Golden age

IN PARIS, THE FORMER HEADQUARTERS OF A GREAT COUTURIER BECOMES AN APARTMENT THAT IS AN ODE TO THE STYLE OF THE VILLE LUMIÈRE: MARBLE, GILDING, PURE HAUSSMANN SPIRIT.

Triangle d’Or, Paris. A zone bordered by three avenues: Montaigne, Champs-Élysées and Georges-V. A handful of acres of dizzying value, full of luxury hotels and restaurants, boutiques, embassies. As well as extraordinary homes, like the apartment shown here. «This was the atelier of a leading French couturier,

with a photography studio. It had been stripped of all domestic remnants. We have restored the historical elements, like the stuccowork on the walls and ceilings. Contemporary touches now transform it into a modern place to live. A sort of refuge for a family, to celebrate the joie de vivre in one of the world’s most beautiful cities». This is how Joseph Karam, an architect of Lebanese origin with offices in Paris and Monte Carlo, describes this project of interior design. The clients wanted not just a pied-à-terre but also a place to gather with their children who live elsewhere. So they chose a spacious, luminous flat (about 500 m2). Karam was granted total freedom to rethink the structure in a rational way for sociable gatherings: convivial spaces include a TV room and bar, and a dining room with mirror-paneled doors and gilded stuccowork. The master bedroom is a large suite with its own dressing room and bath; then there are five more bedrooms, all with bathrooms. The interiors put the accent on Parisian style, an aesthetic code that interacts with modern and contemporary touches in a mixture of references and contrasts. Like the nimble balance between a Roman bust and the

Fallen Tree bench by Benjamin Graindorge, from the gallery Ymer & Malta. Furnishings reflect French crafts know-how, including many cabinets and carpets custom designed by Karam, as well as pieces by Hervé Van der Straeten, Christian Liaigre, Hubert Le Gall. Lalique crystal abounds in the master suite, with a big Champs-Élysées chandelier, two bas-reliefs and even the faucets in the bathroom. Materials and colors include sycamore for the washstand cabinet, also in the master bath, natural leather for the wall behind the bed, and orange silk for the curtains. Along with marble for floors and a precious fireplace, bronze and rock crystal for the lamps, ebony, gold leaf and restored vintage glass.