Located…
in the 8th arrondissement, Parc Monceau is considered one of the prettiest green patches in Paris. Landscaped in the 17th century at the behest of Philippe II, duc d’Orléans and redesigned in 1860 by Baron Haussmann, it has maintained an air of timeless exclusivity thanks to its many picturesque ponds, bridges, porticos, Corinthian archways, follies and statues of creative luminaries such as Guy de Maupassant and Frederic Chopin.
Surrounding…
the park are grand Haussmannian mansions known for their impeccably maintained classic cream stonework and decorative steel canopies. Some of these ‘hôtels particuliers’ have become embassies and corporate headquarters, though most have been converted into blue-chip apartments which rarely come up for sale.
This recently…
renovated two-level penthouse is a rare exception and was a dream project for Belgian interior designer and architect Hélène Van Marcke. Her first step was to open up the compartmentalized lay-out, originally split between a series of small attic rooms once occupied by domestic servants and a large apartment on the floor below. This was achieved by knocking through partition walls and installing a glass frame, custom-made in the ‘atelier d’artiste’ style allowing the kitchen to remain visible yet structurally sealed off for a more private and refined delineation between living area and functional space.
None of…
the apartment’s original decorative assets survived the home’s past renovations except for the arched windows seen in the main apartment and mansard roof. Van Marcke and her team have accentuated the original fenestration from within, framing these windows with broad, sweeping lines like those of a violin silhouette, lending them a sculptural look and creating an interesting interplay between light, depth and shadow, in what is otherwise a clean and sober environment. Indeed, this is a minimalist setting through and through, featuring moldings with simple angular dimensions and a solid oak parquet floor; together, they provide a soothing neutral backdrop for the owners’ enviable art and furniture collection which includes an Eero Saarinen ‘Tulip’ marble-topped dining table and a Cassina ‘Capitol Complex’ chair in teak and Viennese cane. Elsewhere, a plush pink velour sofa is perfectly matched with a palette of rich chocolate browns by way of a textured rug and the painted staircase leading up to a plant filled mezzanine.
Between…
the bespoke paned glass divide, is a narrow corridor transformed into an artistic feature, complete with a wooden branch sculpture set below a light-filled ‘full moon’ vitrine.
An office…
and top floor bedroom are kept simple and chic with plenty of natural light pouring in for a quiet sanctuary-like ambience. The Nyhavn Desk is a classic vintage piece by Danish architect/designer Finn Juhl, while a compact bedroom uses its ‘violin’window as an artistic focal point along with a pink Louis Poulsen PH 5 pendant light.
A separate…
A separate bathroom is almost entirely covered in glazed milky blue tiles for a transportive effect, as if you are entering a shimmering jewelry box.
Indeed…
by manipulating perspectives and championing luminescence, Hélène Van Marcke has created an intuitive flow through common and private spaces in this unique penthouse conversion, giving it a strong visual identity with plenty of pockets of interests that appear at once spirited and fresh, yet ineffably suffused with old world glamour.
Tap the look…
Interior Design & Architecture: Hélène Van Marcke
