A renovated Haussmann-style apartment is uplifted by neoclassical ceremony and contemporary forms, infused through Fleur Delesalle’s idiosyncratic design eye.
Near the Eiffel Tower sits Bourdonnais, a Haussmann-style apartment that externally embodies quintessential 1800s central Parisian architecture. Inside, a renovation by architect and designer Fleur Delesalle speaks to the contemporary taste of its owners.
Delesalle’s designs begins with the floorplan from which, she notes, other elements “result as evidence, from the circulation in the space.” Modernising the home required reconfiguration, specifically bringing the kitchen, previously confined to the corridor, back into the gathering zone. The apartment now comprises a master suite, bathroom, dressing space and open kitchen, living and dining. “Before the renovation the interiors felt cold and impersonal. Now when you walk through the front door you see a rhythmic and warm space,” Delesalle says.
Bonding the heritage shell to the new design, Delesalle reinstated the Haussmann-style walls, ceilings and mouldings that had been removed by previous owners and preserved the fireplaces in living and dining spaces, ensuring equilibrium between bright, contemporary shapes and historical context. “I have a neoclassical style that I have revisited here. With my sensitivity, creativity and use of materials, there’s dialogue; a balanced project is of the essence to me,” Delesalle describes.
A slim-lined Knoll Saarinen oval dining table by Eero Saarinen is encircled by green Castelli Vertebra chairs by Giancarlo Piretti and Emilio Ambasz, offsetting the traditional ornate fireplace, with a mirror left slightly oxidised, and timber parquet flooring. A chandelier pendant light by ceramic artist Olivia Cognet is suspended above the table.
The kitchen features the curves of an Art Deco-like bespoke Island bench, an opportunity for Delesalle to experiment with an enamelled lava finish, beside a Sibast No. 7 bar stool, atop a custom-made rug and original timber parquet flooring.
A neutral palette elevates vintage and contemporary furnishings. In the living room a Pebbles 4 rug designed by Delesalle provides an earthy base for vintage armchairs, arranged around two Daffodil elm timber coffee tables by Delesalle and Bishop ceramic stools by India Mahdavi, used as side tables. A figurative artwork from the clients’ collection is featured alongside the original fireplace, beside vintage Fontana Arte Modelo Mongolfiera lamp by Gianni Celada.
Hints of neoclassicism are ingrained throughout. In the bathroom, rippled wall treatments alongside sculptures recall Grecian colonnades, while ceiling-height mirrors deceptively play with scale and light, instilling reverent quietude in this functional space. Having worked alongside designer India Madhavi, Delesalle articulates that she continues to draw on “her mastery of colours” and designer Pierre Paulin’s “purity of form”, both of which combine with Delesalle’s unique eye for coherence between eras and influences. This is evident in the living space, where softly formed furnishings contrast ornate fireplace carvings, both united by a neutral palette punctuated by greens and timbers.
Thresholds between public and private zones are treated with ceremony. A dressing table gives a nook purpose, with mirrors adding the illusion of space. Two rounded timber doors and sculptural wall lights frame the entry to the cosily-textured, restful bedroom.
“The design is influenced by the architecture…and I design furniture to meet the needs of the project,” Delesalle reflects of her multifaceted practice. Bourdonnais’ design illustrates precisely what ‘meet’ means by showcasing modernity introduced to heritage, quietly through forms and a uniting palette.
Elm timber veneer doorways and detailing lines the hallways leading to the bedroom doorway, framed by Atelier Sedap 1543 Oak plaster wall sconces by Loïc Beuchet.
Warmer colours and textures ground the bedroom restfully, featuring a custom-made headboard, with burnt orange Métaphores St Germain nougatine velvet curtains, Fossil rug by Delesalle, alongside an artwork from the clients’ private collection and a green vintage Italian lamp.
The dressing space is lined in custom-made elm timber veneer cabinetry, illuminated by two Schwung Odyssey wall sconce lights and a characterful white Saarinen vintage Tulip-based, fur stool by Eero Saarinen.
