Note of charm

THE AUTHENTIC PARISIAN SPIRIT COMES ALIVE WITH TASTE AND ORIGINALITY IN THIS APARTMENT NEAR THE CHAMPS-ELYSÉES.

Paris is a state of mind, a way of being, an inexplicable atmosphere. A mood David Jimenez has grasped completely in this flat of 80 square meters not far from the Champs-Elysées. Every object, every piece of furniture tells a story of style. An Empire secrétaire displays a terracotta statue alongside rare art books, while the walls present black and white photographs. The decor mixes 19th-century and contemporary presences, items purchased at Coup D’Etat in San Francisco, Blackman Cruz in Los Angeles, Yveline Antiques in Paris. The key concepts are personality, affinity, contrast, to generate novel associations. The panther-pattern carpeting in the dressing room is a tribute to Madeleine Castaing, a source of inspiration for the owner, along with Alexis von Rosenberg, Tony Duquette, Billy Baldwin. «I moved to Paris for work, but also for sentimental reasons», says Jimenez, marketing director of Draeger Paris. «I was fascinated by the light in the apartment, the high ceilings, the proportions». The restyling conserves the original physiognomy, without removing or adding subdivisions. The oak flooring has been restored, the walls painted in white or delicate pastel tones. The master bedroom, once totally lined with fabric, has been completely revised with an alcove and fashionable gray walls. The charm of these interiors lies in a sort of literary elegance that reflects the owner’s personality. «I do not consider myself a decorator, given the fact that I do these things only for myself, and for my friends», says Jimenez. The romantic spirit of the spaces is based on refined contaminations that reference the style of bygone eras while avoiding the pitfalls of nostalgia.