Full of fantastical pieces (and even a fresco), this Parisian apartment shows what’s possible when you embrace the whimsical and the wonderful
DINING AND LIVING AREAS
The hand-painted fresco on the far wall and a ceiling covered in a hand-blocked paper both have a wonderful ethereal feel.
KITCHEN
There are so many spellbinding features here – from the vintage Hermès paper on the cabinets to the table made by mosaic expert Sika from Atelier Lilikpó.
f orthis young family, finding the perfect place to call home was next to impossible. ‘Only a few Paris apartments are on a top floor with a terrace, without vis-à-vis,’ they say.
This Parisian home, however, has it all. In addition to these hard-tofind charms, what made Diana and Louis — and their two children — fall in love with the historic apartment situated in the chic 7th arrondissement was the exceptional view and the size of the living room. ‘We love this space. It feels like the sky comes inside; we see the Eiffel Tower from our sofa and our favourite coffee table plays with the light.’ Created by GCG Architectes, this unique piece of furniture is one of the key elements in the main living space. Another is the ‘dreamy fresco’ on the walls by Sacha Floch Poliakoff, according to the owners. ‘We asked the artist who worked in this room to personalise the fresco and if you look closely, you’ll see the four members of the family represented as Greek statues,’ they smile.
The team at GCG Architectes (a multidisciplinary studio founded in 2012 by architects Alexandre Goulet, Olivia Charpentier and Dev Gupta) took on the transformation, from the layout and interior architecture to the furniture and decoration. To reimagine the space, the kitchen was moved to sit at the heart of the home, a small salon/guest room was added, each bedroom now has its own bathroom and a separate closet was designed for the main suite.
The brief from Diane and Louis gave the architects plenty of freedom. ‘Be creative and colourful, but let’s keep some coherence in the project to limit the palette’ were some of the couple’s only wishes beyond one specific requirement: ‘No green!’ To create a joyful and fresh environment for this family, GCG Architectes opted for pink and blue tones with yellow touches. ‘Our biggest challenge was to keep some harmony and unity according to our clients’ desire, while offering many surprises and contrasts,’ Olivia says.
The architects were influenced by the building that dates back to the 1930s, drawing inspir
