Interior design in french classic style (green e library)

"Interior Design in French Classic Style” presents sixty classic
interiors, ranging from hôtels particuliers and châteaux to renowned
restaurants that date back to the 18th century! Whether private or
public, these places attract the eye to every detail, every material,
proving how great classicism can be the source of joyous admiration
and refined pleasure. These prestigious addresses that once hosted
kings and queens, these timeless spaces that extend their welcome,
show how well thought out decoration and fabrics chosen with
taste can cross the centuries, and thus offer a beautiful future to
new versions of the classic style! Each place is presented with a text
exploring the history and design, and the visit continues through
magnificent images, rich in colour and elegant patterns and forms, to
captivate the reader time after time.
DESIGN MEDIA PUBLISHING LIMITED
DESIGN MEDIA
PUBLISHING LIMITED
Edited by ICI CONSULTANTS Translated by Alison CULLIFORD
Interior Design in
French Classic Style
InteriorDesignin
FrenchClassicStyle

Editor
ICI CONSULTANTS
Direction
Chia-Ling CHIEN
Communication/Documentation
Nicolas BRIZAULT
English Translation
Alison CULLIFORD
Isabel PITMAN
Edited by ICI CONSULTANTS Translated by Alison CULLIFORD
Interior Design in
French Classic Style
DESIGN MEDIA PUBLISHING LIMITED

CONTENTS
006
010
016
022
028
034
040
044
050
056
060
066
072
080
086
092
096
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108
114
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148
158
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182
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236
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262
266
272
280
286
290
296
306
312
324
330
336
344
350
352
1728
Hôtel Athénée
L’Aubergade
Bastide in Provence
Château de Bonnemare
Château de Boucéel
Hôtel du Bourg Tibourg
Château de Bourron
Château de Brissac
Château du Champ de Bataille
Château Colbert
Château de Verrières
Château des Briottières
Château du Grand-Lucé
Château de Bagnols
Château d’Apigné
Château de Christin
Classicisme Aixois
Château Clément
Cour des Loges
Hotel Design Sorbonne
Domaine de Kerbastic
Ferme Saint-Siméon
Le Grand Véfour
La Grande Cascade
Hôtel de Choiseul Praslin
Hôtel Claude Passart
Hôtel de la Vaupalière
Hôtel des Grands Hommes
Hôtel Martin-Fortris
Château de La Ballue
Château de la Barre
Château de la Bourdaisière
La Gauloise
La Mirande
Château de la Treyne
Château de la Verrerie
Lapérouse
Château de Mirambeau
Hôtel Napoléon
Château de Noizay
Hôtel Raphael
Hôtel Regina
Château de Rochegude
Hôtel Royal Champagne
Château de Saint Augustin
Hôtel Saint James Paris
Château de Saint Paterne
Le Saint Paul
Château de Sainte Cécile
Shangri-La Hotel
Château des Tesnières
The Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux
Château de Vendeuvre
Villa Carioca
Villa Gallici
Villa Marie
Index of Projects-Establishments
Index of Designers

006 - 007
Interior Design in French Classic Style Designer Location PhotographerCompletion Date
1728
Jean-François Chuet
Built in 1728 by the Chevalier Antoine Mazin,
architect of King Louis XV’s arsenals, the Hôtel on
the rue d’Anjou reflects the inventive classicism
of its founder. Miraculously preserved during
Baron Haussmann’s widening of the rue d’Anjou,
the hôtel was divided into apartment lots only
in 1951, thus respecting, over time, successive
architectural additions from Louis XV to Louis-
Philippe. The current 1728 corresponds to the
reception rooms of the Hôtel Mazin, which
became the Hôtel Marquet de Bourgade, home
of the famous 18th-century banker.
The interior restoration, begun in June 2001
and completed at the end of 2005, conveys
the spirit and the original decors of the place,
reinterpreted using Contet’s original plates. The
room of period arms is in the Venetian taste,
which was very sought-after in the 18th century.
The music room, redecorated under Louis XVI,
is in its original state. The period panelling of the
Lafayette salon are in Washington, the French
style parquet and the friezes designed by Mazin
as an allegory of the virtues of brotherhood are
authentic.
The Pompadour salon has been restored in
a Chinoiserie style beloved of the illustrious
marchioness who held a salon in the Marquet de
Bourgades’ home during the pharaonic building
works that transformed her Hôtel d’Evreux, today
the Palais de l’Élysée. The current library occupies
the space of the small ladies’ salon, of which
only traces remained. The “cabinet d’amateurs”
is a nod to the learned collectors of beautiful,
suggestive prints.
1. Louis XVI period panelling, hung with a collection of
17th and 18th century paintings
2. The Lafayette Salon and the 33-metre-long enfilade,
matching the length of a 100 foot ship
Paris 2005 Hôtel Mazin La Fayette 1728
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008 - 009
1. The Three Golds Salon, decorated in gold leaf
in different shades of yellow, white and pink
2. The Pompadour salon, its walls gilded with a
patina of delicately applied gold leaf
2
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010 - 011
Hôtel Athénée
A lyrical breeze wafting through Paris lifts the
curtain on Jacques Garcia’s newest creation,
the hotel Athénée: a charming and exceptional
boutique hotel that evokes 19th-century Italian
romanticism.
Based on four of the most renowned tragic
operas, the hotel offers its guests the chance to
plunge in to a magnificent décor in which the
great divas and tenors are almost a tangible
presence. From La Traviata to Aida, Faust and
Don Giovanni, the Athénée retraces the heroes’
adventures through a journey of the senses.
Carte blanche was given to the decorator, who
became both composer and conductor, and
whose lyrical setting beats to the rhythm of the
hearts of Violetta, Aida, Marguerite and Donna
Anna.
From secret nooks to intimate rooms, Jacques
Garcia’s palette is crimson, deep and poetic.
Like a gateway between immortal and living
stars, here one could imagine Maria Callas, for
instance, champagne in hand, conversing at
the bar with Charlotte Gainsbourg. Adorned
with authentic autographed photographs of the
most famous opera singers, the Red Bar offers a
precious retrospective that will captivate both
opera connoisseurs and curious newcomers.
When the interval comes, the tinkle of glass and
curling smoke will take over in the cosy smoking
room, softened by lounge music, saving all the
mystery and magic of opera for the stage.
1. The hotel reception area
2. The colonnaded Gallery and Red Bar
Yvan Moreau
Serge Ramelli
2010ParisJacques Garcia
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012 - 013
1. The stately entrance hall
2. The picture gallery
3. The soft intimacy of a small patio
4. The welcoming allure of the Salon in the Red Bar
5. The plan of the ground-floor
4
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014 - 015
1. Calming tones in the Aïda Room
2. One of the bathroom interiors
3. The deluxe Aïda Room in its soft splendour
4-8. Details from the Traviata Room: ornate curtain tie back,
looped curtain tie back, red tassels and low velvet pouffe
9-10. Details from the Don Giovanni Rom
11. Crisp whites in the Faust room
12. Graceful, tasselled tie backs in the Aïda Rom
13. A gold-painted capital
4 5 6 7
3
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11 12 13109
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016 - 017
L’Aubergade
In 1978 Michel Trama and his wife Maryse
decided to create their Aubergade in Puymirol,
in the former residence of Raymond VII, Count
of Toulouse. This 13th-century fortified house
has everything you could dream of: a majestic
staircase, pale stone walls, antique hexagonal
floor tiles, a series of salons and interior
courtyards, huge glazed surfaces, galleries,
terraces, a swimming pool, a walled garden,
a marriage of ecru and white but also the soft
green of the lush vegetation…
The dining rooms were renovated in 2002 by
the man “in the director's chair” at Aubergade,
Jacques Garcia, working closely with Maryse
and Michel Trama. He also collaborated with
the architect Yves Boucharlat to design the
magnificent cloister which links the two main
poles of this attractive place to stay. Three
sloping roofs with antique tiles, several 17th-
century columns and the decor of the cloister
was established. It blends in to the general
architecture so well that it seems to have been
there since time immemorial… On one side,
where the new kitchens have been placed,
wood has been chosen to recreate the style of
the tobacco drying rooms of old.
The cloister houses the summer dining room, in a
fresh and soothing white, from the stone floor to
the beams, via stucco chandeliers and cotton
covers on the wrought-iron furniture. In winter,
one retires to the warm intimacy of the interior
dining room: varnished red hexagonal tiles, a
stone chimneypiece, sofas and armchairs in a
“post-baroque” style, saffron and crimson wall
drapes, giant chandeliers in white stucco… This
large room designed in a triptych has a unique
appeal. The Garcia stamp is also present in the
eleven bedrooms of the Loges de l’Aubergade.
They are completely in keeping with this “high
end bed and breakfast”: harmonious volumes,
carefully planned lighting, quality furniture, rich
fabrics… And all the guests here benefit from a
delightful view of the countryside or of one of the
two interior courtyards.
1. The swimming pool
2. The reception hall
Puymirol 2006 L’AubergadeJacques Garcia
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018 - 019
1. View of one of the salons
2. The restaurant dining room
3. The Boutique vitrine and the chef’s table
3
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020 - 021
1. The Junior Suite
2. A bedroom lying beneath exposed beams
3. A bedroom with adjoining terrace
4. View of one of the bathrooms
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3
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022 - 023
In a region like Provence, it is difficult to acquire
a magnificent residence in an extraordinary site.
Sometimes the site is beautiful but the building
appears very ordinary. The solution is to transform
it by calling on restoration specialists. Bruno
and Alexandre Lafourcade have a real savoir-
faire which allows them to metamorphose any
building into a dream home.
Ginny Magher, an American decorator from
Atlanta, and her husband Craig fell in love
with Provence on their honeymoon. Several
years later, they bought an agricultural building
backing onto a hill with a breathtaking view to
the south over a plain of sunflowers. The Maghers
gave the Lafourcades the task of transforming
this rustic building into a residence in the spirit of
the 18th century.
The whole of the building has been redesigned
in order to create new rooms. The ground
floor is composed of two large salons, a dining
room, a large kitchen and an orangery. On the
upper floors there are now seven bedrooms
with bathrooms and another salon for the
children. Almost all the rooms have a fireplace,
“for atmosphere,” explains Ginny, who is
responsible for the magnificent decoration.
Bruno Lafourcade uses a lot of old materials to
breathe a soul into the building. The windows
have been created using traditional methods,
the facade has a patina, the openings have
been transformed. Above the entrance he
created a balcony in the style of the 18th
century. Dominique Lafourcade has designed a
Mediterranean garden that is refined near the
house and rustic as it approaches the hill.
