A freshly-launched fashion temple has been
erected in the capital of style. However, in this emporium you
won’t find clothes, shoes or cosmetics. Quite the contrary.
What was once the somewhat dowdy Paris branch of British food
and clothing chain “Marks & Sparks” has been revamped
and transformed into the Galeries Lafayette’s new millennium
“fashion store for the home,” named... “Lafayette
Maison.”
Forget Louis-the-something stodgy furniture and boring bourgeois
place settings, this department store is dedicated to the latest
trends in home furnishings, no matter what your tastes or sources
of inspiration. Sprawled over 10 000 square meters of space on
four levels are more than 100 designer brands.
Some 300 exclusive items and thousands of interesting objects
guaranteed to embellish your environment, tantalize your tastebuds
or complement your lifestyle. The concept “reads”
like a house, with each floor representing a different room.
Stroll through the doors on the ground floor to pick up sandwiches,
salads, snacks, mineral water or luscious Italian gelati while
admiring a huge display of inexpensive purchases, cool gadgets
and luxury goods all grouped together in similar categories according
to manufacturer, color or “look.” Downstairs is where
it’s really cookin’.... This trendy “den”
chocked with spices, tea, coffee and foodstuffs from all over
the world, also stocks small kitchen appliances and state-of-the-art
utensils. Take the escalator up to the first floor “living
area.” Here, a selection of fashionable furniture and domestic
gizmos geared to dining and lounging around, reflect five different
stylistic “modes” — “Classic” (in
a provincial, South Hampton, Cape Cod sort of way), “Avant-Garde”
(where innovative, post-modern atttitude merges with futuristic
chic), a pristine“Esthetic” (with a 21st century edge),
“Just Day” (which concentrates on simple, streamlined
decor) and “Solar” (an eclectic mix of quirky, tangy-hued
furnishings and accessories). The top floor is “reserved,”
for the comforts of bed and bath.
What sets this store apart from other home-style outlets is its
careful attention to design and detail that makes each environment
“a bit special.” Merchandise is generally color coordinated
and grouped in an imaginative and artistic way. Room settings
are ample and harmonious, more often than not showcasing exceptional
or outlandish objects. In this spirit, the central area of the
lighting department is dominated by a spectacular steel wire “Sputnik.”
A sculpture in the form of a bust made from silver spoons paves
the way for designer “flatwear,” and an illuminated
appliance made from earthenware fragments constitutes an extraordinary
centerpiece, spotlighting designer collections of porcelain and
tableware. Should you get a little hungry, don’t hesitate
to stop and grab a bite to eat. The dining room setting, at the
top of the wrought iron banister on the second floor, is “really,
really” an in-store restaurant. Lafayette Maison, 33 bd
Haussmann, 9e, M� Havre-Caumartin, tel: 01 42 82 34 56
The contemporary home
Today, people tend to spend more on their habitats than they do
on clothing. As it happens, spring is the perfect time to rethink
your living space. In addition to Lafayette Maison, there are
a multiplicity of boutiques around the city proposing the latest
“home looks.”
Vitra
Vitra designs the places where people work — be this at
the office, at home, or on the road. Their goal? To make these
job spaces as appealing, productive and healthy as possible. Convinced
that interior design exerts a key influence on performance and
well-being, this firm sets out to elaborate “work stations”
designed to stimulate, inspire and motivate “in comfort,”
with special concern for safety and body support. In association
with world-class designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, the
Vitra team has been updating its experimental approach to this
highly specialized domain, for over half a century. 40 rue Violet,
15e, tel: 01 56 77 07 77
Guillaume Alan
Here, contemporary design flirts with period chic. Against a backdrop
of waxed cement flooring and roughhewn paneling lit by Philippe
Starck, ultra-modern sofas and seating coexists with Regency style
armchairs covered with gray upholstery or striking footstools
in Louis XV mode. You’ll find an elegant mix of custom-made
pieces, here. 22 rue de Bourgogne, 7e, tel: 01 45 51 32 73
Artelano
Founded in 1972, Artelano is the “brainchild” of Annick
and Samuel Coriat. Specializing in contemporary furniture, this
boutique showcases in-house creations: pure-lined sofas, armchairs
and tables, made from top quality materials with particular attention
to detail, and designed by the likes of Piero Lissoni, Christophe
Pillet, Olivier Gagnère and Pascal Mourgue. 54 rue de Bourgogne,
7e, tel: 01 44 18 00 00
Home Autour du Monde
Clothes and lifestyle designer Serge Bensimon has brought together
his home “favorites” from around the world, including
a sleek selection of Scandinavian, British and French products.
In this “concept store,” you’ll find everything
from lighting, furnishings, tableware and decorative objects to
bed, bath and beauty lines. 8 rue des Francs Bourgeois, 3e, tel:
01 42 77 06 08
Dansk Møbelkunst
This celebrated Copenhagen gallery features an appealing selection
of Scandinavian creations, ranging from mid-1920s to mid-1970s
designs. Furniture and lighting are chosen with precision. There
are rare limited editions (with monthly exhibitions focusing on
Danish masters, organized each month), unique items and great
classics — by Jacobsen, Panton and Wegner, among others.
53 bis quai des Grands-Augustins, 3e, tel: 01 43 25 11 65
