Perfect Harmony
MODERN ARCHWAYS, SUNBURST MOTIFS AND OTHER WELL-COMPOSED DETAILS MAKE THIS PARISIAN APARTMENT LIKE NO OTHER
Damien Langlois-meurinne designs a super chic Parisian apartment with striking arches and sunburst motifs
When the building housing this Parisian apartment was erected in 1905, the Eiffel Tower was less than two decades old and the neighbouring Palais de Chaillot not even a twinkle in its architects’ eye. The latter structure, which dominates the Place du Trocadéro, was only conceived for the 1937 Universal Exhibition, and not completely finished for the event as the workmen had gone on strike. Many of the other monuments that can be seen from the flat’s windows were, however, already firmly in place. The breathtaking view stretches along the Seine, past the Grand Palais and Louvre all the way to Notre-dame and far beyond.
For interior designer Damien LangloisMeurinne, that panorama is irrefutably the four-bedroom unit’s biggest draw. “There are many apartments directly on the river with uninterrupted views, but this one is located on a hill. So, you feel like you dominate the city,” he enthuses. “You’re really transported into another world. It gives you an incredibly strong sensation, of which you never tire. Every time I come here, I’m struck by the force of the view.” That said, it is not the apartment’s only asset. The property also boasts two private parking spaces—a rarity in the French capital—and a 409sqft balcony.
STARTING ANEW
The space had previously been two separate flats, both of which still belonged to descendants of the man who commissioned the building, a certain Monsieur Périer. One of them had not been renovated for at least three decades and the layout of both was ungainly and unappealing. “They were divided into lots of small spaces with corridors and a flow that made little sense,” recalls Langlois-meurinne. In response, he completely gutted both units (only a few supporting walls remain) and followed the brief of his clients—an American dotcom entrepreneur and his ex-model wife with four young children, who asked that both the reception rooms and master suite run along the front facade. In the main bathroom, Langlois-meurinne strategically placed mirrors so you can actually soak in the view while in the tub. Further to the rear of the apartment, he created an internal patio, which has become home to a brass and alabaster sculpture by Canadian-born artist, Elaine Cameron-weir. “I really like the notion of having a slightly gratuitous space, whose main function is simply to let in light,” he explains. “For me, it was interesting to create a breathing space within the new layout.”
GRAND ENTRANCE
With its black and white marble floor, the entry hall is certainly dramatic. The inspiration for the rest of the decoration came largely from the view. Langlois-meurinne asked the Paris-based decorative artist Florence Girette to create a back-painted glass top for the dining room table with a motif that replicates the ripples of the Seine. “It’s a little in the spirit of Jackson Pollock,” he notes admiringly. He also imagined a plaster fireplace for the sitting room with a motif that echoes the rays of the sun. “It’s a pattern I use quite often in my projects,” he adds. “I like the idea of having radiating elements, which bring a touch of dynamism and sparkle.” Then, he painted one wall of the sinuous corridor leading to the children’s bedrooms a sky blue. The colour mesmerisingly reverberates onto the white ceiling and opposite white wall, giving them both a tint that evolves according to the climatic conditions. “It changes with the natural light and passing clouds, creating an almost virtual effect,” he states. “It reminds me a little of the installations of James Turrell.”