Bastide in Provence
1. The south façade, with the air of classicism enhanced
by a line of clipped evergreens in terracotta urns
2. A spacious and dramatic drawing room where
trompe-l’œil wall paintings form part of the bold décor
France 1997 Andreas von EinsiedelBruno & Alexandre Lafourcade
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024 - 025
1. The grand staircase fashioned out of wrought iron lends
a sense of drama to the entrance hall
2. The large kitchen where blue is the key tone, crowned
by a so-called French-style ceiling
2
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026 - 027
1. The view from the entrance hall off towards the west side of the building, and the
enfilade of rooms where every last detail was chosen by the owner
2. The clock room, striking a timeless sense of harmony
2
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028 - 029
The Château de Bonnemare, on the borders
of the Norman Vexin, was built around 1560 by
Nicolas Leconte, Marquis of Draqueville. In the
18th century the north wing was converted into
apartments, and today contains the “Raoul de
Bonnemare” and “Marie de France” bedrooms.
Its large kitchen has a roasting spit whose
functioning principle, using hot hair, was invented
by Leonardo da Vinci. In the 19th century the
park was redesigned, incorporating statues from
the Château de Bagatelle.
The “Parade Room”, decorated in the 17th
century, has a four-poster bed in a balustraded
alcove. The bedroom ceiling is decorated
with a large composition representing Apollo’s
chariot, in the style of Simon Vouet. Above one
of the doors are the portraits of Louis XIV, the
Grand Dauphin and Marie-Thérèse of Austria.
The French-style monumental chimneypiece is
in sculpted and gilded wood. The over-mantel
features a replica on wood of a painting by the
studio of Lionello Spada illustrating the escape
from Troy. In the adjoining boudoir, the wall
decoration is made of up “grotesques” inspired
by antiquity, painted in the 17th century and
bringing together characters, animals, plants
and flowers over most of the walls. The “Versailles”
parquet has its original pegging and the
panelling is decorated with “childhood games”
based on the drawings of Jacques Stella, in
grisaille and trompe-l’œil, one of the widest
playlets of this kind in a single room.
The Louis XVI suite includes the joyful and
spacious Yellow Salon with its double aspect,
furnished with a piano, tables and armchairs.
The actual bedroom has a stucco decoration
on a wall of “Matiffa” (a mixture of lime, animal
hair and rabbit-skin glue), executed with rare
finesse. The ceiling frescoes represent the gods of
Olympus.
Château de Bonnemare
1. View of the château façade seen from the park
2. The salon in the Louis XVI suite
2006Radepont Alain & Sylvie VandecandelaereArchitectes des Monuments historiques
Sylvie Vandecandelaere
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030 - 031
1. This monumental chimney-piece in the Parade
Room is in sculpted and gilded wood
2. View of the salon in the Louis XVI suite
2
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032 - 033
1. The Boudoir leading off the Parade Room
2-3. The décor in the Louis XVI suite was designed
in 1775 specifically for the Count of Provence
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034 - 035
Château de Boucéel
The Château de Boucéel, listed as a Historic
Monument, is found in the bay of Mont Saint
Michel. It was built in 1763 by Jacques Basché,
a structural engineer by training but passionate
about architecture. Boucéel was built on a
ternary rhythm, everything being in multiples of
three: it measures 48m long, 16m high and 16m
wide. It has 99 window openings. In the 18th
century, the “Century of Enlightenment”, light
was the primary consideration in these châteaux
which were otherwise called “pleasure houses”.
To obtain this ternary rhythm, there are three
windows in the pediment, three windows in the
wing, three windows in the lower wing and there
are three floors. The surface of the walls is mainly
occupied by windows. Their height is in multiples
of three: 3x3 for the ground floor windows, 2x3
for those of the first floor, 1x3 for the mansard
windows. When one looks at the château from
a distance of a hundred metres, it is difficult to
judge if it’s a large house or not, because of the
proportions between the vertical and horizontal
lines.
Inside, the entrance hall is paved with Caen
stone and cabochons. Granite and schist are
the regional materials that one finds south of the
English Channel and particularly in the “Chausey
island archipelago”. The walls of the salons and
the bedrooms are decorated with panelling.
Next, according to the room, one encounters the
styles of Louis XIV and Mazarin, Louis XV Transition
and Louis XVI. The sculpted and painted decor
has nature and flowers as its theme, as in the
“bouquet of poppies” in a bedroom to lull the
occupants to sleep…
1. North façade of the château de Boucéel
2. View of the large dining room seen from the
entrance hall
Vergoncey 2011 Château de BoucéelNicole de Roquefeuil
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036 - 037
1. The Library, with the French Billiards Room beyond
2. View over the entrance hall from the grand staircase
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038 - 039
1. The Bame Room: a tribute to the familiar and fond name
that was given to the owners’ grandmother
2. The bed laid out in the Bame Room
3. A furniture detail in the bathroom to the Bame Room
4. The Uncle François Room
4
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040 - 041
Hôtel Bourg Tibourg
The Hôtel Bourg Tibourg is an intimate hotel with
neo-gothic decoration spiced up with oriental
flavours. Jacques Garcia has succeeded in
infusing a real spirit of place within these walls.
Having lived in the Marais district for some 20
years, long before it became fashionable, he
had always wanted to do “something a little off
beat”.
Jacques Garcia found it “amusing” to create
what he calls “neo-Viollet-le-Duc”, a modern
parallel with the 19th-century architect work,
which he adores. The idea for the gothic style
was born from the façade of the 19th-century
building, which featured an old stone doorway.
“That bit of the facade, the reduced proportion
of the rooms, the narrow corridors which evoke
a whiff of medieval ambiance inspired me to
expand upon that little something which seems
to have come from another time, an air of
knowing, a history…”, he says.
In the bedrooms, red clover motifs blend in with
beige or brown stripes. According to Jacques
Garcia, you must head towards the true nature
of a room. ”The smaller the room, the more you
must fill it. Likewise, a room that does not have
much natural light should be made darker.”
The bathrooms add a touch of luxury with their
two-tone mosaic tiles and black granite floors.
19t-century French engravings on the walls
add an intimate feel to the lounges, furniture
sourced from flea markets, here a Viollet-le-Duc
chandelier, there, a folding screen punctuated
with gargoyles…
1. The salon, boasting a majestic ceiling light in
the style of the famous restorer Viollet-le-Duc
2. The ground-floor reception rooms
2001 Charles MazeParisJacques Garcia
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042 - 043
1. A sofa for taking a serene pause on the ground-floor
2. A double room overlooking the rue du Bourg Tibourg
3. An elegant wash room
3
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044 - 045
Château de Bourron
In the heart of a 40-hectare park near to
Fontainebleau, this magnificent “brick and stone”
style property, flanked by two small pavilions,
was built at the beginning of the 18th century
on the site of an old feudal fortress. Listed as a
Historic Monument and surrounded by moats
fed by springwater, the Château de Bourron,
with its 18th-century decor, has kept the spirit of
a private home, harmoniously marrying modern
comfort with the authentic luxury of classicism.
The extremely elegant interior preserves elements
of its original decor: a library with 18th-century
panelling, a dining room with Flemish tapestries
from the end of the 16th century and a Swiss-
German ceramic stove decorated with hunting
scenes and allegories. This charming and
delightful property has belonged to the same
family for over a century and stands out for its
enchanted, harmonious character, a joy to live in.
The bedrooms have been adapted to modern
comforts while preserving the charm of
yesteryear. The “La Bédoyère” suite recreates
the splendour of the sumptuous homes of the
past with its high ceilings and huge volumes.
Its bathroom has been decorated with pretty
“Rairies” hand-made tiles and original, 17th-
century tommettes. The Cordon suite brings
together all the elements of luxury without
ostentation: soft lighting, an Empire canopy over
the bed hung with pretty silks, a fireplace, and
the gentle harmony of cream and yellow…
1. The main façade of the château
2. The magnificent panelling in the library
Bourron-Marlotte 2010 Château de BourronEstrella de Cordon
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046 - 047
1. The Cordon Suite
2. The Madame Récamier Room
3. The Marie Leszczynska Room
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048 - 049
1. The La Bédoyère Suite
2. The Général de Brye Room
3. The Petit Roi de Rome Room
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050 - 051
Château de Brissac
Château de Brissac has belonged to the same
family since 26 May 1502, the date on which the
seigneury was bought by a gentleman of Anjou,
René de Cossé. Its Louis XIII style facade was
erected at the beginning of the 17th century,
but remained unfinished. It is framed by two
Medieval towers.
The entrance hall is quite spectacular with its
monumental staircase, hunting trophies and
canons. The Gilded Salon has a magnificent
17th-century ceiling of sculpted and gilded box
beams. On some of the medallions you can
see the double interlaced “C”, the monogram
of Charles de Cossé, the first Duke of Brissac.
An 18th-century Gobelins tapestry depicts two
episodes from the story of Don Quixote. At the
far end of the Dining Room, there is a musicians’
gallery, for Marquise Jeanne, a confirmed music-
lover, liked to dine accompanied by music. She
is also to be thanked for the château’s opera
room, created in 1890. Now restorated, this
theatre is used to this day. The ceiling of the
Grand Gallery is adorned with a hundred or so
small paintings evoking mythology, Biblical figures
and classical ruins.
The Louis XIII Room recalls the king’s sojourn at
Brissac during his reconciliation with his mother,
Marie de Médicis, in 1620. Its furniture is of the
Louis XIII period. In the Hunting Room, visitors can
admire an exceptional 16th-century wall fabric
featuring animal and hunting motifs. On the walls
of the Mortemart Room, a suite of 18th-century
Brussels tapestries evokes Proserpina’s abduction
by Pluto. The richly sculpted four-poster bed
bears the monogram of the Cossé family.
1. The Louis XIII-style façade was erected at the beginning
of the 17th century, but remained unfinished
2. The chapel to the château
Brissac 2011 Château de BrissacCharles-André & Larissa de Brissac
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052 - 053
1. The entrance hall is quite spectacular with its monumental
central walled staircase
2. The château’s opera theatre, created in 1890 by Jeanne Say,
the Marquise of Brissac
21

054 - 055
1. The Louis XIII Room
2. The Mortemart Room, a suite of 18th-century Brussels tapestries
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056 - 057
In 1651, exiled by Mazarin, Alexandre de Créqui
decided to build himself a palace that would
remind him of the splendours of the court. We
can assume that he called on the finest architect
and finest garden designer in the land, because
the only documents that remain are two plans
attributed to Le Nôtre. In the 18th century, one
of his descendants, Anne-François d’Harcourt,
made Champ de Bataille her main residence.
