The Parisians: Tastemakers at Home

As I prepare for my trip to Paris next week, I'm salivating over the houses featured in Catherine Synave's new book: The Parisians: Tastemakers at Home .  Parisians are known the world over for their incredible style and this book steps into the homes of leading French tastemakers to inspire us. 

While the weather next week may be closer to winter, the summer scene above in dealer Alain Demarchy's garden is enchanting. Demarchy was the well known owner of the Camoin Demachy Gallery on the Quai Voltaire and lived above the shop until retiring and selling off the contents of the shop in a sale at Christies (seen here).  He relocated to a charming new apartment which houses all of the treasures he could not bear to part with at auction. 

Dealer Patrick Perrin suffers from the same affliction as me; compulsive art purchasing. His envy-enducing gallery walls display his collection which I'm sure are heavily padded from his shopping at the antique fairs he plans: the Salon du Dessin.  This apartment is actually the family home above his grandfather's shop along the boulevard Saint-Germain which was purchased by his family generations ago. What a charmed life to live in one amazing place your entire life, surrounded by the things you love.

Fashion designer Gilles Dufour's varied collections all find a home in his apartment. This is one not to miss; dial chic hoarders anonymous!

Designer Pierre Yovanovitch is on the opposite side of the spectrum and his work is all about restraint: but not boredom!  His work always includes a few decorative focal points against a quiet background.

Conductor Marc Minkowski refers to his apartment as a 'chic junk shop' with treasures he has picked up around the world on his travels. Emphasis on Chic as I don't see the junk!

Check out The Parisians, Tastemakers at Home for more on these and much more inspiration!

'The Parisians: Tastemakers at Home' by Catherine Synave, Flammarion, 2019.  Images by Guillaume de Laubier