Branching OUT

Jaune Architecture used natural materials, such as timber and marble, to create an understated look in this Parisian apartment.

Jaune Architecture’s aesthetic is about timelessness and inspired by history

Only three years old, the burgeoning Parisian interior design firm Jaune Architecture, cofounded by Marine Delaloy and Paula Alvarez de Toledo, was born of a mutual respect for the duo’s previous employers, Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty of Studio KO, and Joseph Dirand, respectively. This influence is evident in the way in which they designed this apartment in the Marais district of Paris — the pared-back restraint of Dirand can be seen in the kitchen island, and the sweeping curves of Studio KO in the pale oak timber arch that separates the kitchen and dining space. There’s nothing derivative about their design, however — Delaloy and Alvarez de Toledo have put their own stamp on this project with such quirky choices as the 1970s Zanotta Quaderna 2600 dining table by Superstudio paired with Cesca B64 dining chairs by Marcel Breuer. The brief was to highlight the existing Parisian characteristics while integrating a mid-century

Californian identity. The firm achieved this by making materiality key. In the bathroom, Connemara, a richly veined green marble, engulfs the alcove bathtub, floor, shower and custom basin for a seamless effect. The tapware choice, Roma by Stella, was inspired by older bathrooms — a nod to the heritage of the space — while the combination of rich, marine-blue velvet curtains from Kvadrat and American elm timber makes the room worthy of a Palm Springs bungalow.

Wanting a cosier feel for the kitchen, the pair selected Emperador Clair, a marble in brown and yellow tones, for the benchtop, splashback and freestanding island; modern tapware from Danish company Vola; and a Roll & Hill Cora pendant light by Karl Zahn, to mirror the doorway arch. After removing several partitions to make the apartment feel larger, the designers needed to demarcate the functions of the open-plan kitchen, dining and living space. They did this by installing windows in the arch and a freestanding mirrored structure — which also cleverly conceals the minibar — between the dining and living areas. Jaune Architecture’s aesthetic is about timelessness, inspired by history and the existing atmosphere of interiors. By using one material as a common thread, harmony is created. Currently working on a hotel in Mexico, and several private homes in Paris, the duo aspire to one day work in the south of France, where both interior designers were born and raised. VL

FROM RIGHT in the dining room, Zanotta Quaderna 2600 table by Superstudio; Cesca B64 chairs by Marcel Breuer; Roll & Hill light by Jason Miller. In the bathroom, Roma tapware from Stella. Connemara marble bath. OPPOSITE PAGE in the kitchen, Emporador Clair marble kitchen island; Vola tapware; chairs by Marcel Gascoin.