COLOUR YOURSELF CALM
In this Parisian home, orange, pink and green take on deeper, duskier hues with a surprisingly soothing effect.
OVERLOOKING THE RIVER SEINE in the Parisian district of Île Saint-Louis, just a short walk from the Cathédrale Notre-Dame, you’ll find this cheerful family home, which belongs to a gallery owner. “When I first visited, it had a very 1980s-style decor,” remembers Fleur Delesalle, the French interior designer who has cleverly updated its look, pairing a very modern scheme—a moodier, more restful take on saccharine-sweet pinks, greens and oranges—with classic pieces of furniture that turn the clock back to the 1970s and even the 1950s.
“I like to mix colours, materials and eras but always with rigorous attention to detail and craftsmanship,” says Delesalle, who launched her eponymous studio in 2011. Her skill at creating
elegantly rebellious palettes—an expertise she picked up during her six years working for India Mahdavi, the Iranian-Egyptian designer known for her mood-lifting use of colour—is apparent in every room of this home. For the spaces with the most natural light, she left the walls white, even painting over the elaborate details of the original fireplace in the living room to create a blank canvas. Here, it’s the furniture that introduces the boldest hues, from burnt orange and terracotta to candy pink and pistachio. In the guest bedroom and bathroom, both of which are lacking in natural light, colour is allowed to creep up the walls, resulting in what Delesalle describes as “a more subdued atmosphere.” In the kitchen, a statement black terrazzo island by Max Lamb for Dzek combines flecks of every hue seen throughout the house. “Originally, we wanted it in white, but there was a mistake with the order,” she says. “We decided to keep it.”