The château by this stage was very dilapidated
and the 17th-century decoration was damaged
beyond repair. D’Harcourt undertook large
scale work to restore it to its previous splendour.
Jacques Garcia, the current owner, took up
this daunting responsibility in 1992 and today
wants to share the experience of living in this
exceptional château.
The Grand Entrance Hall is in the Palladian style
and leads to the Grand Staircase. Given its
general structure we may conjecture that the
architect Gabriel was involved in its design. For
Jacques Garcia the Guards’ Room is the most
spectacular room of the château. Collections
of marble statues and busts in the style of
antiquity are displayed here, as they were in the
17th century. The quintessence of the classical
Baroque style of the Louis XIV period is found
in the sculptures, the floor marquetry inspired
by antiquity, the ceiling with its painted glory
surrounded by allegories that evoke the myth of
Hercules.
The small Porcelain Room displays a collection
of 17th- and 18th-century Imari porcelain from
China and Japan on its walls. The Louis XV Salon’
s beautiful panelling is attributed to Verberckt.
The Parade Bedroom is the richest room of the
grand apartment. Its walls have exceptional
panelling by Verberckt, and it is graced with
large double doors and original Louis XIV curtains
saved from the fire in the Tuileries palace in 1871.
In the Large Dining Room with its Grecian decor,
one can admire the garden’s perspectives.
Finally, the Receiving Salon has kept a large part
of its original decor and expresses the exquisite
approach to the art of living, characterised by
lightness of touch, so unique to the 18th century.
Château du Champ de Bataille
1. This marble room pays homage to the demigod Hercules,
and is the perfect embodiment of the grand siècle style
2. This main reception room has retained its 18th-century
décor, boasting an exceptional cornice that dates back to
the time of the duc de Beuvron
Le Neubourg 2010 Eric SandersJacques Garcia
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058 - 059
1. The dining room gradually came into being in France during the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI;
the décor of this particular example dates back to the duc de Beuvron
2. The Parade Bedroom was traditionally where the king slept, and could be found in almost every
château across France before the Revolution
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060 - 061
Château Colbert
Château Colbert owes its name to the Colberts,
Counts of Maulévrier, a family of high-ranking
civil servants that distinguished itself in the
military, political and ecclesiastical fields over the
centuries. Built in 1679 by Jules-Hardouin Mansart
with the help of an Angevin architect, its elegant
silhouette rises in cut stone and granite, its roof
pierced by bullseye windows, in the centre of a
cour d’honneur enclosed by majestic railings.
The most prestigious craftsmen have worked
on the interior decoration of the residence
under the impetus of the current owners, who
are undertaking largescale renovation works.
Energised by a shared passion, Dominique and
Jean-Louis Popihn have surrounded themselves
with a dynamic team and are breathing a
new spirit into this historic stately home with the
unabashed ambition of giving Château Colbert
back its splendour and preserving its soul.
In the hall, under a vast come, a grand staircase
serves twenty-six bedrooms. Each one has a
particular style: ceremonial rooms, four-poster
beds, canopies, frescos, trumeaux, gilding
and mouldings, or rooms hidden under the
roof, writers’ hideaways, nests for lazing in or a
charming duplex. On the ground floor, richly
decorated with copper and gold leaf and
graced with imposing chimneypieces, three
state rooms in enfilade recall the apartments of
the Château of Versailles. The dining room with its
soft colours opens in summertime onto a terrace
extending into a French formal garden and
unfolds its carpet of green as far as Maulévrier
Oriental Park, the largest Japanese garden in
Europe.
1. The view of the Château Colbert seen from the
garden side
2. The Château Colbert lit up at night
2011Maulévrier Christophe BielsaDominique Popihn
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062 - 063
1. The “Le Stofflet” restaurant
2. The Colbert Salon
3. The entrance hall stretched out beneath its vast,
striking cupola
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064 - 065
1. The Barry Room
2. The Montesquieu Room
3. The La Vallière Room
3
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066 - 067
An authentic testament to the 19th-century
lifestyle and art of entertaining, Verrières is a vast
mansion house, built for a general in Napoleon
III's army, then becoming the town house of a
great family from the Saumur and Champagne
vineyards. Verrières retains its sumptuous original
decorative features, its stables and its four-acre
park in the English style. The harmony between
nature and human creation found here has led
to its listing as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The magnificent wood panelling in the reception
rooms was restored by Yolaine de Valbray-Auger.
The drawing room has carved oak panelling
ornamented with representations of musical
instruments, and ceilings painted with clouds,
rose garlands and aerial perspectives. A pair of
lions invites visitors to climb the grand staircase
that recalls the house in Gone with the Wind. The
Château de Verrières
red fabric covering the walls is called Andrinople
and dates from the time of the house’s
construction. The furniture is 19th century. The
decoration of the bedrooms and bathrooms uses
materials and ceramics by the finest designers.
The bedrooms and bathrooms benefit from
exceptionally high ceilings and their long
windows overlook either the park, the 18th-
century cavalry school building or the Château
de Saumur in the distance. With its trees that
are over a century old, the park offers quiet
and serenity. A triple harmony is formed by the
combination of the building, the park and the
interior features, all created at the same time
and unaltered since.
1. The château de Verrières beckons you in
2. Dining like the lord of the manor
Saumur 2004 Rairies MontrieuxMichel Héberlé
Rairies Montrieux
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1. The visitor is submerged in 19th-century
2. The magical elegance of the Belle Epoque
3. For a magnificent welcome
4. The splendours of the Second Empire
5. The bedrooms in all their refinement
4 5
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1. A night tucked up in an alcove beneath a draped corona bedhead
2. The Junior Suite, marrying spaciousness with a sense of cosiness
3. Radiance and calm descending over the park
4. The bed reflected in the mirror
4
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Château des Briottières
Both a four-star château-hotel and a charming
guest house, superbly situated in the Loire valley,
this 18th-century family château is one of the
most beautiful privately-owned castles of the
Pays de la Loire. A place charged with soul and
with history whose walls are keen to whisper
a memory or an anecdote to their visitors.
The Château des Briottières is one of these
exceptional places to stay, a true paradise that
exceeds the norms of hospitality.
The fourteen bedrooms were all renovated in
2010 in a resolutely romantic spirit with a touch of
modernity and of tradition, and were designed
as true private apartments. Period furniture,
canopy beds, alcoves and fabrics from the great
fabric houses: furniture handed down through
the family successfully combines with antique
parquet floors and marble chimneypieces. A
refined luxury that eschews ostentation… The
well-appointed bathrooms overlook the English-
style landscaped park.
The main salon, the green salon, the gallery and
the library are all immaculately decorated in a
welcoming style. The swimming pool and tennis
court are sited among the bowers of a large
walled garden, which itself nestles at the heart of
an exceptional park.
1. The exterior view of the château
2. The château gallery
Champigné 2010 Studio LangereauHedwige de Valbray
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1-2. The main salon
3. The dining room
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1. The Green Salon
2-3. The Orchard Salon
3
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1. The Lake Room
2. The Pink Room
3. The Charles X Room
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Château du Grand-Lucé
Considered by the Architect of French
Monuments as “one of the most precious
elements of architecture of the French
Enlightenment”, the Château du Grand-Lucé
is one of the only châteaux in all of France that
was spared during the French Revolution and it’
s famed visitors included Voltaire, Rousseau, and
Diderot.
Built between 1760 and 1764, the château
and the numerous outbuildings are a typical
example of the architectural style in France
under Louis XV. The château, which is listed
as a Historical Monument, needed a total
restoration, as there was no working electricity,
bathrooms or kitchen in the main château. The
objective was to update the structure in an
appropriate way for today while maintaining the
architectural integrity of the 18th century. From
a design perspective, the goal was to create an
environment of comfortable elegance befitting
the grandeur of the château and its role in
French history.
The three-year process of renovating the
Château du Grand-Lucé was bravely undertaken
by internationally renowned interior designer
Timothy Corrigan who brought the 18th-century
summer palace back to life. While continuing to
restore the château and its buildings, Corrigan
has already restored most of the main château,
which now boasts 15 bedrooms with en-suite
bathrooms. He has also restored the abandoned
chapel and rectory, and a large theatre that
had been created in the former stables during
the 19th century.
1. The chateau and its gardens
2. The master bedroom
Le Grand-Lucé 2008 William Rolf
Timothy Corrigan
Timothy Corrigan
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1. The large salon
2. The large dining room
3. The original floor-plan
3
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1. The Red Room
2. The Blue Room
3. The master bedroom
3
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Château de Bagnols
Dating from the 13th century, the Château de
Bagnols is one of the France’s major historic
monuments, as well as a luxury hotel with 21
superb rooms and suites. The Grand Salon with
its exquisite trompe l’œil wall paintings and the
original sculpted stonework dating from the
17th century contains one of the France’s most
important and elaborately carved Renaissance
fireplaces. The majestic Salle des Gardes is the
main dining room of the château, where the
coat of arms above one of the France’s largest
Gothic fireplaces marks the Royal visit of Charles
VIII in 1490. The china, glasses and Irish table linen
were all specially designed and made for the
château.

Each of the bedrooms and suites is unique.
Many feature plasterwork and wall paintings
added by the various owners from the 16th to
18th centuries. Most of the rooms have antique
four-poster beds hung with period velvets and
embroideries from the owner’s collection. Pure
linen embroidered sheets, luxurious down pillows
and duvets are in all the bedrooms. Many pieces
of furniture and accessories at the château have
been created or specially designed by Lady
Hamlyn. Like the bedrooms, each bathroom
is unique. The bath taps, cast in bronze and
specially designed to enhance the period
effect, are replicas of a fountain belonging to a
nearby 17th-century spring. Many of the rooms
are located in the round towers where the wall
paintings evoke Pompei.
The Château de Bagnols is a unique experience.
Nowhere else in France can provide guests
with such historic luxury in such a grandiose yet
comfortable environment.
