As spring approaches, cast off the beige and take on technicolour – like the owner of this 19th-century Paris apartment
Elegant Parisian apartments aren’t known for their bold use of colour. So when Mathilde Baralhé – a lifelong fan of bright shades – moved into her new home, she filled it with primary-coloured furniture. But she kept the walls, floors, mouldings and panelling neutral. “I was tempted to paint the apartment in bright colours,” she says, “but I was worried the combination would be too much. It is now the perfect backdrop to the furniture.” The reds, yellows and blues are repeated throughout to give her home a sense of cohesion.
Living room
Baralhé has stuck to her three-way primary colour scheme – from armchairs to coffee cups. The mock snakeskin rug is linoleum that she cut in the shape of a traditional bearskin (try Armstrong Flooring). “Most of the furniture is pretty arty, but I didn’t want the flat to look like a gallery. So I chose natural colours for the walls, such as greys and linens,” she says. “I wanted to make a feature of the mouldings, so I picked those out in a darker shade. I also made sure some furniture was more discreet, such as a white sofa.” The coffee table and lounge chair are by Italian designer Pucci de Rossi (made75.com).
Hall
The hallway is dominated by an extraordinary zebra “rug” etched into the wood floor. “The floors in the hall were in such poor condition they couldn’t be refurbished, so I asked the artist Marc-Antoine Moroy, who specialises in trompe l’oeil, to paint this for me. He used oil paint directly on to the polished floorboards, then varnished it so that it wouldn’t deteriorate too quickly.” Try Stephen Farnworth for similar finishes in the UK. The red, blue and yellow palette continues with a dozen framed prints, with walls and panelling in neutral shades.
Dining room
A set of Louis XVI-style chairs have been given a twist with PVC seats and backs, while a wall-mounted bookcase picks out primary shades, tying together the apartment’s colour scheme. The red and black zebra-print rug is by Tassin.
Bedroom
A red PVC bed takes centre stage in the master bedroom. Deborah Bowness’s Books wallpaper covers wardrobe doors and continues the trompe d’oeil theme.
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