The chicest room in Paris right now? Our vote goes to designer Christian Liaigre’s new vintage furniture gallery in the heart of the 7th Arrondisement, which he designed in collaboration with antiques dealer and self-described “scénographer” Florence Lopez, who plucked the majority of the furnishings straight from her own shop.
Photography by Philippe Garcia, unless otherwise noted.
Above: The fireplace wall is an homage to the great 20th-century artist Sonia Delaunay, who decorated a car in this pattern in 1918–and in the 1950s showcased her own work in this very space. Lopez told us: “In the early 2000s, I proposed to Charlotte Gainsbough–one of my fair clients–that I paint her Paris living room with this fabulous pattern. She wasn’t sure, so I was very happy to finally realize the wall.”
The open-by-appointment gallery “full of beautiful light, very high ceilings, like a theater set,” says Lopez”is at 61 Rue de Varenne, which also houses Liaigre’s main Paris showroom. All the pieces are for sale and the setup keeps evolving as new designs replace sold items. The mirrors are circa 1905 designs from Prague with wooden frames that incorporate leather and cardboard. Read on for more details.
Above: Green walls envelop a pair of 1960s freeform sofas by American designer Harvey Probber that have brass legs and their original brown upholstery. The bronze side tables are Liaigre’s Guridon Fold design.
“We wanted an antiques gallery that resembled no other,” Lopez told Fashion Sphinx. “On one side, you have Christian Liaigre, who has been creating furniture for 30 years–pieces with pure lines. And on the other side, you have me, an antiques specialist with a whimsical and bohemian touch.” Photograph by Neil Bicknell via Fashion Sphinx.
Above: Lopez and Liaigre adeptly combine art and design from a range of eras. The painting, Green Purple Circles, is circa 1970 by Genevieve Claisse. The green side table is a classic from American designer Paul Frankl’s 1930s Skyscraper series.
Above: The space evokes Lopez’s own shop, Atelier Lopez, which is set in a 1920s artist’s studio in St. Germain des Prés.
Above: Art Deco andirons of solid copper front a 1930s French “theater fireplace,” a set piece made of lacquered wood and studded leather.
Above: One of a pair of Joe Colombo rattan chairs made in Milan in the 1960s. Photograph by Neil Bicknell via Fashion Sphinx.
Above: Lopez and Liaigre have been friends for 30 years. They plan to reinvent the space in time for summer. For more, go to Florence Lopez and Christian Liaigre.
Consult our Paris City Guide for more of our favorite finds, including hotels, restaurants, a Chinese Teahouse (with 125-Year-Old Tea), and a Florist Where Flowers Are Arranged by Scent.
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