1. The salon in the Madame de Sévigné Suite
2. The Grand Salon
1992BagnolsLord & Lady Hamlyn
Jean-Gabriel Mortamet
Château de Bagnols
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1. The Grand Salon
2. The Salle des Gardes dining room, today home to a gourmet restaurant
3. The Music Room
3
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1. The Anne Dugué Deluxe Room
2. The Madame de Sévigné Suite
3. The bouquet-filled private apartment
4. The Joseph Hessler Deluxe Room
4
3
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Built in 1833 in a neo-Renaissance style,
Château d’Apigné surveys its surrounding park
landscaped in the English style. It was built in a
period where people were trying to revive the
aristocratic symbols that the Revolution had
decried: the architects thus took as models the
buildings of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance
and the classical style of the Grand Siècle and
created new styles from them. Italian decoration
marries with a structure that remains gothic. This
has resulted in a château whose contours are
unusual, with finely drawn symmetrical towers
that give it a unique character.
When he saw the château for the first time, the
future owner’s first impressions were charged
with emotion. The Khan-Renault family bought
the château in 1989, restored it and transformed
it to host receptions and business meetings.
Refinement, discretion and elegance come
together in the romantically inspired atmosphere
of the restaurant. The charm of the interior
decoration, halfway between classicism and
contemporary, strikes one as soon as one
enters. In the salons, these trends are sometimes
modernised, sometimes interpreted with delicacy
and creativity.
Nine bedrooms nestle in the upper floors of
the château, where everything is overlaid
with character and softness. Silks, linen, velvet,
wallpaper, the tasteful decoration, which evokes
that of the 18th century, provokes a delightful
feeling of escape. Taking the first names of
people who have left their mark on the château,
the bedrooms harmonise gracefully with the
surprising contemporary bathrooms.
Château d’Apigné
1. View of the main château façade, a perfect embodiment
of the neo-Renaissance style
2. The “Golden Room” in the restaurant
Le Rheu 2010 Sten Duparc
Karim Khan-Renault
Elisabeth Renault
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1-2. Each bedroom takes the first name of people who
have left their mark on the château : this one is a tribute
to Marthe
3. The Hortense Room
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Château de Christin
The Château de Christin is mid-way between
the Camargue and the Cévennes. Since 1179,
several noble families have owned it. This
château, a listed Historic Monument, was built on
the site of a country seat of which one can still
see the balustrades in Louis XIV and the romantic
Louis XVIII style.
Nina and Olivier, the new owners, wanted to
open a guest house in this majestic setting.
The château’s architecture is in a Venetian
style and its renovation was undertaken by
the decorator Jean-Loup Daraux, who worked
with extreme attention to detail, surrounded by
friends and artists. The decorative repertoire, rich
in plasterwork, wainscotting, mosaics, naturalist
paintings, murals including many in trompe-l’
œil, and carefully preserved patinas, gives this
château a deliciously nostalgic charm and
refinement.
In the huge entrance hall decorated with floral
mosaics, the hunting trophies hung on the walls
recall the origin of this château, which was an
old hunting lodge. On the first floor, Jean-Loup
Daraux has imagined a little story for each of
the bedrooms: a collection of herbariums for
the Herbalist suite, Buffon bird prints hung from
trompe-l’œil ribbons for the Birds room, country
scenes in camaïeu for the Marquis room, etc.,
the theme of nature being omnipresent. Wanting
to bring a more feminine touch and a cosier
ambiance, Nina added family furniture and
objects to set the scene and called on the help
of Richard Goullet, a decorator in the Uzège.
This beautiful family seat, preserving its original
appearance in its entirety, has an authentic
atmosphere.
1. The château-cum-guest house was built in the baroque,
Venetian style
2. Courtly wood panelling and caisson ceilings
Junas 1996 Château de ChristinRichard Goulet
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1. A graceful enfilade of connecting rooms
2. A deliciously nostalgic refinement
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1. An imposing dresser with fine mesh doors, boasting a collection of
18th-century Moustier faïence
2. A grand chimney-piece sculpted out of local stone
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1. Country scenes in camaïeu framed in twirling floral garlands
2. The collection of herbariums in the Herbalist suite
3. Buffon bird prints and trompe-l’œil ribbons
4. A little story for each of the bedrooms
4
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Bruno and Alexandre Lafourcade, both self-
trained architects, have transformed an old farm
near Aix-en-Provence into a residence in the spirit
of the 18th century.
Bruno Lafourcade remembers the meeting with
his English clients who dreamed of an 18th-
century bastide with a view of Mount Sainte
Victoire. Faced with the impossibility of finding
their ideal house, they bought a farm and
its land, with a view of the famous mountain
immortalised by Cézanne. It was a magnificent
watercolour representing the future house
painted by Bruno and Alexandre Lafourcade’
s architectural practice that filled this English
couple with enthusiasm and led them to entrust
the mammoth work of transforming the house to
these “masters of metamorphosis”. A whole year
of building work was needed to metamorphose
the 1000m2 of living space on around twenty
hectares of land in the sun. Today, this splendid
manor house seems to have sprung up intact
from the 18th century. The openings of the
building have been transformed; the bonding
of the windows in stone draws a light stretched
arc in the 18th-century style over their upper
part. The wooden shutters painted in a grey-blue
tonality lend rhythm to the façade and contrast
with the ochre of the walls. The majestic fronton
accentuates the impression of symmetry and
classicism.
Inside, nothing remains of the original
arrangement of rooms. The house unfolds,
cultivates space, offers an intelligent means of
circulating. The distribution of rooms is just right,
allowing one to be alone and encouraging
those in search of company. The bedrooms and
bathrooms are always separate but offer the
same harmony of luxurious and timeless sobriety.
A garden designed by Dominique Lafourcade
(Bruno’s wife and Alexandre’s mother) is a
majestic extension of the building.
ne pas indiquer
Classicisme Aixois
1. Flanking the front steps leading up to the house, two
enormous metal urns help frame the entrance with an
imposing grace
2. A period chandelier, in the old church style, instills a
sense of harmony
2000 Andreas von EinsiedelBruno & Alexandre Lafourcade
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1. The Large Salon arranged around a stone chimney-piece
with its beautifully crafted overmantel
2. The original floors were replaced by magnificent
Beaucaire flagstones
3. A console and exceptionally fine mirror both set off the
elegance of the first floor interiors
4. A bedroom with two single beds draped in rich Baroque
bedspreads, and furniture discovered from antiques
dealers in Aix-en-Provence
5. The bathroom plays on an exquisite blend of marble
and wood
4 5
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The construction of Château Clément began
around 1870 as a commission by Auguste
Clément, a passionate art collector and
president of Vals Mineral Waters. Completed
around 1879, the château is a true architectural
jewel that seems to rise up over the town and
evade time and space.
Château Clément is a surprising mixture of all the
styles in vogue in the 19th century… One only
has to look, for instance, at the grand staircase
in walnut with its double curve – the heart of the
house, which serves the four bedrooms and suite.
Not forgetting the magnificent salons, the dining
room and the kitchen.
Château Clément
Even if the château had a duty to preserve its
heritage references and a certain harmony of
varied styles and previous epochs, the furniture,
both collectible and belonging to the family,
allows for diversions or surprising encounters
with accessories or contemporary pieces. The
designers of today meet the styles of the Grand
Siècle, Renaissance or Empire… Éric and Marie-
Antoinette welcome their visitors in a convivial
and family ambiance, far from the austerity
and formality of lords of the manor in previous
centuries: joie de vivre is found on every floor,
on opening each door, behind the prestigious
panelling and other original wall-coverings…
1. The south façade
2. The dining room
Éric & Marie-Antoinette Chabot Vals les Bains 2004 Claire Gillet (interiors)
Jeff Pachoud (exteriors)
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1. The grand walnut staircase with its double curve
2. The Games Salon
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1. The Honey Salon
2. The salon in the Almond Suite
3. The White Room
4. The Aubergine Room
4
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Cour des Loges
Situated in the heart of Old Lyon, Cour des
Loges is an invitation to rediscover the Italian
Renaissance. This exceptional establishment
unites four of the most beautiful houses of the
14th, 16th and 17th centuries where the historic
charm of stone and contemporary comfort marry
elegantly. The hanging gardens and arches of
the nine interior courtyards bring tranquillity to this
outstanding hotel.
The historic magic of the place is matched
by the particular care applied to the interior
decoration. Each of the 61 rooms and suites of
the Cour des Loges has a unique style thanks
to a subtle choice of materials. The rooms have
been personalised down to the smallest details to
make them real havens of peace and intimacy.
Box beam ceilings, centuries-old panelling,
wrought iron, heavy curtains, imposing mirrors
and furniture that is sometimes contemporary
from the likes of Le Corbusier or Mackintosh, and
sometimes Renaissance, are all elements that
play a part in the charm of this four-star hotel.
The artist Hervé Thibaut has transformed
each of the suites and apartments into real
living paintings. Some of them subtly recall
the Renaissance, taking their inspiration from
an Italian opera box with embroidered silk
and painted panels representing Venetian
scenes. Others take on the air of a painter or
photographer’s studio from the beginning of the
20th century.
1. The passageways
2. The grand inner courtyard of the gourmet restaurant
Jocelyne & Jean-Louis Sibuet, Hervé Thibaut Lyon 2010 Grégory Picout et Marie-Pierre Morel
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1. A private dining room within the restaurant
2. The bar area in the Cour des Loges
3. The bar in the Café-Epicerie
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1. A Junior Suite
2. A Superior Venetian Room
3. A Junior Suite
4. The bathroom in a private apartment
4
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Hotel Design Sorbonne
The Hotel Design Sorbonne offers a magnificent,
brand new space with unexpected and
original decoration. On an intimate and human
scale, the hotel is nevertheless luminous and
spacious. Decorated in warm, dynamic colours,
predominantly green, yellow, pink and turquoise,
it expresses a desire to create an exceptional
place where the notions of wellbeing and
simplicity take on their full meaning. Unusual
and a little bit quirky, the decoration – whose
artistic direction was largely guided by the
personal choices of the directors – has been
done both in a spirit of openness and of informed
improvisation, together with the wish to give this
hotel an authentic soul. The atmosphere is both
cosy and very original.
A serious renovation has been carried out, with
a new, more luminous breakfast room, a larger
reception area, the staircase redecorated in
a fabric printed with “a view over the rooftops
of Paris towards the Panthéon”. The elegant
and colourful rooms are pleasant and surprising
thanks to their decidedly contemporary spirit and
the freedom that has been used with colour. The
Hôtel Design Sorbonne has 38 rooms decorated
in unabashedly stimulating colours.
