Every room at the Hotel Henriette, recently overhauled by Paris designer-turned-hotelier Vanessa Scoffier, is a lesson in the transformative powers of paint and a few well-chosen (but affordable) furnishings. It’s at the top of our Where to Check In Next list with thanks to our travel writer friend Emily Mathieson for the tip-off. And in the meantime, we’re taking inspiration for our own homes.
Photography from Hotel Henriette, except where noted.
Above: The 30-year-old Left Bank hotel, yards from Les Gobelins metro (and formerly known as the Hotel Residence les Gobelins), was given a makeover by Vanessa Scoffier of Les Nouveaux Decorateurs. Working on a tight budget and with a directive to make the place feel “both accessible and exclusive,” she came up with a look that’s “vintage, bohème, and très DIY.”
Shown here, the winter garden off the lobby. “From a young age, I’ve scoured flea markets,” says Scoffier, who mixed “every style and époque to make modern with the old.”
Above: The breakfast room’s custom wool bench cushions establish the palette Scoffier, a former fashion editor, used inventively throughout and without ever repeating herself.
Above: There are 32 guest rooms, no two the same, but all surprisingly affordable: They start at €89 ($97) for a single and go up to €169 ($184) for connecting rooms for two to four people.
Like the striped quilts? Hedge House sells similar Bedrolls.
Above: The remodel took 14 months to complete, and in lieu of introducing expensive millwork Scoffier used plywood and paint. We love plywood, too; see Remodeling 101 and The Unexpected Appeal of Plywood.
This room is a Deluxe Double, 23 square meters (approximately 248 square feet). The bedding was sourced from Bodie & Fou (see more ideas below). Photograph by Hervé Goluza for Glamour France.
Above L: Scoffier created Hotel Henriette’s paint colors herself. Above R: Every room has a work area. For similar designs, see 10 Easy Pieces: Desks for Small Spaces.
Above: Soulful old rattan and brass metalwork are recurring themes. One of Scoffier’s best sources: Les Puces du Design, a flea market devoted to 20th-century design.
Above: A two-toned double with a mural of mirrors. Find similar Rattan Mirrors from Two’s Company.
Above: Another inventive and easy to replicate paint job in an 11-square-meter (118-square-foot) Happy Single, the smallest room in the hotel. (See more multicolored paint jobs in Go Big or Go Home: 10 Geometric Painted Walls.)
Above: A vintage leather gym mat is hung as a headboard. (Take a look at variations on the theme in 10 Favorites: Vintage Gym Equipment as Decor.) The rope light is the Flax Light by Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma from Thomas Eyck.
Above L and R: A tiled bathroom in a double room. Note the use of humble bouquets (and occasional floral patterns) to add color and life.
Above: Palest pink stands up to soft turquoise in a 15-square-meter (161.5-square-foot) Chambre Twin. Photograph via Avenue Lifestyle.
Above: A headboard made from painted salvaged doors. (Discover more ways to put doors to work in 5 Quick Fixes: Doors as Decor and A Door-Filled Bistro in Bucharest.)
Above: Scoffier detailed a room in hot pink paint; no-commitment washi tape also works (see The Power of Pink and Washi Tape as Decor).
Above: A low-key tropical look in a junior suite. Find out where to source leafy wallpaper in 13 Favorites: Rooms with Flora and Fauna Wallpaper.
Above: Tea in bed. For more bedding sources, see Mix-and-Match Linens from France and 5 Favorites: Pale Pink Linen Sheets or head straight to Merci.
See more of Vanessa Scoffier’s work at Les Nouveaux Decorateurs.
Hotel Henriette is located on a cobblestone street in the 13th Arrondissement, close to the Mouffetard district.
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on April 16, 2015.
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