Houzz Tour: Heartfelt Decor Transforms a French Apartment
A designer weaves his clients’ interests and European and African heritages through their renovated home
A couple looking for more space were lucky enough to find a beautiful three-room apartment in the eastern Parisian suburb of Vincennes. They fell in love with the floor plan, with its double-size living room, separate kitchen and bedroom, and bright natural light from the living room’s large windows. But the apartment needed a renovation.
The owners called on interior designer Olivier Bourdon, who had renovated the apartment of one of their friends. They told him about their Dutch and Algerian backgrounds, their fondness for vintage items, and their interests in art, philosophy and culture. Bourdon then represented these preferences throughout the home.
The owners called on interior designer Olivier Bourdon, who had renovated the apartment of one of their friends. They told him about their Dutch and Algerian backgrounds, their fondness for vintage items, and their interests in art, philosophy and culture. Bourdon then represented these preferences throughout the home.
Entering the living room is a striking experience. On the wall, a huge wallpaper mural immerses the viewer in the light that is so characteristic of Dutch Golden Age paintings by artists like Johannes Vermeer and Pieter van Ruijven.
Bourdon found the brass coffee table with a green marble top at an auction for about $250.
Mural: Au Fil des Couleurs; jute rug: AMPM
Bourdon found the brass coffee table with a green marble top at an auction for about $250.
Mural: Au Fil des Couleurs; jute rug: AMPM
On the floor, the typically ’60s brick-pattern parquet was sanded and treated with matte varnish to bring out its light color.
The idea of furnishing the apartment in ’50s and ’60s style appealed to both the talented bargain-hunter owners and Bourdon, who says, “I enjoyed doing this because I grew up in a family of antiques dealers.”
One of the owners found the two green armchairs, and Bourdon discovered the Scandinavian sofa.
Gray wall paint: Mineral Grey, The Real Vintage collection, Ressource
The idea of furnishing the apartment in ’50s and ’60s style appealed to both the talented bargain-hunter owners and Bourdon, who says, “I enjoyed doing this because I grew up in a family of antiques dealers.”
One of the owners found the two green armchairs, and Bourdon discovered the Scandinavian sofa.
Gray wall paint: Mineral Grey, The Real Vintage collection, Ressource
One of the owners grew up in the Netherlands, where large windows are common, so she was very pleased to find windows this size. Giving them the right finish was a question of creating large storage benches. A pine plywood, known in France as batipin, lends a warm vintage atmosphere. While inexpensive, the wood still has a gorgeous surface.
“Initially, we didn’t plan to clad the strip of wall next to the window, but the mural, sold in one size, was not wide enough to cover the entire wall. This batipin wall veneer solved the problem and frames the window well,” Bourdon says.
“Initially, we didn’t plan to clad the strip of wall next to the window, but the mural, sold in one size, was not wide enough to cover the entire wall. This batipin wall veneer solved the problem and frames the window well,” Bourdon says.
The other half of the large living room serves as a library and office. This was a necessity for the owners, who have a lot of books and who work from home regularly.
The library was custom-made out of the same pine plywood as the window seats by Jan Maes, a carpenter with an artistic streak who also paints and sculpts in his free time. Paying great attention to practicality and the lines of the room, he recommended building slightly staggered, adjustable shelves and a desk that extends from the bookcase.
The library was custom-made out of the same pine plywood as the window seats by Jan Maes, a carpenter with an artistic streak who also paints and sculpts in his free time. Paying great attention to practicality and the lines of the room, he recommended building slightly staggered, adjustable shelves and a desk that extends from the bookcase.
The owners gave the room a touch of warmth by adding this handmade wool Beni Ourain carpet.
Kilim, Flokati, Beni Ourain, Boucherouite — What’s the Difference? | Browse Beni Ourain-style rugs
Kilim, Flokati, Beni Ourain, Boucherouite — What’s the Difference? | Browse Beni Ourain-style rugs
The vintage atmosphere continues into the kitchen, thanks to a toile-like wallpaper and an old family table with matching Thonet bistro chairs.
The wall on the left is covered with the pine plywood, a common thread throughout the apartment, while the laminated oak counter echoes the wood on the other side of the room.
Design Workshop: Plywood as Finish
The wall on the left is covered with the pine plywood, a common thread throughout the apartment, while the laminated oak counter echoes the wood on the other side of the room.