Over five floors, this smart establishment also
presents “Photography in all its states”, an
exhibition that honours photographic creation
with different, unusual themes. Like an invitation
to go for a friendly walk, the guests are
encouraged to take the time to wander in the
corridors of the establishment, discovering at the
same time a lovely story, written in the floor of the
fifth floor…
1. The corridor along the 5th floor - Family photos
2. The Breakfast room - Photos by Jason Whittaker
Vincent Bastie
Alain Bisotti
Pascal Moncelli
Paris 2009 Jérôme d’Almeida (Interiors)
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1. One of the superior bedrooms
2. A deluxe room
3. A deluxe room under the eaves
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On the outskirts of Guidel, an exceptional estate
from the 17th and 18th centuries stretches out
in the middle of a magnificent 33-hectare park,
enclosed by stone walls and designed by Jean-
Claude Nicolas Forestier, a friend of Claude
Monet. Dating from the Directoire period, the
manor house was inherited by the Polignac
family around 1840 and became its “cradle of
the heart”. Princess Constance de Polignac has
worked with her son, the Marquis de Nattes, on
the decoration of the manor with its 17 rooms
and apartments.
Domaine de Kerbastic
A symphony of colours and of memories, each
room has a truly original character that comes
from its architecture, its history, its materials,
its decoration or its situation. Antique furniture
and numerous objects bring a personal touch:
old clocks, photos, the original decoration
restored… These spaces pay homage to the
artists who stayed here, from Colette to Proust
via Cocteau – an astonishing room sporting on its
walls a reproduction of his writing and drawings –
Stravinsky, Poulenc… From the bedrooms to the
library via the salons, the memory of the Polignac,
Pommery, Lanvin or Singer families is present. A
synthesis of luxury refinement and the hospitality
of a bed and breakfast, this home welcomes
guests that love nature, art and heritage in the
same generous and harmonious atmosphere as
in the past.
1. View of the château façade seen from the park
2. The terrace bathed in sunlight
Guidel 2006 Jean-François Dréan
Eliophot
Princesse Constance de Polignac
Marquis de Nattes
Natalie de Vilmorin
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1. The Yellow Salon
2. The Music Room
3. The Library
3
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1. The Marie-Blanche Room
2. The Count and Countess Charles Room
3. The Cocteau Room
4. The Marquise de Polignac Room
4
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Ferme Saint-Siméon
A beautiful Norman house from the 17th century,
the Ferme Saint-Siméon offers a panoramic view
over the Seine estuary, whose light fascinated
the young masters of Impressionism. The rooms,
which once served as artists’ studios, have
been carefully restored, such as Corot’s former
studio with its view of the sea. On its old Louis XIV
parquet rests a “pantalonnière” chest of drawers
from the 17th century, while an antique mirror
reflects the scene…
All the rooms have a different personality,
decorated with old wood panelling and oak
parquet, with fabrics from Manuel Canovas or
Rubelli in raspberry, yellow, blue or floral tones.
The furniture is made up of antique chests of
drawers and cupboards and the armchairs are
from the Belgian house of Massant. Some rooms
have ceiling and wall lights in Venetian crystal.
Several Impressionist and contemporary paintings
bring back the atmosphere of the period.
Overlooking the gardens, the restaurant has two
rooms with exposed beams, old tomette floor
tiles, oak panelling and fireplaces, collected
from the old country houses in the surrounding
area. A Flaubert decor, with the true identity of a
comfortable Norman farmhouse.
1. The pavilion, blue bothy and wooden stairs
2. The main house, with its slate-tiled façade
2003HonfleurChristine & Jean-Marie Boelen David Grimbert
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1. The bar, exposed beams and tomette floor tiles
2. The Pigeon Loft salon with its original 17th-century fireplace
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134 - 135
1. A luxury room, with a sumptuous Venetian crystal ceiling light
2. The salon area of the suite, with oak veneer and solid parquet floors
3. The bedroom area of the suite
3
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What wanderer, strolling under the galleries of
the Palais-Royal, has not felt irresistibly attracted
toward the galerie de Beaujolais, where Le
Grand Véfour, jewel of the Parisian restoration,
glistens, still humming with the happy echoes that
have enlivened the Palais-Royal for more than
a century? This restaurant, a temple of Parisian
gastronomy, is one of the only such restaurants to
survive with its original decor, where thousands of
gourmets have sat down to eat since the years
1784-1785. Not caring about the geographical
evolution of Parisian pleasures, it has crossed time
with charm and dignity, and preserves its aura in
the eyes of gastronomes from all over the world.
Let’s set the scene! Occupying the whole width
of the Joinville peristyle, with its back to the rue
de Beaujolais, the establishment opens onto the
gardens via three arcades. The sign “Café de
Chartres”, which can be seen on the garden-side
façade, bears the name of the establishment
that preceded Le Grand Véfour: a name chosen
to honour the Duke of Chartres, the eldest son
of Louis d’Orléans, who was responsible for the
development of the Palais-Royal.
On entering, visitors are transported back two
centuries! Adorned with delicate panelling
sculpted with garlands in the Louis XVI style,
the entrance hall gives onto two rooms. On the
walls, mirrors alternate with the famous painted
canvases fixed behind glass. Inspired by the neo-
classical, Pompeian-style frescoes that were so
prized under the Empire, the decorative themes
– game, fish, flowers and women with baskets
of cut flowers – awaken the appetite of diners.
On the ceiling, stucco roses and garlands frame
allegories of women, painted on canvas in the
style of 18th-century Italian ceilings. On the
mezzanine floor, a large room decorated with
panelling from the same century can host a
large party of diners.
Le Grand Véfour
1. The ceilings epitomize the late 18th-century style from
the Directoire period
2. Empire-style mounted wall canvases
Paris 2007 Guy HervaisLOVE Editions
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1. A room overlooking the galleries of the Palais-Royal
2. A detail of decorative wall panelling
3. Mirrors throw back an infinite reflection
of the historic décor
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La Grande Cascade
Napoléon III gave Baron Haussmann the task of
transforming the wild forest of Boulogne into “an
immense park whose whole would, after several
years of work, form an exquisite expanse of rolling
landscapes, of crystalline waters, of ingeniously
grouped coppices, of fantastic openings with
ravishing effects”.
Gabriel Davioud was commissioned to design
all the park furniture, riders’ shelters and cabins,
which Haussmann wanted to have “a quaint
character, testifying to his desire to make them
decorative objects”. Among these structures
was the “Chalet of the Grand Cascade” which,
as soon as it opened in 1860, became a very
fashionable café-restaurant.
The rounded glass and metal canopy, facing
the Longchamp race course, was added to
the facade in 1900. Over the years the Pavilion
of the Grande Cascade underwent different
transformations in order to improve its welcome
to visitors and its culinary offer. Louis Aragon
described its atmosphere in Les Beaux Quartiers.
In 1988, the Menut family who owned the place
decided to restore the Belle Epoque interior.
Today a unique ambiance still floats between
its Florentine marble, its Napoléon III ceilings,
its spandrels, its gilded cornices and pendant
chandeliers, where, in one of its discreet corners,
you could still imagine that an élégante could
lose her way.
1. The Pavilion viewed at night
2. The grand restaurant dining room
Thomas Delhemmes2001ParisDominique Honnet
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1. A magnificent view over the Bois de Boulogne
2. The Auteuil-Longchamp Room
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Hôtel de Choiseul Praslin
This famous hotel, preserving part of its original
Napoléon III decor, was entirely gutted to carry
out its restoration. A basement was carved
out, the most sophisticated techniques were
employed and after a restructuring of the spaces
the decoration was restored and perfected by
the finest Parisian craftsmen: marble and mosaic
floors, windows and stained glass, a staircase
in plasterworked stone, plaster and marble
decoration, etc.
All the fabrics were specially rewoven in Lyon
based on 19th-century sketches, often projects
by Charles Garnier who built the Paris opera,
and all the embroidery and passementerie
was recreated based on period designs. As
a rare surviving example of the great Parisian
residences, this hotel, after its restoration,
perfectly conveys the official taste of the haute
bourgeoisie of the Third Republic.
An exceptional collection of furniture and
decorative arts, pieces commissioned for the
Universal Exhibitions by great manufacturers
such as Sormani, Édouard Lièvre, Grohé, Deck,
Carpeaux, Geschter and Froment Meurice, has
been brought together to complete this beautiful
whole, testimony to the grandeur of 19th-century
France.
1. The Grand Hallway on the first floor with
plasterworked stone
2. The hotel dining room: restored to evoke the grandeur
of the Third Republic, with rare furniture designed by
Édouard Lièvre
François-Joseph Graf Paris 2004 Jacques Pépion
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1. The Main Salon: the walls are covered in woven
silk reworking the original sketches by Charles Garnier
2-5. Details of a variety of different curtains and blinds, and a breathtaking
glimpse of the mosaics in the entrance hall
6. The Grand Conference Room: the four luxuriously imposing ceiling
lights once originally hung over the French Senate in the 19th century
4 5
6
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Hôtel Claude Passart
Juan Pablo Molyneux is an internationally
acclaimed designer. A committed classicist, he
creates spirited interiors that are rooted in history
without being historical recreations. His work is
bold, eclectic, witty… and unmistakably his own.
Molyneux brings to each of his projects a wide-
ranging curiosity about all matters aesthetic. His
interiors reflect a strong sense of place. They are
exquisitely crafted and perfectly proportioned.
In Paris, he completely restored a 17th-century
hôtel particulier (mansion), the “hôtel Claude
Passart”, which takes its name from its first owner
who had it built in 1618.
This historical house is situated in the Marais, one
of the oldest neighbourhoods of Paris. After the
French Revolution it was left to ruin and was later
transformed into a garage and a tin factory.
It is thanks to Molyneux that the Hôtel Claude
Passart was brought back to life, as he achieved
a remarkable interior and exterior restoration
of the building. The original room configuration
was completely restored along with the
garden. Inside, Molyneux even recreated the
main stairway, which had been destroyed. In
this classical interior, you can find some of his
signature elements: the use of scagliola (a type
of stucco), rare woods, silk, marble, Chinese
panelling, painted ceilings, sculptures and
tapestries mixed with contemporary art and
furniture.
The Grand Salon is on the ground floor between
the courtyard and the garden. With the
exceptional proportions provided by its very
high ceilings, it creates an impressive entrance
to the home. Photographer Doug Hall’s
diptych, representing the Teatro della Fortuna
in Italy, gives the room added depth. In the
first floor living room, remnants of the original
interior decoration have been restored, such
as the painted beams in Louis XIII style with the
monogram of Claude Passart, the original owner.
