TURNKEY PARIS IN THE SPRINGTIME
there might not be a more prestigious address available in the City of Light right now. Beside the new Bulgari Hotel on Avenue George V sits a serene two-story penthouse with views of the Eiffel Tower. Sunshine floods both floors through an expanse of windows that rise to the roof.
Another major draw of this apartment— beyond its location within the desirable
8th arrondissement, a short walk to the Champs-Élysées and the Seine—is its recent makeover, courtesy of designer-in-demand Stéphanie Coutas. She regularly makes the top 100 international designers lists for her chic and elevated, but not splashy, aesthetic. Her furnishing collaborations include projects with Promemoria and Baccarat, but many of her spaces feature custom pieces, such as in this George V unit. All the made-to-measure furnishings, rugs, lighting and accessories inside the penthouse are incorporated in the $13 million asking price.
While there’s no private elevator to the home—a tough ask in a building that dates to 1900—there is an elevator. Two, in fact. The expansive entryway stuns with Porter Silver marble floors. The foyer leads on to a vast open-plan living and dining area, with Versailles parquet-wood flooring. If you enjoy cheffing in your own space, the ultra-modern, white-cabinet kitchen delivers with Miele and Liebherr appliances, while a massive central island crafted of black-horse granite will be a natural gathering place for friends. You can also head out to the Michelin-star Le Cinq at the Four Seasons just down the avenue or to the Bulgari’s Italian-centered Ristorante Niko Romito next door. A library, wine cellar, sauna and hammam round out the special-purpose rooms.
Against a floor-to-ceiling marble slab, a floating staircase seems like a work of art and serves as a backdrop for the sitting room, leading to the bedrooms on the upper level. Here the primary suite feels majestic in both size and view (again, the Eiffel). Coutas took an inventive approach to the slanted eaves, using that real estate for built-in closeting and drawers. A wardrobe doubles as a divider between the sleeping space and the dressing room. The en suite bath, done in tasteful stone flooring and walls, has a separate soaking tub and a large shower.
The penthouse is wired with state-ofthe-art alarm and sound systems. And, notable in Paris, it’s fully air-conditioned. Only 10 other units house your neighbors below, and when you want to escape them and other Parisians and head out to Epernay, your car—or cars; three parking spaces are included—awaits in the garage just below. You’ll be singing “I love Paris in the springtime” in no time.