Located in the heart of Paris’s 16th arrondissement, sitting comfortably amongst the Parisian charm of the Village d’Auteuil, is the apartment of French Designer and founder of interior design studio After Bach, Francesco Balzano. We speak with Francesco about his vision for the classic Haussmann apartment, which was reimagined as both his personal residence and creative studio.
Can you describe the Parisian neighbourhood you live in—and what you love most about calling this area home?
Francesco Balzano: We completely redesigned the Haussmann apartment, which is nestled in the heart of the Village d’Auteuil in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It is located near the Villa Montmorency and the Corbusier Foundation, and serves as my personal residence and new studio.
You describe the project as a “sophisticated Parisian garden” and a return to nature. How does that concept manifest in the textures, tones, and atmosphere of the space?
Francesco Balzano: The inspiration for this new project was clearly rooted in a return to nature and the desire to place art at the centre of a creative life. Conceived as a sophisticated Parisian garden, the space is soft and precious—a setting where shades of green and ivory tones interact with artworks and designer furniture. The pieces are created by me and represented by the art and design gallery StudioTwentySeven.
Talk us through the reimagining of the space—how did the studio approach the redesign, and what informed the material and colour palette?
Francesco Balzano: The layout is perfectly calibrated for a couple, with a gallery-like entrance that opens onto both east- and west-facing spaces. On the west side, there’s a spacious living and dining room as well as a bedroom. On the east side, a private office and kitchen. The bathrooms are treated like precious furniture, hidden from immediate view in a style reminiscent of Versailles.
We chose a palette of colours and materials that reflect plant life—a subtle tribute to Italian architect Piero Portaluppi. Key materials and tones include pale green fabric, satin ivory, ultra-matte paint, and onyx in both white and green. Flooring features sisal and abaca carpets, ash parquet, and light green onyx.
The living room is anchored by a sculptural coffee table and fireplace by Francesco Balzano and chairs by Kaare Klint and Hans J. Wegner. Overhead, a voluminous pendant by Inga Sempé softens the space and hangs alongside a minimalist wall sconce by Muller Van Severen.
How did the studio approach the curation of furniture, art, and objects—and what role does personal history play in the selection of these pieces? With art placed at the heart of the home, how did it influence the architecture, flow, and emotional rhythm of the space?
Francesco Balzano: The living room is anchored by a sculptural fireplace from our Mosaico collection, which is mirrored by a custom-designed library inspired by the Italian Renaissance. The Apollo coffee table and dining table also come from the Mosaico collection. A white onyx pedestal from the Cloud collection and onyx XXS candleholders complement antique pieces and artworks by artists such as Mirco Marchelli, Nicolas Lefevre, and Laetitia de Bazelaire—all represented by Tourrette gallery, where Balzano is also a featured photographer since 2023.
The entrance gallery, fully upholstered in cotton satin fabric and silk braiding, features a clever play of concealed doors under draperies and pivoting mechanisms adorned with Danish ceramic buttons. Historical plaster cornices preserve the apartment’s original character. The elongated kitchen is divided by a full-height mirror that enhances light and depth. It’s a stone-clad space dotted with carefully selected decorative objects.
In the backyard, we established an office, surrounded by materials, samples, artworks, and furniture. One key piece is a desk from the Murano II collection—custom-made for this space and fully clad in leather, conceived as a hidden masterpiece. The bedroom, also upholstered, features a curved niche and mirrored wardrobes on either side of the bed. Two small shelves, sculpted from solid onyx and dedicated to Ellsworth Kelly, complete the room.
The bathroom is designed as a minimalist, luxurious retreat—entirely clad in pale green onyx, with a bespoke sink and large walk-in shower. A fresco, painted in marble powder by decorative artist Nicolas Resse, recalls ceiling decorations from the Villa Medici. Balzano is set to take up residence there in March 2025, having been awarded by the French Academy in Rome.
The studio space centres around a striking table by Francesco Balzano, paired with Hans J. Wegner chairs and Sybille Berger’s soft furnishings. Above, a sculptural pendant by Inga Sempé provides a gentle focal point, while art by Mirko Marchelli and Struan Teague adds visual intrigue.
The home is described as a place of collection and reflection; how do you design for quietude?
Francesco Balzano: Photographs, sculptures, paintings, and engravings interact harmoniously with the architecture—an intentional lifestyle for Balzano and his partner, for whom we designed these subtly articulated spaces. The furniture is presented alongside mid-century Danish design and works by contemporary artists they admire, such as Aldo Bakker, Marcin Rusak, Isabelle Sicart, and SATTIO Studio.
SATTIO Studio also played a role in this project, offering a more experimental approach to the work in collaboration After Bach. The project brought together a team of skilled artisans, including Ateliers Saint-Jacques, upholsterer Phellipeau, and Ateliers Perrault. Fabrics were sourced from Holland & Sherry, fittings from Waterworks, and dead-flat finish paints from Farrow & Ball.
The hallway features a sculptural ceiling light by Francesco Balzano and atmospheric wall art by Masao Yamamoto and François Halard, alongside a tactile wall-mounted work opposite by Leonardo Anker Amadeus Vandal. The space is grounded by a Hans J. Wegner bench and Holland & Sherry wall coverings.
The bedroom is grounded in soft, muted tones that echo the rest of the home, with a Katrin Bremermann wall piece alongside a bedside pendant light by Francesco Balzano and soft furnishings by Chiara Casetlla Cattana.
