the most beautiful shellfish, classified as a national heritage of French art,” said the owners.
      The bar serves local French oysters and mussels from BrittanyOther oyster bars with interiors informed by the food on offer include Vancouver’s ShuckShuck, which is traversed by a curving concrete counter, and Watchman’s in Atlanta with its “spare nautical” interiors.
      The photography is by Thomas Tissandier.

      Read more: More

    • 100 Shares119 Views

      in Rooms

      Golem creates “pleasure-driven” pink interior for Superzoom gallery

      by

      Bubblegum-pink walls, floors and furniture create unconventional spaces for displaying art at this gallery in Paris designed by local studio Golem.

      Headed by architect and artist Ariel Claudet, the practice was invited to design the interior for the Superzoom art gallery, which is located in the historic Le Marais district.
      Superzoom gallery in Paris features bubblegum-pink interiorsThe gallery comprises three spaces arranged in an unusual order, with the gallery director’s office at the entrance, a white-cube gallery space in the centre and an accessible storage space at the rear.
      “We flipped upside-down the classic and elitist sequence of an art gallery, offering visitors a new pleasure-driven experience and the gallery managers three spatial tools for a large range of curatorial approaches,” explained Claudet.
      Pink is Superzoom’s signature colourSuperzoom’s signature colour pink was used as the basis for the design, reflecting the vibrancy of the local nightlife and techno scene where the gallery mingles with artists and collectors, according to Claudet.

      An integrated sound system hooked up to a vinyl record player provides a soundtrack of electronic music to enhance this connection.
      The “pink den” contains a built-in bench for visitors and a synthetic grassBy placing the director’s bright-pink office at the front, Golem aimed to create an entrance that is warmer and more inviting than a typical white gallery space.
      The “pink den” contains a built-in bench for visitors and a fake grass carpet that contributes to the warm, tonal aesthetic.
      The integrated sound system is hooked up to a record playerVisitors can continue through into a large and versatile white-walled gallery. This display area remains connected to the main spatial concept thanks to the pink openings on either side.
      The final space within the gallery is a storage area with walls painted the same shade of lively pink. In a conventional gallery setting, this space would be hidden away. But here, it is open and accessible to visitors.

      Balenciaga wraps London store in pink faux fur to celebrate its Le Cagole “it-bag”

      Each of the spaces in Superzoom’s gallery can be used for exhibiting work, either independently or together.
      For example, Golem suggested the white cube could be used for a solo show while other artists’ work is presented in the director’s office and storage space.
      A white-walled gallery provides more space for exhibiting artAll of the furniture and the pink wall separating the white cube from the director’s office are mobile and can be removed to create a larger space for exhibitions or parties.
      Golem designed the baby pink table featured in the director’s office as an emblem of the gallery that can be taken to art fairs or used for client dinners.
      The pink office table can be removed and brought to art fairsClaudet founded Golem in 2021 after working as an architect for practices including Rem Koolhaas’s Rotterdam-based firm OMA.
      Other all-pink interiors published on Dezeen include a fur-covered Balenciaga store in London and the Minimal Fantasy holiday apartment in Madrid.
      The photography is by Cyrille Lallement.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares189 Views

      in Rooms

      GSL Gallery takes over disused Parisian factory with “punk” interiors

      by

      Weathered walls and concrete floors feature in this design gallery that creative collective The Guild of Saint Luke and architecture firm Studio ECOA have set up inside a former factory in Paris.

      Spread across one storey and two mezzanines, GSL Gallery provides a mixture of studio and exhibition space for the group of architects, artists and artisans that make up The Guild of Saint Luke.
      GSL Gallery sits inside an old factoryThe gallery occupies a disused factory in Pantin, a neighbourhood in northeastern Paris with a growing arts and culture scene.
      In recent years, the building operated as a classic car garage but was purchased by art dealer and gallerist Hadrien de Montferrand during the pandemic with the aim of transforming the site into a gallery.
      The building’s concrete floors were retainedDe Montferrand enlisted locally based Studio ECOA to carry out all the necessary architectural changes and asked The Guild of Saint Luke (GSL) to steer the building’s design and become its first tenant.

      “We were charmed by the space and found the patina and raw walls to be punk and accidentally on-point,” GSL’s creative director John Whelan told Dezeen.
      Clean white panelling was added to give the space the look of a typical gallery”Working in close collaboration with Studio ECOA, we proposed a project that retained all of the rawness of the spaces with very minimal design interventions,” he continued.
      “We felt that it would be criminal to interfere with the existing mood, which is melancholic and eerily beautiful.”
      Studio ECOA restored the building’s facade and aluminium roof, as well as preserving its original concrete flooring.
      A live-work space can be found on GSL Gallery’s first mezzanineBoxy storage units were built on either side of the front door to form a corridor-like entrance to the ground floor, where white panelling was added across the lower half of the patchy, time-worn walls to emulate the look of a typical gallery.
      This ground-floor space will be used to display a changing roster of avant-garde installations, which GSL hopes to finance by using the gallery’s workspaces to produce more commercial projects for design brands.

