The French interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch could not imagine a living room without a fireplace. He says that a fireplace is the center of a home, even when it is not used often. I always give them a prominent place in my projects. They are never in a conventional style. A prime example is the one he created in collaboration with ceramist Armelle Benoit for this apartment in Paris’s Saint-Germain-des-Pres neighborhood. The fireplace is blue and sharply faceted. It slopes one way and resembles a piece of ice broken from a glacier.
The entry features a photograph by Elger Eßer, ceramic benches by Hun Chung Lee, a vintage floor lamp by Paavo Tynell, a chest by George Nakashima, and sconces by Pierre Chareau. The hemp rug by Holland & Sherry is also featured.
Yovanovitch is well acquainted with the family of a perfumer with two sons. He also works on projects for her mother and brother in the French capital and Tel Aviv, Israel. She says, “What I like about Pierre’s art is its clarity and simplicity.” It exudes happiness for me.
She is very familiar with the Haussmannian style of her three-bedroom apartment. It was once an office for a law office. She grew up in a unit above her parents’ since she was four years old, surrounded by beautiful designs. Her parents were early furniture collectors, including Jean Prouve and Charlotte Perriand. Yovanovitch says that for her, living with amazing things is normal.
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Incredible was not the term that would have been used to describe this 3,500-square-foot space before he began working on it. When asked to describe the old look, the owner utters a French “oohla la” while Yovanovitch says it more directly: “It used to be ugly with terrible acoustic walls.” The entire house had to be redesigned, and we started from scratch.
Yovanovitch, as with all of his projects, took an architectural approach, and his rooms are characterized by solid geometry. He says that he is more concerned with the room’s proportions, volumes, and layout than it is about the decor. In the past, he has created dramatic spiral staircases and ceilings resembling clouds. He chose to go for a more rectilinear, orderly look. He was initially upset that the door wasn’t aligned to the middle of the hall. His solution? His solution? To hide it by integrating the front door into a wall covered with rectangles of patinated steel.
“For me, layout, volume, and proportions matter more than decoration.”
The furniture in the living area, including the kidney-shaped couch and a vintage cocktail by Julius Ralph Davidson, was designed to counteract that precision and rigor. He explains that the tension between straight and curved lines is at the core of his work.
The dining table was custom-made, with chairs from circa 1935. The chandelier, by Frederik Moenschot, is from the Carpenters Workshop Gallery. A vintage floor lamp, purchased at Saint-Ouen’s flea market, is also featured. Marc Quinn painted the room while the floor and doors were oak.
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The client requested a large kitchen/dining area, as she likes to have big lunches and evening dinners at the weekend. She also requested that the apartment be decorated in her favorite colors, blue and orange. George Nakashima furniture was used (“I love its purity and Japanese spirit,” says she), and graphic Breche de Medicis Marble for the master bathroom. Yovanovitch says the marble is too extravagant for his taste. “I could have chosen something more simple,” he admits.
His rooms are filled with rich textures, natural materials, and rugs made from hemp and jute. There are many rugs in hemp and jute, and oak is used everywhere, from the doors and headboards to the paneling at the entrance of the main suite.
A 1950s floor light by Paavo Tyrnell, custom shelving, and curtains made of fabric from MM Design are all found in the living area. The stool is from circa-1930 by Axel Einar Hjorth.
He loves 20th-century Scandinavian furniture. Axel Einar Hjorth’s rustic yet sophisticated pine furniture is his favorite. There are lamps by Paavo Tynell, dining chairs by Kaare Klint, and a sheepskin-upholstered armchair by Martin Olsen.
The custom-made bed in the main bedroom is covered with a cotton fabric by Rogers & Goffigon. The pillows are made from Glant materials. Jason Martin painted the picture, and Holland & Sherry provided the jute rugs.
Jean-Francois Jaussaud/Lux Productions
Yovanovitch wanted to keep interiors clutter-free, despite the high-quality furnishings. He says, “I didn’t want it like a gallery.” It’s a small apartment for a family, so it must be comfortable. The boys seem to agree. The homeowner grins and says, “I have discovered that they play soccer in the entry hall against the steel wall when I am out.” “For them, it’s the perfect goal.”
These sports activities do not come without risks. One of Pierre Chareau’s alabaster sconces has already been damaged by her sons. However, the wall itself remains intact. She adds, “They promise me they won’t dent the wall.” The ball is made of foam!