On the walls, some rare French tapestries from
the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries create a warm
and comfortable atmosphere. Just past the living
room, the Chinese room, or Coromandel room,
evokes the European curiosity for China that
continued throughout the 18th century, when
French artists tried to imitate Chinese patterns
and materials, such as lacquer, to recreate an
exotic atmosphere. In a second stage of the
renovation, Molyneux restored the garden,
based on a 16th-century drawing by the famous
French architect Jacques Androuet du Cerceau.
1. A typical example of the sumptuous buildings built in the
Marais neighbourhood in Paris
2. In the dining room, wall paintings of monkeys dressed in
18th-century attire. These kinds of rooms called
“Singeries” were very much in fashion in France before
the Revolution
2004 Marina FaustParisJuan Pablo Molyneux
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1. The Grand Salon, with exceptional proportions
due to its very high ceilings
2. Photographer Doug Hall’s diptych, representing
the “Teatro de la Fortuna” in Italy, gives the
room added depth
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1. A beautiful Han dynasty horse rests on a Chinese wood console from the
19th Century surrounded by Coromandel lacquer panels
2. The Chinese Room, or Coromandel room, carries on the European curiosity
for China during all of the 18th Century
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1. On the living room walls, some rare French tapestries
from the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries
2-4. The Library’s cosy sofas are upholstered with an
18th- century French “toile de Jouy” fabric called “Le
Voyage en Chine” (“Travel in China”)
4
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1. In the Master Bedroom, the silk canopy bed, bedspread and curtains
are all hand embroidered with figures of flowers and birds
2. The Red Bathroom takes its name from the geometrical red onyx patterns on the marble floor
3. The walls of the “Yellow Bedroom” are upholstered in a French silk damask
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1. The present-day façade of the Hôtel de la Vaupalière,
which was built circa 1760
2. The view along the enfilade of rooms on the ground
floor, with the mouldings above the doorframe an
identical copy of those found in the White Salon in the
château de Ferrière
Hôtel de la Vaupalière
This famous 18th-century hotel particulier has
conserved its gorgeous façade overlooking the
garden. Laid out in a park which at the time
extended as far as the Champs Élysées, the
Hôtel de la Vaupalière was transformed in 1998
by the AXA insurance group. Very conscious
of the beauty of the volumes and the interior
decoration which was still intact, Claude Bébéar
wanted to undertake an exemplary restoration
in Paris, in order to install the headquarters of the
group in this historic place with dignity.
After fifteen months of serious work on the interior,
the mansion rediscovered all the brilliance of
its original state. The décor was perfected and
restored by the greatest Parisian craftsmen:
carpenters, cabinet-makers, gilders, decorative
painters, marblers, weavers, embroiderers and
tassel-makers surpassed themselves in order
to offer a result of exceptional quality. Historic
fabrics were rewoven: the fabric of Louis XVI’
s bedroom in Versailles, of Marie-Antoinette’s
games room in the Château de Compiègne and
the fabrics designed for Napoleon’s bedroom
in the Château de Versailles under the Empire,
as well as under-curtains embroidered for the
Empress Josephine at Malmaison.
More than two years were needed to be able
to bring together a magnificent collection of
furniture and objects from the 18th century,
which restore its historic dimension and all its
identity to this beautiful residence.
François-Joseph Graf Paris 1998 Jacques Pépion
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1. The Grand Gilded Salon: Louis XVIII carpets and curtains especially rewoven
in Lyon based on the original late 18th-century sketches that were used in
Louis XVI's bedroom in Versailles
2. The first of the antichambers on the ground floor unfolds a stunning series of
original painted wall panelling, signed and dated 1790 by Dugour
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1. The Grand Gilded Salon on the first floor, where the period fabrics and curtains woven
in gold thread have been restored to evoke the original Empire style
2. The Main Salon on the first floor, with its magnificent royal Louis XV-style carpets
emblazoned with the French coat of arms
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Hôtel des Grands Hommes
The renovation of the Hôtel des Grands Hommes
took place between 2001 and 2002. The whole
of the building was reorganised in order to offer
31 more comfortable bedrooms, and the ground
floor reappointed together with the modified
facade to give it back a central entrance. From
a purely decorative point of view, the owners
wanted a Directoire style hotel, marking the
transition between the Louis XVI and Empire
styles.
For the furniture, the desks, bedside tables and
chairs were chosen with mahogany, walnut
finishes and fruitwood marquetry, the types of
wood most used during that epoque. Decorative
motifs such as the daisy, seen here on the door
handles and cupboard door knobs, the winged
sphinx, the star and the tureen are frequently
used. A diamond motif decorates the cupboard
doors and a hexagon, transformed into an
octagon, is seen in the carpets which are dyed
to match the 14 different colour schemes of the
rooms. No room is the same as any other.
The fabric wall coverings, on which one finds
lions, sphinxes, swans, Greek motifs or pyramids,
are in brown, sepia, dark purple, orange or black,
adorned by antique motifs from Pompei and
contrasting with bright colours as well as Sèvres
green and blue and Wedgwood blue. And the
plasterwork cornices have dogtooth work above
the doors and alcoves and a large suspended
stucco medallion at the corners.
1. The stairs
2. The meeting Room
Paris 2001 Jérôme d’AlmeidaÏ TREMA
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1. The reception desk
2-4. The decorative atmosphere
in one of the rooms
4
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1. The corridor
2. A room with a balcony
3. A room in which to relax in sumptuous comfort
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Hôtel Martin-Fortris
To revive an hôtel particulier built under
Napoléon III, lived in since 1943 and converted
into a convalescence home in 1967, was the
challenge that Clarisse et Arnaud de Saint Martin
set themselves.
To do this, they had access to a detailed
descriptive inventory from 1904 pointing them
towards the initial purpose of each room. It
was never a question of recreating a period
decor: Clarisse and Arnaud wanted to honour
the spirit of the place while conserving the
majesty of its reception rooms and at the same
time giving it a personal touch, infused with the
present day. To bring together classical furniture
and contemporary works of art, Louis XV-style
panelling and furniture made from “Eiffel” girders,
to reinterpret the canons of decorative painting
via faux marble, grisailles and trompe-l’œil, done
by Clarisse.
In addition, a particular fascination for textiles
gave them a point of departure in various parts
of the house: instead of conceiving the room
and then harmonising curtains and cushions,
Clarisse and Arnaud de Saint Martin chose the
reverse. Starting with a fabric, they created a
setting through colours and furniture that set it
off to its best advantage. When it’s not a fabric
it is sometimes an object that dictates the whole
decoration of a room, like a setting specially
designed to show it off. Each room has been
treated as an ensemble, where each touch of
colour, each object, each detail participates in
the general harmony.
1. The garden entrance
2. The Salon, with a view towards the entrance
2011Authon du PercheClarisse & Arnaud de Saint Martin Christophe Madamour
Clarisse de Saint Martin
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1. View of the Salon
2. The dining room
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1. The Violette Room
2. The Martin Fortris Room
3. A room decorated in the 18th-century style
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Château de La Ballue
The Château de La Ballue, near Mont Saint
Michel, proudly overlooks a wide panorama of
the surrounding countryside. This exceptional
situation is linked to the history of the site. An
ancient fortress of the Breton Marches, the old
frontier of the Duchy of Brittany, the medieval
château was deliberately rased at the beginning
of the 17th century to rebuild a château that was
light, comfortable and pleasant to live in.
Today, four hundred years later, the present-day
Château de La Ballue has perfectly preserved
its architecture and its original decoration from
the beginning of the 17th century. A country
residence, it brings together apparent simplicity
and great elegance. High ceilings on the first
floor as well as the ground floor give a noble
bearing to the rooms which are large but still on
a “human” scale. The windows are very high and
the rooms are often flooded with light. From the
house, the view extends over the exceptional
gardens and landscape beyond.
The whole of the château and gardens are listed
as a historic monument. The lovely and authentic
original panelling and the chimneypieces are the
essential decorative elements of this residence.
The present-day furnishing and decoration
respect these beautiful volumes. Comfortable
contemporary furniture and antique pieces mix in
perfect harmony, and give La Ballue a pleasant
atmosphere of relaxed luxury. The château
welcomes guests in five bedrooms, including a
suite, and the gardens are open to visitors.
1. The symmetrical yet contemporary gardens opening
onto further views over the Couesnon valley
2. The grand spectacle draws all eyes outside: in the
foreground, a day-bed and an Empire-style chest of
drawers
3. Living a life of luxury! Breakfast is served in the buffet
dining room (with its 17th-century period panelling)
Marie-Françoise Mathiot Bazouges-la-Pérouse 2009 Yann Monel
Richard Croft
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1. The Salon adorned with panelling and a
17th-century marble chimney-piece
2. A very workable and happy marriage: 17th-
century panelling alongside contemporary
furniture
3. The Salon decorated with panelling and a
17th-century painted chimney-piece
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1. The Florence Room, with Louis XV-style panelling, a four-poster bed
and walls draped with blue Damask
2. The Diane Room with its Louis XV-style panelling
3. The Persian Room with its Restoration chimney-piece
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Château de la Barre has the rare distinction
of having remained in the same family since
its beginnings. This fortified residence has a
rich history and a varied architecture to which
numerous generations have added their
contribution. Today the Count and Countess of
Vanssay have left their respective international
careers to give a new life to the family fief by
hosting guests from all over the world.
The challenge was thus to combine an authentic,
aristocratic art of living with the standards of
comfort expected by travellers accustomed to
the world’s finest hotels, in an elegant, appealing
and vivid way. You won’t find televisions or
minibars in the bedrooms, but here and there a
dressing table signed by Criaerd or an antique
Bachtiar rug. The architectural diversity and rich
history of the place allowed for a large choice
of decorative themes. The resolutely Medieval
“Fire Room” is brightened up by a simple yellow-
tinted plaster on the walls, which is a perfect foil
to the monumental chimneypiece. The Small
Dining Room is decorated with post-Impressionist
paintings. The Pink Salon sings with vibrant
colours even though it is decorated with several
ancestral portraits. The Vestibule with its tropical
fabric, where the multicoloured macaw Kakou
rules the roost, evokes the vanished family estate
in 18th-century Saint-Domingue, in what was then
Hispaniola (now Dominican Republic). The Large
Dining Room, which is typical of the 18th century,
still rustles with the impassioned conversations of
the “honest men” of the Enlightenment, under
the giant dresser from the same period. The
Large Salon, which has hardly been touched
since 1778, the date on which it was last restored,
evokes all the gracious and luminous elegance
of the twilight of the Ancien Régime.
