- Interior
- Architecture & development
Parisian interior design firm After Bach managed to beautifully design an art collector's flat in a 17th-century building in the city's first arrondissement. Overlooking Place Dauphine, the materials, furniture and art were carefully chosen to reflect the typical grandeur.
Located in the first arrondissement, this flat is on the third floor of a 17th-century listed five-storey building. Located on the Seine in Paris and Quai de l'Horloge, this location was immediately something After Bach wanted to incorporate into the interior. They did this using a colour palette and textures that they felt were quintessentially Parisian, including parquet floors, sage-green lacquer as a nod to the Seine, and ivory lime plaster. By sticking to this neutral but decidedly refreshing palette, the different areas of the house constantly flow from one room to another. Above all, the residence is an authentic representation of its owner, a French art collector with a passion for classical art, architecture and music. The whole consists of the main entrance, which acts as a gallery before giving access to the kitchen, a dining area, living room and library, which can be converted into a guest room - all with lavish views of the Seine. 
The wooden herringbone floors were deliberately left rough and unpolished, while the use of mirrors and high arches give small rooms an illusion of space. For instance, the view along the length of the room suite is 'doubled' thanks to a mirrored alcove at the end that adds a dreamy quality to the spatial experience. Stone skirting, in turn, traverses the house and interacts with the sculpted washbasins and bathtub in the bathroom and the fireplaces of honed marble. The flat is suffused with light and the windows are left unmarked to maximise the stunning views. With this separation between the 'day part' and the 'night part', the team wanted to create different experiences depending on the time of day and how the light enters the rooms. Balance, harmony and breathtaking views of the city - there really isn't much more you could wish for.
‘True modernity lies in reinventing the past’
Minimal, historic and sculptural at the same time, this multifaceted flat, once home to an artist, uses emptiness as part of the design concept. The mix of fabrics and dialogue between colours fit seamlessly with After Bach's approach to framing spaces. ‘True modernity lies in reinventing the past,’ we hear. In every nook and cranny of this austere but warm sanctuary that pays homage to its quintessentially French location, all the carefully curated pieces of furniture and art - by Camilla Reyman and Yuko Nishikawa of gallery JAG, among others - form a dialogue and balance with the flat itself, resulting in a complete symphony. 
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Photography by Vincent Leroux
Text by Elke Aerts