House Cherche Midi, Paris

This private mansion is nestled between gardens, tucked away behind a private courtyard which is enclosed by a monumental forged iron door. This project was led by Gisèle Ghanem for Laurent Bourgois Architecture alongside the London based decorators Collett-Zarzycki. They worked together to create what Laurent Bourgois described as a “tailor-made project”. At first, one is disarmed by the all-embracing approach to colour and style; but on deeper reflection, the creative vision crystallises, expressed in the unexpected harmonies and classical proportions. In the basement, the volumes and the architectural structure have been preserved while each of the upper floors has been entirely transformed. Each floor seems to contain a new house, a new world. Most of the furniture is custom-built by decorators using a rich variety of textures and materials. These befit the eclectic atmosphere created by the remarkable assembly of decorative objects amassed from flea-markets and antiques fairs. Artworks from the private collection of the owner give a cosmopolitan soul to this very Parisian pied-à-terre.