The bedrooms have not been outdone, such
as the vast Marine Room whose glorious
decor recalls that it was built by the great-
granddaughter of the first builders of the
Château de Chenonceau, and here one is
aware that the Loire Valley is only an hour away
by car. The Yellow Room, full of light with 18th-
century Italian furniture, opens onto the Midi. In
the north of the house, the Flowers Room, with
English furniture from the Georges III period,
opens onto a bathroom housed in the château’
s former wall-walk. The Blue Room is ethereal and
its turquoise evokes the azure blue of faraway
seas. The Esprit de Jouy suite gives pride of place
to the eponymous fabric, which goes so well
with this stately home that is both bucolic and
elegant.
Château de la Barre
1. View from the garden looking up towards the fortifications
2. The Marin de Vanssay Room
Conflans-sur-Anille 2011 Guy de VanssayGuy & Marnie de Vanssay
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Following pages
1. The Large Salon boasting furniture dating back to the
wedding of the Marquis de Vanssay in 1778
1. The Large Dining Room with its monumental Liégeois
dresser
2. The Pink Salon with a pretty table in the Piedmontese
style circa 1720
3. The Fire Room with a Flanders-style tapestry dating
from the 17th century
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1. Room with a bow-fronted
mahogany dresser from the
18th century
2. The Esprit de Jouy Room with
its green hues and period Louis
XVI furniture
3. The Yellow Room covered in
toile de Jouy
4. The Vestibule with the macaw
Kakou ruling the roost in its
cage
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Château de la Bourdaisière
In this salon where a hearty wood fire crackles,
on the walls where family portraits punctuate the
decoration, the Prince of Broglie has succeeded
in making this Renaissance residence his own. It
was built on the site of an old Medieval fortress
by Philibert Babou and his wife Marie, whose
great-granddaughter was none other than Henri
IV’s favourite, Gabrielle d’Estrées.
In the bedrooms, with historic names such as
“Catherine de Médicis”, “Reine Margot” or
“François 1er”, lofty canopied beds accompany
precious antique furniture, magnificent fabrics
lining the walls and thick curtains. In the grand
salon, a portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrées has pride
of place over the imposing chimneypiece. Her
family tree and a few other family portraits are
hung at the foot of the wooden staircase leading
to the first floor.
Just beside it, the library opens its doors onto a
“cabinet of natural sciences”. On the other side,
in the dining room, a majestic table occupies the
centre of the room, with a faïence dinner service
and coloured glasses. Not far from there, in the
old interior chapel, whose walls are adorned
with gilded plasterwork, one finds the garden
furniture of “Le Prince Jardinier”, created by
the château’s owner. And superb classical or
contemporary gardens surround the Château de
la Bourdaisière…
1. The château in the snow
2. The Grand Salon
Montlouis-sur-Loire 2011 Marc DantanLouis-Albert de Broglie
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1. The entrance hall
2. A different angle of the entrance hall
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1-2. The Library
3. The Henri IV Room
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La Gauloise
La Gauloise is a Parisian institution. The canteen
for heads of state, politicians, show business
people and its neighbours from the 7th and 15th
arrondissements. The clientele loves La Gauloise
for its authenticity, its unique atmosphere.
Recently Eddy Benezet, the owner, decided he
wanted to give this sleeping beauty a new lease
of life.
The idea was not to change the nature of the
place, not to scare off its regulars and attract
a new clientele. Above all it was essential to
respect the restaurant’s original organisation as a
succession of rooms, while also creating spaces
offering more confidentiality. The wood panelling,
the furniture, the frames of the photos recounting
the life of La Gauloise had to stay and to inspire
Valérie Serin. She decided to rekindle the Arts &
Crafts style that had been neglected for so long:
William Morris would be the guest of honour for
this decoration.
Wallpapers have been placed in the moulded
frames, then cut away to express the idea of the
unfinished sketch, like rediscovered woodcuts
by the artist. A Flemish carpet now runs through
the restaurant and gives it an infinite feeling of
cocooning. The wood and leather chairs have
been restored and copied. The farmhouse
tables have been restored and laid bare. Heavy
curtains of crimson and saffron velvet have been
hung to give a bit of intimacy to each space.
Finally, mirrors have been installed so one can
appreciate the perpetually moving perspectives
1. A typical Parisian terrace, the epitome of sophistication
with its potted wall of greenery
2. The intimate feel of the alcove banquettes, ensconced
in a cocoon of period panelling
3. The radiant yet cosy atmosphere in the restaurant at
lunchtime
and to reflect the sparkle of the antique ceiling
lights that were found at flea markets. Today,
the reawakened La Gauloise transports us to
this 19th-century England and invites us to travel
through forgotten tastes.
Paris 2009 Yvan MoreauValérie Serin
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1. Sparkling lights and reflections play off each
other in the true spirit of the Art & Crafts
movement
2. Dinner is a more softly-lit affair, seeking to give
off a subdued, comfortable ambiance
3. The plan of the restaurant
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La Mirande
In the heart of Avignon, La Mirande, an hôtel
particulier at the foot of the Palais des Papes,
offers all the richness of its centuries-old heritage,
in a refined and tasteful decorative style that
is evocative of an 18th-century ambiance. The
hotel is named after the famous room in the
Palais des Papes, La Mirande, fitted out by the
representatives of the Popes to receive the town’
s notables and important dignitaries when they
visited the city. Built for a cardinal in the 14th
century, then added to by the Hôtel de Vervins
built in the 17th century with its Baroque facade
by the architect Pierre Mignard, and finally the
Hôtel Pamard between the end of the 18th and
the 20th century, La Mirande carries in its heart
the traces of history.
The Stein family devoted itself to lengthy research
into the typical styles and materials of the region
before carrying out on the restoration, between
1987 and 1990. If certain listed elements reflect
the origins of La Mirande, the owners above
all wanted to recreate the ambiance of an
aristocratic residence of the 18th century, where
fabric covered walls and period chandeliers go
hand-in-hand with studded chairs and old master
paintings.
With the aid of Avignon’s antiques dealers, Martin
Stein, dug up rare treasures from the past, which
decorate the different nooks and crannies and
find their perfect resting places in the hotel’s
twenty bedrooms. Situated on the first floor, they
each have an individual decoration and their
own reissued 18th-century wall fabric. The lush
printed calicos or toiles de Jouy go perfectly with
the silk-lined curtains whose heavy pleats soften
as they reach the floor. The charm is extended
into the bathrooms, raised to the status of fine
rooms by their unexpected decoration using old
block-printed wallpapers by Mauny, their period-
style taps and Carrara marble.
1. The façade of La Mirande
2. The calm late-afternoon atmosphere beneath
the glass-roofed patio at the Mirande
AvignonFrançois-Joseph Graf
Martin Stein
1990 La Mirande
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1. The Red Room, with its padded, squat “crapaud”
armchair, lined with Jacquard fabrics
2. The Chinese-style cabinet covered in original
wallpaper crafted in China in the 18th-century
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1. What was formerly part of the tower of the cardinal’s livery, is now the main restaurant dining room
2. The Napoléon III Salon, a small dining room decorated with panelling and period porcelain
3. The hotel bar
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1. The first-floor suite decked with printed wall canvas, a replica of the original canvas to be found in the
Château de Montgeoffroy
2. A corner-angle room, with views over the garden, the Palais des Papes and the Mont Ventoux
3. A corner-angle room with views over the garden and the Benoît XII ramparts of the Palais des Papes
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Château de la Treyne
On top of the cliffs, Château de la Treyne enjoys
the privilege of the most beautiful surroundings.
Indeed, it is majestically mirrored in the languid
waters of the Dordogne, which reflect the image
of a castle standing noble and proud. This
noble construction, the cardinal element of the
Seigneurie, dates back to the 14th century.
Converted into a luxury hotel, Chateau de La
Treyne offers the peace and quiet desired by
travellers in search of nature and authenticity.
Superbly situated on the pilgrim trail to Santiago
de Compostela and in the Dordogne Valley,
La Treyne is the ideal place for epicureans.
This world of enchantments begins with its
surroundings and its huge park of mature trees,
with two magnificent Lebanon cedars standing
as sentries. As for the chateau, its finest jewel
must surely be its grand Louis XIII salon, with its
caisson ceiling, Aubusson tapestries and its huge
fireplace featuring panelling with a delightful
patina.
Fourteen rooms and two apartments are part of
the invitation to enjoy the true life of the chateau.
The Rising Sun bedroom, bathed in sunlight
from dawn, with its French window opening
onto the garden, has period furniture, refined
and weighty wall hangings and meticulous
decoration. Very much in the spirit of the place,
the Louis XIII bedroom, featuring a four-poster
bed and Versailles parquet flooring, ensures that
visitors feel they are worthy heirs of La Treyne.
The Fénelon bedroom, named after the famous
prelate from neighbouring Périgord, delights with
its tartan hangings in raspberry tones. The Turenne
bedroom is equally charming, with its toile de
Jouy theme and canopied bed. The Cardinale
bedroom, located at the top of the 14th century
square tower, offers a magnificent view over the
French formal garden and the Dordogne.
1. The château is a blend of 14th and 17th-century
architecture towering over the Dordogne
2. A view of the bridge
LacavePhilippe & Stéphanie Gombert 2011 David Nakache
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1. The Cardaillac Salon, named in honour of
the family which lorded over the château
for 300 years
2. The exceptional panelling is listed as a
Historic Monument
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1. The old chapel has been transformed into a bedroom with views over the formal French gardens
2. A suite is stowed away inside the square tower that dates back to the 14th century
3. A deluxe room overlooking the gardens
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Château de la Verrerie
Built in 1805 on the site of the ruins of a hunting
lodge destroyed during the French Revolution,
Château de la Verrerie, nestling in the heart of
the Vallée du Loir, is the quintessential example
of the “romantic castle”. It was acquired by
Bruno Dujardin in 2000. A lover of interior design,
he was seduced by this building of human
proportions where everything needed to be
redone but which had nevertheless conserved
intact its period architectural features, such as,
floors, chimneys, plasterwork and mouldings. The
restoration took eight years… a long project,
but one that allowed Bruno Dujardin to advance
in pace with his finances, to reflect in order to
avoid making mistakes, and, what is more, to do
all the work himself. From the architecture via
the interior design to the painting, Bruno is happy
to say that he knows this house “centimetre by
centimetre”.
