Anne & Christophe’s Mix of Styles in Paris

published Jan 30, 2016

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About this tour

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Home Type

Apartment

Location

Saint-Germain-des-Près/Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France

Style

Eclectic

Bedrooms

Square feet

1400

Sq ft

1400

Name: Anne and Christophe and their children, Achille, Marie, and Gabrielle
Location: Saint-Germain-des-Près/Jardin du Luxembourg; Paris, France
Size: 130 square meters (1,400 square feet)
Years lived in: 20 years; Owned

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Anne, designer of Marie Puce, and Christophe, an entrepreneur and design lover, live close to the Place Saint-Sulpice on the edge of Saint Germain des Près, Le Jardin du Luxembourg, and a few steps away from the boutique of local superstar Pierre Herme—nicknamed by Vogue “the Picasso of Pastry”— with their three kids, Marie, Gabrielle, and Achille.

(Image credit: Fabienne Ayina)

When Anne and Christophe bought their apartment 20 years ago, it was dark, low-ceilinged, and full of dated finishes. Over the next few years, they exposed the living room beams and painted them white, creating an airier, more open feeling. They also completely remodeled the kitchen and bathrooms. In the kitchen, they replaced dark cabinets with white ones, dingy floor tiles fabulous vintage Spanish tiles, and tiled countertops with lovely wooden slabs. In the bathrooms, a spa-like feel was achieved by switching out wood paneling for bright, white tiles.

Through careful renovations, thoughtful collecting, and a knack for combining styles and periods, Anne and Christophe have created a wonderfully comfortable, relaxed, and chic home for their family.

(Image credit: unknown)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style: Sober and light. We like to mix and match different styles—contemporary, vintage, old, and modern—but we like to keep pure lines and a light neutral palette.

Inspiration: We picked ideas everywhere, from our travels… keeping an eye on a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere.

Favorite Element: Light and the very Parisian charm of this apartment. The apartment is not that big but we have a balcony full of flowers and a clear view.

Biggest Challenge: The ceiling is pretty low because this apartment is located where the maid rooms used to be. We had to find solutions to make the space lighter and bigger. For example to make the ceilings look higher and get some more volume, we exposed the beams.

When got this apartment everything was brown and dark, making the space look even smaller. We had to light up the atmosphere and change all the colors.

What Friends Say: They love the charm of our apartment and especially the terrace in spring and summer when it is green full of flowers.

Biggest Embarrassment: The small bathroom for the kids. We picked small tiles but it has not been made the way we wanted. We probably are the only ones to see the flaws of it.

Proudest DIY: The terrace with its automatic watering system. In spring and summer it looks like a garden. We have an apple tree, lemon tree, figs, olives, plenty of rose bushes, sweet peas, and pink laurels.

Biggest Indulgence: Kids’ rooms are very difficult to keep in order. They have a lot of things and it is difficult to de-clutter.

Best Advice: Do not hesitate to mix up styles and periods. This is what gives some character to a space—expensive or collection pieces with very simple items.

Dream Sources: Interior design magazines, websites, and blogs.

Resources

(Image credit: Fabienne Ayina)

ENTRY

Office furniture: made-to-measure
Document holders: IKEA, painted to match office furniture
Lighting: Philips Power LED Ledino
Bench: handmade by family friends
Painting: Donkey and Leash by Bruno Bressolin

(Image credit: Fabienne Ayina)

LIVING ROOM

Armchairs: Charles and Ray Eames
Coffee table: Gae Aulenti
Butterfly stool: Sori Yanagi
Lamp: Bruno Bressolin
Rug: IKEA
Elephant: limited-edition Eames Elephant N°635 from Vitra
Nude sculpture: Louvre Museum Shop
Painting: Elephant by Bruno Bressolin

(Image credit: Fabienne Ayina)

DINING ROOM

Table: Eero Saarinen by Knoll
Chairs: Starck Louis Ghost by Kartell
Louis XVI armchairs: inherited from family
Large painting: reproduction ofLe Déjeuner sur l’herbe après la chasse by Charles-André van Loo, inherited from family