An eclectic, art-filled Parisian apartment proves that pink and green should always be seen.
Set in the epicentre of the most fashionable part of Paris, this classical apartment has been rejuvenated with one foot in its past and a clear view of its modern future.
Designed by Parisian studio Hauvette & Madani co-founders Samantha Hauvette and Lucas Madani, the brief from the pair’s art-collecting client was to reinstate the French grandeur while allowing space for her evolving art collection. Because of the history and the prestige of the location, in the Paris Triangle d’Or, the designers have given a certain reverence to the redesign, painstakingly layering it with modern and traditional details.
The open-plan kitchen and dining area features a Paavo Tynell pendant light and an Eames Walnut stool.
A pink and green kitchen steals the show, with graphic tiles by Fornace Brioni and a show-stopping green La Cornue oven and rangehood.
Straw marquetry is a key element throughout the home, which the designers say “links all the spaces together.” It can be seen as a transitional and tactile feature on the curving doors in the entry hall, a backdrop in the bedroom, and across exquisite furniture pieces by Richard Peduzzi.
The client gave Hauvette & Madani a level of creative freedom, allowing them to lean into their eccentricities, or as they describe it, a relaxed “lâcher prise” approach. The art collection was always an important starting point. The designers remained focused on a vision of displaying contemporary artworks on expansive, uncluttered walls, while also reimagining the layout, fittings and creative furniture.
The formal dining space is dominated by the artwork featured on the fireplace—a graphic piece by Sarah Crowner from Simon Lee Gallery. Other quirky pieces add some fun—a Jean Prouvé daybed, vintage Egg chair, and straw marquetry table and chairs custom-made for this project by Richard Peduzzi.
To restore the sense of classicism that had been lost, they did extensive research to recreate the mouldings and cornices that aligned with its Haussmannian-style origins—the 19th-century architectural style that Paris is renowned for, with dormer windows and mansard roofs.
While there is a distinct appreciation for the traditional, this is an apartment unafraid to go bold—most irreverently in the saccharine pink and lolly green kitchen. Not the first choice for the designers, it is now what they admit has been “revealed as a key part of the project”. A floor-to-ceiling wall of retro-inspired pink and green Fornace Brioni tiles sets the backdrop for a green La Cornue cooker and Barbie pink cabinetry. The kitchen feels feminine and full of personality.
The living area features the Ecart Back 1932 upholstered armchairs designed by Jean-Michel Frank.
Using furniture and art to zone different areas, the main living space combines a mix of styles. A large dark blue artwork by Miriam Cahn catches the eye, along with the ceiling sculpture by Erwin Wurm. Vintage sofas and ornate restored cornicing bring a sense of classicism.
Curving and fluid-looking, the bar by Hervé van der Straeten feels modern within the heritage of the home, but perfectly captures the owner’s eclectic taste.
Elsewhere, modern and vintage furniture combine with daring artworks, including a mint-green blob on the ceiling by Erwin Wurm. The filigreed, intricate mouldings transition into an organic and vibrant cladding over the fireplace in the dining space by artist Sarah Crowner.
In the bathroom, the sculpted chunks of green marble appear otherworldly, with layers of rock visible in the veins. Curves can be seen in the furniture, the circular entrance hall, and the wobbly bases of the bar and matching dining table by Hervé van der Straeten.
There isn’t a unifying colour or material palette, yet the repetition of waving and curling forms, paired with unusual objects and art, creates a sense of cohesion.
Reinvigorating the heritage of this Parisian apartment, the designer used the traditional techniques of straw marquetry as a common device throughout, starting with the entrance area.
The main bedroom is calming with subdued materials, the radial appearance of the straw marquetry wall linking the space back to the other details used throughout.