      Maison François brasserie in London takes cues from Ricardo Bofill’s architecture

      “Commercial endeavours will help to fund more proactive ‘passion projects’, where we will exhibit GSL’s own designs along with designers and artists that we admire,” Whelan said.
      “Our chief motivation is creative freedom, as we hope to produce installations that do not necessarily adhere to a commercial brief.”
      Bathroom facilities are contained in a mirrored volumeThe building’s two existing mezzanines were cut back to create a central atrium, which draws natural light into the gallery’s interior.
      The lower mezzanine now houses a hybrid live-work space where GSL members or visiting artists can stay the night.
      This space is centred by a large Donald Judd-style wooden table and also accommodates a bed, kitchenette and a bathroom concealed within a mirrored volume.
      Metal sanitary ware reflects the light in the bathroomExtra exhibition space is provided on the secondary mezzanine that sits beneath the building’s roof, directly under a series of expansive skylights.
      Prior to now, GSL has largely specialised in hospitality interiors – restoring historic brasseries across Paris and devising opulent restaurants such as Nolinski near the Musée du Louvre and Maison Francois in London.
      The lower mezzanine also houses a bed and a large table”We hope that the gallery will be an extension of the aesthetic that we are trying to develop, embracing new ideas but never abandoning the pursuit of beauty,” Whelan explained.
      “It feels like a good time to do so, as Covid has cleared and a mood of optimism in design has emerged. This bracing, minimal space feels almost like a clean slate and invites a multitude of possibilities.”
      The second mezzanine sits directly underneath the building’s skylightsOther recent additions to Paris’s cultural landscape include a major extension of the Musée Albert Kahn by Kengo Kuma and Associates, which made room for a historic collection of 72,000 photographs.
      Elsewhere in the French capital, Bruno Gaudin Architectes just completed a 15-year renovation of the National Library of France, incorporating a number of new circulation routes and public spaces.
      The photography is by Oskar Proctor. 

      Read more: More

    • 100 Shares99 Views

      in Rooms

      Celine recalls “vintage spirit” at Rue Saint-Honoré boutique

      by

      Celine creative director Hedi Slimane channelled “French elegance” when designing the latest Celine boutique in central Paris, which features expanses of brass and marble as well as Slimane-designed furniture.

      Located on Paris’ Rue Saint-Honoré, known for its luxury shopping, the store sits within a 19th-century Haussmann building and connects to a Celine Haute Parfumerie store that was opened in 2019 and references old art deco perfumeries.
      The store was designed by Hedi SlimaneSet over two floors, the 137-square-metre store is dedicated to the brand’s leather goods, accessories and fine jewellery. Its interior was designed by Celine’s creative director, Slimane, who has helmed the fashion house since 2018.
      The Rue Saint Honoré store continues Slimane’s vision for Celine’s global store interior identity, which the brand explained recalls a vintage spirit and ideas of French elegance – much like its recently opened Bond Street store.
      It references French modernism”Conceived as a timeless setting, the architecture of the boutique gives a sense of intimacy, precisely recalling old art deco perfumers’ designs,” said Celine.

      “The ground floor, dedicated to leather goods, fine jewellery and women’s accessories, is structured around the ideas of French elegance and ‘vintage’ spirit.”
      Slimane also referenced French modernism through the choice of materials and furniture for the store.
      Brass, wood, marble and glass were used throughout the storeIn a nod to the neighbouring perfume store, whose walls were clad in sheets of imposing black and white marble, identical sheets of antique marble were used for the floors of the accessories and jewellery store.
      A jewel-like, golden brass, semi-helicoidal staircase tops the white-veined marble floor and leads visitors up to a mezzanine level and Parisian-style salon used to display artisanal bags from Celine’s Haute Maroquinerie collection.

      Hedi Slimane uses “French elegance” to define Celine store in London

      The upper level of the store is host to an antique marble fireplace, zigzagging walls of mirrored panels and wooden furniture wrapped in leather and shaggy fur designed by Slimane.
      Oxidised metal panels clad the walls of the ground floor between backlit, ribbed glass louvres, while vitrine-style shelving and cabinetry recall opulent modernist interiors.
      The store will stock accessories and jewelleryArt pieces selected from the Celine Art Project are displayed throughout the store, including a totem by Ian LC Swordy, a painting by Will Boone and a suspended glass and golden brass mobile by Virginia Overton that was personally commissioned by Slimane.
      Earlier in December, Slimane showcased his 17th collection for Celine which saw the creative director return to Los Angeles to present his Autumn Winter 2023 womenswear show at the Wiltern Theatre – an art deco landmark built in 1931.
      Following Slimane’s appointment as Celine’s creative director, he began carrying out renovations of Celine stores worldwide developing signature design codes for the brand’s store interiors.
      The photography is courtesy of Celine.

      Read more: More