Design Workshop: Plywood as Finish
Wallpaper: Carnival, Au Fil des Couleurs; browse French toile wallpaper
Handmade Moroccan tiles make up the backsplash. Their slightly imperfect surfaces have the artistic and traditional feel the owners were looking for.
Wooden utensils and jars of spices remind the owners of their different journeys. “We have tried to design the interior of every room as a mixture of East and West, which is a way to both travel without leaving the house and hint at the owners’ roots,” Bourdon says.
An ultramarine wall adorns the other side of the kitchen. “This deep blue contrasts well with the batipin and creates the atmosphere of another place, like the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech.”
Wall paint: Marin, Forestine collection, Ressource; countertop: Leroy Merlin
Wall paint: Marin, Forestine collection, Ressource; countertop: Leroy Merlin
A soothing olive green on the hallway’s walls and ceiling creates a feeling of calm on the way to the bedroom. Batipin covers two of the bedroom walls to extend the warm wooden atmosphere.
On the floor, an organic wool carpet represents the couple’s love of natural materials, as does the set of washed-linen bedsheets.
One of the walls is actually a closet about 16 inches deep. The cabinet and drawer fronts were created with care to ensure that the wood grain continues from one element to the next.
“The batipin, which is a softwood plywood, naturally has a beautiful grain, and it would have been unfortunate not to exploit it. But it requires real expertise,” Bourdon says.
One of the walls is actually a closet about 16 inches deep. The cabinet and drawer fronts were created with care to ensure that the wood grain continues from one element to the next.
“The batipin, which is a softwood plywood, naturally has a beautiful grain, and it would have been unfortunate not to exploit it. But it requires real expertise,” Bourdon says.
The bathroom continues the kitchen’s ultramarine theme. “We kept struggling to find the right decor for this room until we finally came up with the idea of waterproof wallpaper. The owners immediately liked it,” Bourdon says.
The paper is coated in resin in several stages to make it water-repellent.
Wallpaper: Wet System collection by Wall&decò
The paper is coated in resin in several stages to make it water-repellent.
Wallpaper: Wet System collection by Wall&decò
The sink and the bathtub were already here when the couple moved in. To complement their vintage spirit, Bourdon bargain-hunted and found an old metal hospital cart with ceramic shelves to store bathroom accessories.
“We tried to evoke the styles that [the owner] particularly likes: those of Jean Cocteau and Madeleine Castaing, a 20th-century decorator and antiques dealer who was in love with blue and conceived decor ideas that ran contrary to contemporary canons,” Bourdon says. “She wanted to ‘make poetry with furniture,’ and to do so, she blended styles and eras without fearing contradictions.”
“We tried to evoke the styles that [the owner] particularly likes: those of Jean Cocteau and Madeleine Castaing, a 20th-century decorator and antiques dealer who was in love with blue and conceived decor ideas that ran contrary to contemporary canons,” Bourdon says. “She wanted to ‘make poetry with furniture,’ and to do so, she blended styles and eras without fearing contradictions.”
This faucet, designed by Antonio Citterio for Axor, was selected for its retro look. A beveled mirror adds to the vintage theme.
The owners “told me what their guests said when they first saw the apartment: They found that it evokes harmony, elegance, comfort and good feelings in general,” Bourdon says. “What better compliment could I ask for? To succeed with a project, it is really important for the clients to open up and unveil their personalities. The owners went along with it, and I thank them for that.”
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The owners “told me what their guests said when they first saw the apartment: They found that it evokes harmony, elegance, comfort and good feelings in general,” Bourdon says. “What better compliment could I ask for? To succeed with a project, it is really important for the clients to open up and unveil their personalities. The owners went along with it, and I thank them for that.”
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Tour homes around the world
Find a designer to help you create a personal style
Apartment at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who like vintage things, books and travel
Location: Vincennes, France
Size: 646 square feet (60 square meters)
Designer: Olivier Bourdon of Bambù
“Except for the central heating system and oak flooring, there was nothing worth keeping” in the apartment, Bourdon says. One of the owners asked him to keep all traces of its history and give it a personal touch wherever there were incongruities in the decor. Her partner emphasized his desire for beauty, space and a feeling of well-being.
Bourdon asked them to name adjectives that appeal to them. One of the owners listed “melancholy, unusual, simple, eclectic, exuberant, intimate and studious,” while the other offered “calm and Zen.”
Bourdon came up with a design that references the modernism of the 1960s, when the building was constructed. He offered the owners a palette of olive green and raw wood, contrasted and connected by ultramarine. They immediately agreed to the proposal. The work took about four months and cost about $52,000.