Interior designer Dario Musseda transformed the Paris offices into the apartment of a client who collects furniture in Memphis.
We love Dario Mucheda for his mastery of light, his ability to tame colors and the geometry of the locations. DPLG architect, graduate of Institut d’Architecture Lambert Lombard and Institut Saint Luc in Belgium, founder of Cabinet 2D, he has just signed for a collector client, a lover of furniture and objects from the Memphis movement, and especially by Ettore Sottsass, a bright apartment, a real an environment where elegance and audacity blend harmoniously.
The starting point
“My clients were looking for an apartment in Paris with two bedrooms, bright, not too durable, well-oriented and not too noisy… A difficult search. They finally found an apartment in the rue Hauteville in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, where offices were located. It was an area that clearly needed a complete makeover, initially with a number of rooms, a small sanitary area, a kitchen, toilets, ie one water inlet at the entrance, which involved a lot of work. The set lacked all-floor red-carpet glamour; we obviously took it out and repaired the floor, which was badly damaged, which was underneath. That said, it was 110m² with light, mouldings, and was in a 19th century building that mainly hosted businesses, so quiet at night. Real benefits! In addition to remodeling the space, one of the challenges was to stage my client’s artwork and vintage furniture, particularly by Ettore Sottsass; sometimes a very typically magnificent collection that should have been increased without falling into. too much or the spirit of the gallery.’
the entrance
Formerly a classic entrance for an office space Dr
Then, a choice of black wall from the entryway to add depth and highlight a line of vintage furniture and objects, notably signed by the Memphis group. Alexandra Meurant
“The entrance sets the tone with the contrast of the white walls and the black wall. This choice allows, here, to bring depth. In this area we have also installed a wardrobe with mirrors. This entrance serves the toilets and overlooks the hallway leading to the living room. In this hallway, the guest bathroom opens to the left, and the guest bedroom to the right.
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Living room
Then, the load-bearing wall with its original fireplace and mirror was painted black, like the thick line that separates the living room from the kitchen-dining room. Alexandra Meurant
Later, the hole connected to the passage of the old chimneys was turned into a library. Alexandra Meurant
“The living room is at the end of the corridor, towards the front door. Overall, my job in this presentation was to think about the finish and focus on the layout. In fact, it was in this room that we had to place as many lights and vintage furniture as possible. The sofa and armchairs were thus transformed to blend in with the spirit of the place without distorting it. Only Joe Colombo’s Tubo black vinyl lounge chair hasn’t been restyled. A strong choice here was to paint the wall separating this living room from the kitchen dining area black. It was a load-bearing wall with flues. Getting the right to touch it from co-ownership will take a very long time, not to mention heavy technical limitations. So we decided to keep it. The fireplace and the mirror were already there. The fireplace did not present any interesting elements. The mirror was painted by the previous owners. So we decided to make this wall with its fireplace and mirror a “big black line”, deliberately and strictly marking the division of this space between the kitchen-dining room. This note is emphasized by the molded surrounds of the two doors. On the other side of the living room, we took advantage of the opening, which was also connected to the old chimney passages, to create a library. The shelves are slanted because this alcove was triangular. Finally, a detail that can be found throughout the apartment: antique cast iron radiators. We wanted to keep elements of this period, just like the moldings, to contrast with the modern rooms. This conservation work was also important to our client.”
Lunch kitchen
Formerly a great room that would become a magnificent kitchen-dining room. Dr
Then, the fireplace gives way to a kitchen worktop, finished with a block-coordinated concrete island, which allows you to hide refrigerators and other unsightly elements. Alexandra Meurant
The dining room overlooking the kitchen area is then separated from the hallway by an open partition that allows light to circulate. Alexandra Meurant
“The constraint of a load-bearing wall always leads to thinking about a specific organization. As we could not open up the space to create a large living room with lounge, dining room and kitchen, we opted for two large reception rooms. The living room where you can spend the beginning and end of the evening and this open kitchen with dining area where you can stay while cooking with your guests. The part of the kitchen worktop leans against the wall where the fireplace used to be. It was a big project, installing water inlets and drainage. The goal here was to create a reception kitchen that doesn’t look like a kitchen. Therefore, we designed a large concrete block, 1m40 wide and 2m40 deep, which contains the technical elements and the refrigerator; in short, which makes it possible to disguise everything that is unattractive. A door is also hidden in this block. it provides access to a small laundry room. The central island is also made of concrete as a response to this block. We chose this raw material to contrast with the rest of the kitchen, clad in ceramic and gray veined black stone. This sobriety counterbalances the strong personality of the artworks and furniture. On the dining room side we find the back of the living room wall, the famous bearing wall, again painted black. We also installed a partition that does not rise to the ceiling to separate this dining room from the entrance hall, to provide privacy, not to open directly onto the bedroom door when eating, without preventing light circulation. This partition allowed us to create additional storage on the corridor side.”
Master bedroom
Previously, the moldings in the lower parts of the walls will become… headboards. Dr
Then, the master bedroom, where reading lights are integrated into moldings that serve as headboards. Alexandra Meurant
“From the kitchen-dining room we can see the entrance to the master bedroom. That’s why we decided to hide the bed from view by placing it in the opposite section. With the help of moldings on the bottom of the wall, we created a hood, in which we installed reading lights. The bed thus faces the wall that can be seen from the kitchen and which opens to the bathroom on the right and the dressing area on the left. With the idea of not always stopping the gaze with technical elements, we have not put a door to enter these areas, but sliding partitions. A choice that also allows passing through the light to circulate.”
The bathroom
Then, a shower with a floor that connects diagonally to the floor, both classic and amazing. Alexandra Meurant
Then, a bathroom filled with light, thanks to the presence of a window, but also the choice of veined white marble, synonymous with simplicity. Alexandra Meurant
“This bathroom next to the last bedroom has a window. We chose to highlight the beautiful brightness with a glass-enclosed shower that is completely transparent, with a floor that connects diagonally to the parquet floor. The white of the gray veined marble adds definition and contrasts with the black elements of the faucet, which break up the overly classic side.”
Source: Le Figaro
