Parisian interior designer Kelly Boukobza has many influences: think furniture by Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand, and the art of Keith Haring and Piet Mondrian. She also likes to keep up to date with what’s happening in the hospitality world. "I love checking out hotels," she says. "Even in Paris, I regularly go to spend a night in one."
In most of her projects, she integrates Art Deco interior design touches, too. Several examples can be found in this modern home she revamped on Paris’ Right Bank. One is the travertine fireplace with its ribbed, rounded forms, which is the focal point of the sitting room.
"When you think of stone, you imagine something rectilinear and solid," Kelly Boukobza, founder of KY Architecture, says. "With this model, I wanted to demonstrate that it doesn’t need to be hard and cold. Its forms make it a lot gentler."
The marble floor was conceived as a deconstructed version of a Versailles parquet.
Shop the exact chair Kelly used in this kitchen, from Gubi.
The owner of the apartment, Sarah, had been familiar with KY Architecture's work for quite some time. "[Kelly] was one of the first people I started following on Instagram," she recalls. "For me, she embodies Parisian elegance. I told her, 'Decorate the space as if it were your own.' I didn’t want to direct or restrict her."
You can see the Parisian-style decor throughout the home.
"We wanted an apartment where we would be able to entertain our families," says Sarah. "We specifically asked for a large dining table."
Kelly decided to keep the apartment’s classical feel, but to give it a twist. Most of her interiors are characterized by the particular attention she pays to both floors and ceilings.
The latter in the modern living room was treated with a striking diamond pattern. A number of the floor motifs, meanwhile, were inspired by a trip she made to the Palace of Versailles while working on the project.
"When I see something that inspires me, I never copy it literally," she notes. "I always want to transform it." The graphic three-toned marble floor in the kitchen was conceived as a deconstructed version of a traditional Versailles parquet.
"I love onyx, but didn’t want to do the whole floor in it. That would have been too expected," says Kelly. "Instead, I inserted bands of it into the parquet."
Make like Kelly with a marble console — this one from Anthropologie is on trend with its rich burgundy hue.
It is only one of the apartment’s striking gestures. Others include the wavy mirror in the entryway, placed on a textured, striped wall that was Kelly’s own handiwork.
"I did it with the glue you use to fix tiles, which was then painted," she says. "I borrowed the tiler’s rake-like tool. It took me about five minutes."
"The artistic door is the real focal point in this space," notes Kelly of the modern bedroom idea.
One common element in all her projects is the use of marble. "It’s like a miracle from nature, which is never the same," she enthuses.
The shower in this white and green marble bathroom resembles a swirling sea, while the guest WC has been fitted with bookmarked Panda White marble.
"For me, this room is very calming," says Sarah. "I love the way the veins of the marble flow across the space. It’s like a wave of serenity."
The space she is most proud of is the girls’ room, which has a bunk bed lodged in an alcove, with its very own staircase. It’s not just playful but also very practical.
A third mattress is hidden in the structure’s base so the girls can invite a friend for a sleepover, and there is a storage drawer concealed in each of its steps — a very clever children's room storage idea.
"The bunk bed is my creation of the year," quips Kelly. "I really wanted to design a cool space where kids walk in and go 'Wow!'"
Style your bed or sofa with a pair of these natural and black woven cushions from Barker & Stonehouse.
Her clients could hardly be more delighted with the overall result. While Kelly regularly checks into hotels, they can’t wait to go home. "Nowadays, we’re happy to get back from holiday," admits Sarah. "It’s better here than even a five-star suite."