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Get the Look: Villanelle’s Crumbly Chic Paris Apartment in ‘Killing Eve’

Anita Shriver
Anita Shriver
Anita is an actor turned designer with a passion for creating beautiful spaces and experiences. Currently based in Boston with a passport that is always current, she is involved in turn-key residential design and educational design. Interests also include good jokes, strong…read more
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updated Aug 10, 2019
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(Image credit: Courtesy of BBC America)

With “Killing Eve,” you come for the murder, and stay for the chic Parisian apartment. As obsessed as Villanelle is with Eve, I am more obsessed with her apartment. It’s the perfect shabby chic, European, “I-don’t-care-but-somehow-managed-to-throw-this-fabulous-apartment-together” apartment. It’s partially crumbling before your very eyes, but there’s a super cool modern lamp in the corner, so who cares that there’s probably asbestos in the walls?! Have another glass of wine and don’t think about it too hard. It’s got big French energy.

The reason this apartment feels so cool is the mix of modern and antique pieces. It looks like everything was picked out sporadically, just because she loved them, and then they all happened to work. It’s ideal. Never let them see you sweat or spend hours trying to make things “match.” There are also places that you can go quite modern: lighting and small tables. One of my favorite pieces is the Verner Panton Panthella floor lamp next to Villanelle’s bedroom vanity. It’s retro, yet modern, and it is the perfect organic shape to keep your interest.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of BBC America)

Another couple favorite modern moments are the globe pendant and table lamps. They feel irreverent in this space, not overly glam. The mixed metal finishes play into this. You can’t be bothered to compare brushed nickel to stainless steel. You’re on-the-go, stalking Sandra Oh.

To keep it from becoming too glam, add in some sturdy workhorse pieces. A big dark-wood French provincial armoire and a neutral, simply upholstered headboard will ground the space. They give natural tones and textures to offset the plastic and metal. Also, the apartment has very little storage, so a big armoire is a must. Look for one with curved details on the doors.

Now, the hard part. Adding in real vintage. Her vanity and stool are serving an art deco-y burl wood warmth that isn’t readily available at major retailers. If you don’t have access to a great vintage shop or flea markets locally, look at online vintage sites like Chairish, 1st Dibs, and Etsy. It will truly make a difference when you bring in a showstopper piece like the vanity.

Those herringbone floors are the stuff of dreams and other than investing some major cash into ripping out your current floors and replacing them, I don’t have a fabulous suggestion for recreating them. The walls are a different story. The set was obviously designed to look old and dilapidated. It’s not as charming when your walls are actually crumbling, but you can get wall coverings that look like old-world painted walls in mural form. Or you can choose a richly pigmented taupe and paint your walls normally. The blue wainscoting and trim is a very cool touch, but of course, you won’t need anyone to tell you that you’re cool. You already know. Look at your new apartment.

Get the look

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(Image credit: Anita Shriver)
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