The “romantic” spirit of the place is respected
but a new comfort has been added: thus
six bedrooms have been “sacrificed” and
transformed in to “bathroom-lounge-boudoirs”,
vast and bright, with large windows giving views
over the English-style park. The second floor,
which was previously the servants’ quarters
and had no real character, has been entirely
rethought: by knocking down the false ceilings
a magnificent beamed roof with an eight metre
ceiling height was exposed and now crowns a
double reception room that can be transformed
in to a screening room. The damaged parquet
floor was replaced by one made from railway
sleepers found in Belgium; and two junior suites
complete this floor.
The château opened its doors two years ago,
offering five exceptional guest rooms… an idea
that germinated whilst the restoration was being
carried out, and which allowed Bruno to share
his adventure with lovers of old stones, of interior
design, of “scene setting” and a certain French
art of living.
1. The Grey Salon on the 1st floor gives on to four bedrooms
2. The Renaissance-style south façade opens out
onto the park
Montrouveau 2008 Bruno DujardinBruno Dujardin
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1. The entrance hall leads on to the main reception rooms
2. The kitchen
3-4. The large and the small dining rooms
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1-2. The large and the small Green Salons
3. The General’s Room
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1-3. The Yellow room at sunrise
4-5. The Violet room exudes a feminine and romantic atmosphere
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Lapérouse
1. The façade of the restaurant
2. The Lapérouse salon
This former hôtel particulier, transformed in 1766
into a wine merchant’s, already had a reputation
for the quality of its dishes and its wine cellar. In
1840, the new owner, Jules Lapérouse, playing
on the name he shared with the famous sailor
Jean-François Galaup, Comte de La Pérouse,
decided to baptise the tavern Lapérouse in
homage to the explorer who disappeared
at sea. Around 1870, Lapérouse became the
essential rendezvous for all literary Paris. The
small individual salons on the upper floor thus
protected the confidentiality of negotiations
between editors and writers. Marble, oriental
rugs, painted frescoes, sculpted panelling… the
house had a makeover worthy of its guests and
became a very fashionable restaurant.
Over time, the private salons started to be used
for political meetings, writers looking for peace
or the secret amorous liaisons of the restaurant’
s illustrious clients. A concealed staircase leading
to the Grands Augustins convent allowed the
guests to arrive or leave one of the small salons
hidden from view. Today, once inside charm
takes over, and one has the feeling of going
back in time to the 18th century. At Lapérouse,
care has been taken never to alter the place,
and happily everything has been preserved:
panelling, frescoes, low ceilings, a refined
ambiance that is charged with history…
The restaurant benefits from an exceptional
location facing the Seine and the Ile-Saint-
Louis. The numerous windows of the first-floor
dining rooms allow light to flood in. The view is
marvellous and brings a feeling of calm, of being
able to breathe, a welcome moment of respite.
On the second floor, the red and gold Lapérouse
salon with its beamed ceiling faces the Seine.
It opens onto the Salon de la Boussole. Entirely
covered with embossed Cordova leather, this
room overlooks the rue des Grands Augustins.
At the end of the corridor is the very luminous
Salon de l’Astrolabe, a rococo room with
bright colours and numerous mouldings, whose
ceiling is painted with an antique planisphere.
On the ground floor is the Bar Velours, whose
comfortable armchairs welcome those who
enjoy aperitifs, digestifs, coffee or herbal teas. Its
piano, its subdued lighting, its library, its colonial
sculptures and its fireplace create a particularly
intimate atmosphere.
ParisNon 2006 Frédéric Arnaud
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1. The Salon de l’Astrolabe
2-3. The Bar Velours
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Château de Mirambeau
Enclosed by a wall, in the heart of a park, the
elegant façade of the château was full of
promise. Charles Montemarco was given carte
blanche and so let his imagination to run wild.
He set out to celebrate elegance and joy by
imagining a vast family house in the spirit of the
18th or 19th century, in which many previous
generations had left their tracks. A place that
had aged gracefully over time and been
enriched by souvenirs from Asia, the Orient,
travels in Europe… A house that had evolved
over the seasons and which continues to create
its own past.
The interior space has been completely
remodeled: walls knocked down, rooms
redistributed, floors and walls refurbished,
plaster cornices and panelling fitted, bathrooms
created… The common parts, the reception
room, the lounge, the library and the dining room
retain their graceful proportions. The high ceilings
with their aged beams, imposing sculpted
fireplaces with their tall mirrors, wood panelling
finished with a subtle patina, large sculpted
wooden doorways, some of them arched,
plaster cornices finished with a paintbrush to
give the impression that they bear the marks of
passing time, all combine to give the rooms their
elegance. On the upper floors, lots of little steps
up or down lead you to the bedrooms, some of
which are situated in the turrets of the château.
One moves through a labyrinth of charm,
punctuated by rooms and hideaways in a cosy
atmosphere, like at the garden level where you
walk down a few steps to arrive at the smoking
room / brandy lounge.
In order to create this feeling of bounty, which
exalts French taste and where comfort rules, all
the work has been carried out with meticulous
attention to detail. A genuine work of redemption
that gives a second life to the château.
1. The château viewed from the park
2. One of the hotel terraces
Charles Montemarco Mirambeau 2003 John Helsentine
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1. The large salon and its imposing fireplace
2. The Salon restaurant
3. The main staircase over the reception area
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1-3. A Junior Suite with a view over the park
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Hôtel Napoléon
Built in the 1920s, this hotel was offered as
a wedding present by a young Russian
entrepreneur to a young Frenchwoman with
whom he had fallen madly in love. Designed to
receive the illustrious guests of the high society
of the period, the hotel, at the crossroads of
two cultures, has never stopped embellishing
its interiors over its history, as it was passed from
generation to generation.
The 47 suites have been remodelled and newly
fitted out to offer the most modern create
comforts. With its intimate decor, elegance is
crossed with history and weaves one of the most
romantic of Parisian hotel getaways. From the
gaily coloured curtains to the harmonious choice
of silky smooth bedding fabrics, everything
speaks of an attention to detail.
The bed canopies are in surprising colours:
aniseed, turquoise, raspberry or saffran. The
bedheads are brightly coloured and each
room offers the calm atmosphere of an private
apartment, golden memories of the Empire
skilfully revisited. Here, a portrait of Josephine,
there the family tree of the Emperor or the smile
of a princess. Driven by the artistic tastes of the
owners, the establishment has stood the test of
time without losing either its independence of the
atmosphere of a family-owned establishment.
1. The reception hall
2. The Main Hall
Paris 2011 Hotel NapoléonMalphettes & Biz
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1. A small reception room
2. The salon in the Imperial Suite
3. One of the bedrooms in the Imperial Suite
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Château de Noizay
In the heart of the Loire châteaux and Vouvray
vineyards, the Château de Noizay was the
Protestant stronghold during the Amboise
conspiracy in 1560. The building preserves some
historic traces: the majestic stained glass windows
plunge the visitor into a mystical atmosphere.
Crossing the ages, it was renovated in 1989
to become this charming private home,
transformed into a four-star hotel while retaining
its historic stamp. The windows of the salons,
library and the dining room of the gastronomic
restaurant open onto a 24-hectare estate. The
particular style of the Château de Noizay is
highlighted everywhere by period furniture. Black
and white tiles here; ‘bâton rompu’ parquet
there; outside, the gravelled pathways of the
French formal garden: guests’ steps are serenely
guided by the finest taste.
The rooms of the restaurant have been elegantly
adorned with chocolate and beige colours, and
taffeta curtains. The library salon offers a graceful
tranquillity in which to relax or sip a drink. A
private salon with a refined decor is designated
for receptions and other family meals. The library
with its shimmering colours, containing so many
precious books, is decorated with a waxed paint
in golden yellow tones. With its fireplace, its
piano, its comfortable ‘crapaud’ armchairs and
several low tables in violet and fuchsia velvet,
the small salon, dedicated to Marie-Antoinette,
offers a warm and cosy ambiance for anyone
who chooses to relax there. The violet silk curtains
accentuate this authentic character.
1. The north façade as seen when arriving at the château
2. The entrance hall
2011Noizay Christophe BielsaCécile William
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Fallowing pages
1. A luxury room on the first floor of the château
2. A standard room
3. A superior room tucked away in the Clockhouse
1. A view of the salon
2. A burning fireplace offers a comforting glow
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Hôtel Raphael
Without any doubt, the Hôtel Raphael is the very
model of luxury à la française. After the opening
of the Hôtel Regina in 1900 and the Hôtel
Majestic in 1907, their founder Léonard Tauber
continued his flourishing career by opening
the Hôtel Raphael in 1925. It was deliberately
designed with a limited number of rooms in order
to give the place a very intimate and private
atmosphere.
The Raphael Suite, with a bedroom and a
study, is decorated with backed pictures of
exotic scenes in monochrome, done by the
same artist of La Morinerie. The ceramics in
the bathroom were painted by the same
house. Wall lights the form of bronze Nubians
harmonise the atmosphere. The Triplex, a 175m2
suite, is adorned with a red marble Louis XV-
style chimneypiece. Three original overmantels
from the Château des Ardennes show Chinese
scenes. In the State Suite, an exotically inspired
fabric by Zuber composes the decor of the main
bedroom.
The restaurant “La Salle à Manger” is decorated
with paintings inspired by the work of Hubert
Robert. The immaculate tablecloths, silverware
and a crystal chandelier give this room its charm.
The “English bar” is inviting with its soft lighting,
elegant decor and comfortable banquettes
and armchairs in velvet the colour of garnets.
The Hôtel Raphael remains the favourite meeting
place for the world’s elite.
1. Façade to the Hôtel Raphael
2. The hotel bar
Françoise Baverez Paris 2008 David Grimbert
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1. The “La Salle à Manger” restaurant
2. The salon in the State Suite
3. One of the bedrooms in the State Suite
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1. The Penthouse Suite
2. The Boudoir Room
3. The study in the duplex apartment
4. The bedroom in the State Suite
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1. The Junior Suite
2-3.The salon in the Arc de Triomphe Suite
4. The bedroom in the Arc de Triomphe Suite
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Interior design in french classic style (green e library)

Interior design in french classic style (green e library)

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