"There Needs to Be Surprises" — This Happy-Making Parisian Apartment Is Packed With Whimsy and Color

Creating sophisticated interiors doesn’t always mean taking a serious approach — just take this very chic Parisian apartment and its happy-go-lucky vibe as an example

By
published
in Features
Living room with curved ceiling, pale pink sofa, built-in bookcase and fireplace, floral armchairs and polka dot rug
(Image credit: Stephan Julliard)

For interior designer Anne-Sophie Pailleret, interiors should be joyful and fun. "My aim is not to create something strict and museum-like," she says. "I want my projects to have a soul, and for that, there needs to be something off-kilter, a number of surprises."

She certainly took a light-hearted approach to this modern home in the heart of the French capital’s 16th arrondissement. A sculpture in the living area comes in the form of a trio of brightly-colored balloons; the partition in the dining room looks as though it’s been decorated with bronze confetti, and one of the kitchen walls has been adorned with a rubber ring.

TV room with walls in golf leaf, ceiling in chevron wood wallpaper, purple sofa and wood side table

Anne-Sophie used two different wallpaper prints across the walls and ceiling in the TV room. (Image credit: Stephan Julliard)

Anne-Sophie Pailleret was helped in her endeavours by her client, a beauty entrepreneur who more or less gave her free rein. "She makes about 300 decisions a day, likes to take risks and to place her trust in people," the designer explains.

Dining room with slatted dining chairs and dark wood table, sculptural chandelier, orange metallic wall art and copper leaf panels

Keeping with the playful nature of the interior, Anne-Sophie chose a light fixture that reminds her of a lasso for the dining room, which nicely offsets the sculptural forms of the client’s chairs. (Image credit: Stephan Julliard)

Previously, the two-bedroom flat was filled with a multitude of small rooms. Anne-Sophie knocked down numerous walls to create a spacious living room, allowing light to flow in from both sides. She also managed to raise the ceiling height by more than 20 centimeters.

Copper kitchen with pink marble splashback and pale yellow bar stools

One of the few ideas Anne-Sophie’s client did not run with was her proposal to paint the ceiling with yellow and white stripes. "I wanted to bring a touch of Miami Beach to Paris," says the designer. (Image credit: Stephan Julliard)

Much of the decoration was inspired by her client’s collection of art. The Damien Hirst dot painting was the starting point for the pastel hues in the main modern bedroom, while the metallic tones in the kitchen were derived from the wall sculpture by Berlin-based Georgian artist Thea Djordjadze in the adjacent dining area.

"In many of my rooms, I work with the same color and use it in a variety of different shades," explains Anne-Sophie.

Bedroom with beige textured walls, built-in headboard, pink bed and bench, pink and white rug and oak console

Anne-Sophie compares the design to a candy store — but a very upmarket one. (Image credit: Stephan Julliard)

Anne-Sophie’s work also features sophisticated touches, which were particularly appropriate here. "They correspond perfectly to my client," she says. "She has amazing clothes, jewelry, shoes, and bags. I’ve never seen her in sweatpants."

The walls of the TV room have been clad with gold-leafed wallpaper, while a bespoke cabinet in the main bedroom sports Japanese ash doors woven with gilded thread.

Green bathroom with marble sink and bath, mosaic floor and built-in seating

The idea was to create a personal spa bathroom, so there is a bench "for reading or whiling away the time while your face mask dries". (Image credit: Stephan Julliard)

The two women had particular fun selecting from fabric brands for this home. "I really like creating connections between what you might wear and what you put on your couch," says Anne-Sophie. "When I’d present a fabric to her, she’d wrap it around her and note how it would make a great skirt."

In the designer’s mind, the upholstery on the sofa and armchairs in the living room is reminiscent of Chanel tweeds, while the fabric on the stool in the bathroom would be perfect for a kimono.

Powder room with yellow and blue-splattered walls and wood and blue marble sink

The starting point for the powder room design was the bluish Brazilian stone used for the vanity. Anne-Sophie’s regular collaborator, French decorative artist Solène Eloy, created a wraparound, confetti-like motif for the walls. (Image credit: Stephan Julliard)

True to her design philosophy, all these precious elements were offset by a wonderfully playful spirit. Anne-Sophie compares the legs of the coffee table in the living room to marshmallows, states that the chandelier in the dining room is like a lasso, and that the Pierre Gonalons ceiling lights in the bathroom resemble lollipops.

"Everywhere you look, there are amusing, almost childlike touches," she says. "They’re very much part of my decorating DNA."

Ian Phillips
Contributor