French Provincial at Maison & Objet
Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 • Paris, France
Dear Parler Paris Reader, Martine di Matteo pulled up into the cobblestone courtyard at Place des Vosges with her car filled with accessories to add to the already beautiful decor at "Le Palace des Vosges." As we unloaded the lamps, mirrors, paintings, silver tea service, antique books, etc., we scurried around placing them and rearranging them until we had them in the positions that looked best.
Martine is our Interior Designer/Architect associate who has been the brain-child behind so many of our clients' luxury apartments. One after another she manages to prove her talent to combine her French esthetic with her American experience that desires comfort and functionality. She had been gone to the U.S. on the usual French month-long vacation, while we who stayed behind to enjoy the quiet of Paris in August, filled in to manage the final details in finishing the apartment.
Last January, just before the renovation began, Martine and I made our semi-annual visit to the design trade fair, Maison & Objet. It was there that together we chose most of the primary furnishings -- the kitchen cabinetry, cupboards, tables, chairs, sofa, chandeliers and other important "accoutrements."
This Friday we're going to do it again...but for our newest projects: "Le Saint-Tropez" and "La Brigitte" (my studio and studette) and for a client whose three-bedroom, three-bath luxury apartment with terrace in the heart of Le Marais is currently under renovation. Shopping the massive interior design trade fair is one of Paris life's little pleasures and going with Martine is a special treat as she knows everyone who's anyone worth knowing.
The massive show takes place September 4th through 8th at the exhibition hall known as "Paris Nord Villepinte" (near Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport) from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily (except 6 p.m. on closing day). The site has eight halls of exhibition space ranging from 7,100 to 48,000 square meters...of which almost every square centimeter is filled with exhibitors from all over the world.
The French outperform everyone when it comes to upholstery fabrics and the Italians seriously know how to design contemporary bathrooms. The Belgians are making inroads into accessories and the British play a big role in outdoor furnishings. The French, of course, are the primary exhibitors and much of the furnishings are "provincial" -- a style that can be described as "formal" yet for a "farmhouse" -- as comfortable, but elegant furnishings to suit a "gentleman farmer."
French provincial is "cozy, rustic, and warm, while carrying the elegance and opulent," according to Stephan Teak of "FurnitureStoresforYou.com/." "The colors are rich, dark, and use many of the same hues such as the rustic reds, bronze, grassy greens, and gold. French provincial is more regal but comfortable, using the different patterns in the furnishings to show sophistication and comfort."
This is Martine's 'forte' -- the kind of touch she set out to create at Le Palace des Vosges. Tonight we celebrate it's "naissance" -- toasting to its completion and its readiness to accept its new rightful owners. I offer a personal toast to Madame di Matteo, who we have to thank for allowing the "gentleman farmer" in each of us to show his face and desire for an elegant, comfortable and rich life in France...at my favorite corner in Paris, the Place des Vosges.Editor's Notes: Click on each link to learn more...
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- "Le Palace des Vosges" luxury fractional ownership apartment in the Place des Vosges.
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Adrian Leeds with Martine di Matteo
Editor, Parler Paris
