‘My home looks like a doll’s house

decorated by Wes Anderson, according to my friends,’ says Mathilde Bazire, with a hint of Gallic shrug. ‘It wasn’t my intention, but I certainly don’t mind the comparison.’

With its plywood fittings and patterned wallpaper (more than 20 different designs at the last count), there is a dinky quality to the décor – as if a flimsy balsawood toy, pasted with scraps of wrapping paper, has been taken out of the nursery, supersized and plonked in one of Paris’s chicest suburbs. It’s the epitome of feminine, playful design, so it’s even more surprising that the energy in the room is usually pure testosterone. ‘I had four sons in five years,’ says Mathilde. ‘Sébastien, my husband, understood my need to bring a little X chromosome into this world of masculinity. Besides, he likes pink!’

The couple bought the property a year ago and commissioned GCG Architectes to redesign the layout to create a family-friendly space. ‘It was old-fashioned and dusty; the previous owners had lived here for 30 years and hadn’t redecorated since they moved in,’ Mathilde explains. ‘I’d been recommended the architects by a friend and loved their approach – contemporary and ultra-warm. The project manager, Andrea, immediately got what I wanted.’

Downstairs, the open-plan layout already maximised the available space, but the kitchen was widened and connected to the courtyard outside by a new glazed wall. The master bedroom, which opens on to a roof terrace, was extended too. But the biggest change was in the attic. Previously consisting of three small bedrooms and a big bathroom, it was knocked through and reconfigured to create a huge central play space, with the boys’ bedrooms fitted into a series of glazed-walled ‘huts’ around the edges. ‘It’s their empire under the eaves,’ says Mathilde, laughing.

Cabinetry is a key component of the design – essential storage that scoops up the endless stuff generated by a family of six. Every room features at least one wall of cupboards, painted or picked out in plain plywood. ‘I like the pale, pinkish tones of plywood. I think it’s very Parisian; fresh and not bullish,’ explains Mathilde. ‘And it’s fun, like we have a treehouse in every room.’

As architects do, GCG made a couple of suggestions about how to decorate their beautifully designed spaces. ‘It was a simple palette, grey and green; very masculine. Beautiful, but not what I wanted because I love colour and pattern,’ says Mathilde. ‘Every time I added a wallpaper, Andrea would look more horrified!’

Her approach to paint proved just as shocking; she has used multiple colours throughout the house. ‘As there is so much print and a lot of flowers, I wanted to break it up with some geometric angles, so I created a horizontal line across the walls and doors in the corridors and painted them in two shades of blue,’ she says. It may look whimsical, but this patchwork effect is carefully curated. Mathilde put every wallpaper sample and more than 50 paint swatches into a Powerpoint document and tweaked until she had the combination she wanted. All in all, the ‘spontaneous’ look took six months of planning.

Layered on top are richly textured rugs, embroidered cushions and the kind of luxe finishes – brass, marble, quartz – that act as a reminder that it may be quirky and even cute, but this house is still in Paris, the home of couture. If it were a fashion label, it would be Isabel Marant. Bohemian, romantic and very, very cool.

See more of GCG Architectes’ work at gcg-architectes.com