Lafontaine

Working in a listed building in the prestigious 16th arrondissement always requires great care. Our discerning, knowledgeable clients gave us creative freedom, remaining open to discussion and our proposals while bringing strong preferences of their own.
The building, designed by architect Hector Guimard in 1911, is a fine example of Art Nouveau. Our intervention needed to be precise and sensitive, preserving period decorative features including plaster mouldings, stained glass and fireplaces.
The apartment has three bedrooms and a generous double reception room. We opened up the entrance while defining the reception area with a low unit topped by a timber-framed glazed partition. Its generous rounded forms feel softer and warmer than industrial steel glazing.
The double doors between kitchen and living room echo this screen: the timber pattern is equally elegant whether the doors are fully open or closed. A central island provides a breakfast spot for the couple’s two children, with refined straight-grained oak supports and a slender white Corian worktop.
We proposed a completely dark entrance in midnight blue (Farrow & Ball Stiffkey Blue) to contrast with the bright living rooms. The clients embraced the idea, except for the ceiling, which remained white. Touches of colour in the living-room bookcases (Little Greene Royal Navy) and guest WC (Ressource Pale Egyptian Buff) enliven an entrance that might otherwise feel austere, while highlighting the listed stained-glass window overlooking the internal courtyard.
The challenge was to create a comfortable principal bedroom in a pentagonal room. The owners needed extensive wardrobe space, so we devoted two walls to storage, leaving the other three clear and open towards the outside. The bed stands centrally, with a headboard in leather by Cuir au Carré and solid oak. This key feature of the design prompted much discussion and refinement.
The bathroom is shared by two bedrooms. We incorporated a laundry area, a shower and a bath. Black-and-white hexagonal mosaic, characteristic of the 1920s, covers the floor and walls.
Each child’s bedroom has bespoke joinery and its own colour scheme. One even has an adjoining shower in a small triangular room.
The finished apartment is harmonious and peaceful, a home this family of four can enjoy every day.

Working in a listed building in the prestigious 16th arrondissement always requires great care. Our discerning, knowledgeable clients gave us creative freedom, remaining open to discussion and our proposals while bringing strong preferences of their own.
The building, designed by architect Hector Guimard in 1911, is a fine example of Art Nouveau. Our intervention needed to be precise and sensitive, preserving period plaster mouldings, stained glass and fireplaces.
The apartment has three bedrooms and a generous double reception room. We opened up the entrance while defining the reception area with a low unit topped by a timber-framed glazed partition. Its generous rounded forms feel softer and warmer than industrial steel glazing.
The double doors between kitchen and living room echo this screen, with a timber pattern equally elegant whether open or closed. A central island provides a breakfast spot for the two children, with straight-grained oak supports and a slender white Corian worktop.
We proposed a completely dark entrance in midnight blue (Farrow & Ball Stiffkey Blue) to contrast with the bright living rooms. The clients embraced the idea, except for the ceiling, which remained white. Touches of colour in the living-room bookcases (Little Greene Royal Navy) and guest WC (Ressource Pale Egyptian Buff) enliven an entrance that might otherwise feel austere, while highlighting the listed stained-glass window overlooking the internal courtyard.
The challenge was to create a comfortable principal bedroom in a pentagonal room. The owners needed extensive wardrobe space, so we devoted two walls to storage, leaving the other three clear and open towards the outside. The bed stands centrally, with a headboard in leather by Cuir au Carré and solid oak. This key feature of the design prompted much discussion and refinement.
The bathroom is shared by two bedrooms. We incorporated a laundry area, a shower and a bath. Black-and-white hexagonal mosaic, characteristic of the 1920s, covers the floor and walls.
Each child’s bedroom has bespoke joinery and its own colour scheme. One even has an adjoining shower in a small triangular room.
The finished apartment is harmonious and peaceful, a home this family of four can enjoy every day.