Picture the elements of the ultimate, dream Paris pied-à-terre — essentially beautiful, minimalist interiors, painstakingly curated decor, and a hyper-strategic location. This apartment might just have it all, or so thinks Jérémy Chaillou, the founder of Marseille- and Paris-based multidisciplinary design studio Chaille.
A perfectly balanced narrative where old meets new, the sleek hideout finds its home within the walls of a historic timber-framed — or pan-de-bois — 14th-century building in the Marais.
When approached by the homeowner, the young Parisian entrepreneur Aaron Taieb, Chaillou and his team were given that elusive and exceptionally rare 'golden ticket' — carte blanche. Not only did Taieb intend not to bring any furniture, furnishings, or accessories from another house, but Chaille was given the freedom to curate its entire look and feel.
"This kind of trust is rare," Chaillou notes. The result is a bachelor pad that feels "intentionally masculine and affirmed," he says. A space that wows.
With choice on tap, the key question might then be, "where to start?" But for Chaillou, who approaches every project by "listening to what a place is already saying", the answer was evidently clear.
"The original beams are everywhere: low, exposed, irregular. They are so present, and so loaded historically that they became the starting point of the entire project," he says.
Seeking to create a "dynamic and frank" dialogue with the pre-existing architecture, Chaillou and his team brought in contrasting materials such as stone and stainless steel, solid wood and glass, and matte and mirrored surfaces.
"It's a heritage shell inhabited by a precise, almost architectural set of contemporary gestures," explains the designer. Design magpies will no doubt be enthralled, as this jewel box of different finishes certainly catches the eye.
The residence is nestled inside what were once two separate buildings. This prompted Chaillou to pay particular attention to some of its architectural features, such as a split across two different levels by a half floor, in his new design.
A chic brass step now defines the original threshold, adjoining the main living room and kitchen spaces.
The axis played to the designer's imagination, and now one of the project's key materials — a Pierre du Nivernais limestone floor sourced from the Nivernais region — is laid out in a strikingly precise and contemporary cabochon pattern.
This, along with what Chaillou refers to as the flooring's "dense, slightly veined surface", creates the foundation and exposition of old meets new.
The multiple reflective elements, meanwhile, create different perspectives in the space, adding a multi-dimensional feeling to it.
In the living room area, a Rotondo sofa designed by The Socialite Family has been covered in a rich, dark-red cowhide, Western-style leather.
A Willy Rizzo coffee table is positioned low-level in the center of the space, allowing visitors to appreciate what lies in front of them at eye-level: an element Chaillou considers "a signature piece" from the studio, the mirror-clad feature fireplace.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, bespoke brushed stainless steel cabinetry meets an Avocatus Quartzite worktop — a stone with deep green veining that sets the tone in this room.
The handles are crafted from chromed Marbelo, and the combination of materials used "is deliberately tactile", the designer explains.
They are essentially cold materials, but deeply sensual. The leather and stainless steel Axel Chay chairs, the custom mahogany and aluminum table, and the wall sconces by Violaine d'Harcourt, bring a chic touch to the scheme.
Elsewhere, a Tom Ducarouge-designed pendant lamp — suspended above the dining table — puts a sculptural metal artwork by designer-ceramist Sophie Blouin under the spotlight.
As you move through the apartment, "the language softens", Chaillou explains, starting from the bedroom. This shift in tone is indicated primarily by the "darker, richer, more enveloping" mahogany-stained wood that he has chosen for the bespoke bed and cabinetry.
Wall-to-wall golden carpeting adds another element of undeniable decadence, whilst a splash of deep green paint sets the appropriate backdrop for a bronze sculpture by Victor Guedy, which quietly sits on the wall. It's enveloping, like the design equivalent of a warm embrace — the kind you might never want to leave but keep lingering in.
Multiple inspirations informed this project, Chaillou explains. These include Stanley Kubrick, for the rigor of his interiors and his "obsession for proportion and tension", Carlo Scarpa, for his examples of meeting new metal with old stone, and Jean Prouvé, for the "directness of the materials" and the "honesty" of his structural designs.
The influence of each of these cultural legends is subtly woven throughout the apartment.
Incorporating such a diverse and dazzling palette of materials in a historic building didn't come without its challenges.
"The 17th-century structure imposed strict constraints," the designer explains. "On the practical side, getting heavy materials — Pierre du Nivernais, quartzite slabs, stainless steel sheets — up to a protected, timber-framed Marais apartment was a logistical challenge on its own."
While the original beams are beautiful and a key element to the Chaillou-envisioned scheme, they proved "old and irregular", and meant that nothing could be drawn from a standard module.
"Every joint and piece of millwork had to be measured on site," he says, "and the polished, reflective finishes had to be installed at the very end of the build, in a space where every other trade had already passed through." The sequencing itself was an exercise in discipline.
The most surprising aspect of the project, though, Chaillou indicates, was actually "historical, not technical".
"This building hosted the literary salon of French writer Ninon de Lenclos in the 17th century — one of the most influential intellectual circles of her time.
Working in a place loaded with that kind of memory shifts how you draw, and every gesture has to earn its place," he says.
From a famed salon littéraire to a characterful bachelor pad, Chaillou has written a compelling new chapter in this apartment's history.
Side table in metal featuring a minimalist design with a round tabletop. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Supplied flat-packed, ready to assemble.
Crafted from a wool-mix ple, the Raya rug features a hand-drawn pattern applied with a hand-tufting technique, inspired by the graphic geometrics found throughout White City House. A contrasting pile adds texture and sheen, while the versatile design makes it ideal for placing under a sofa, bed, or dining table.
Modern and minimalistic serving piece where shiny steel meets a tactile finish. Designed for fruit and sweets — and for staying out on the table as a centerpiece. Part of AFTONHAJ, a stainless steel series.
