QUAI DES GRANDS AUGUSTINS
A haven of peace on the rooftops of Paris
Quai des Grands Augustins
It was while leafing through the pages of an interior design magazine that the inspiration to contact Hélène for interior decoration came to the owners of this apartment high up in the heart of the French capital.
At their first meeting, they fell under the spell of her way of understanding materials and bringing spaces to life. They entrusted her with the lighting of this triplex on the top floor of a beautiful building on the Quai des Grands Augustins, while giving interior designer Olivier Lempereur the responsibility for a total restructuration of the space. Their rapport was immediate, and they worked hand in hand for several months to revitalise the apartment to match the owners’ personalities and deepest aspirations.
For Hélène, this involved providing an exclusive support, studying each detail in order to give the whole a unique appeal. Floors, wall coverings, furniture, fabrics and even household linens were skilfully selected to create a complete coherence.
A real hamlet nestled under the rooftops, the apartment has four terraces and a maze of rooms, some with a beautiful view of the Seine. It provides a Parisian refuge for a collector, and reflects the owner’s passion for comic books.
As an overall theme, a beautiful selection of original comic prints is displayed to the best advantage, and yet fits seamlessly in the overall layout.
The couple’s style desires were treated by Hélène in a very contemporary way, anchoring the space in its era, while retaining attractive echoes of certain very Parisian codes.The dressing room should provide a cocooning environment with being weighed down by wall hangings? Fair enough! Hélène selected a covering for the doors that perfectly reproduces the weft of a fabric while avoiding its heaviness.
The reception area is embellished with a wide plank parquet in a beautiful light oak, while the paint on the walls brings incredible depth to the room. In the bedroom, under the roof, a very ‘townhouse’ feel was created by selecting elegant fabrics in warm tones. Natural stone in the bathroom warms Hélène’s refined signature.
Sometimes, turning a corner, you find a little touch of fantasy, which gives a fresh and ultra-modern note to the whole. Colourful nightstands make the master bedroom shine, while a stretch of kitchen wall is decorated with a bold wall paper on which lobsters seem to have emerged right from the nearby Seine.
Hélène took the time to accompany her clients to collectable furniture galleries and showrooms, guiding them along every stage of their reflection. Their three-way meeting with furniture creator Christophe Delcourt was incredibly rich.
In the end, the success of the project was based on a mutual trust built between Hélène, the owners and the interior designer. The latter smilingly confess that they will miss these long months of exchanges between lovers of beauty!
At a certain point, in the alchemy of a project, every little piece falls into place and the result becomes exactly what the client wants.
Materials, decorating and design - Hélène Guillon Lempereur
Interior decorator - Olivier LempereurNext
A family nest, perched above Paris