Maison Semonville Apartments, located in the heart of Paris, is a new design space full of antiques and works of art

When it comes to an old Parisian apartment, some 19th-century house immediately comes to mind — with high ceilings, rich stucco, a row of floor-to-ceiling windows and a fireplace in a marble portal. But this project does not fit into any usual stereotypes. We are talking about an old mansion of the XVII century, located on one of the oldest Parisian streets — Rue Kincampua in the Marais quarter. It was built at the beginning of the reign of Louis XIV and once belonged to Charles Louis Hugo de Montaran, Marquis of Semonville – a famous French diplomat, a member of the Chamber of Peers of France.

John Corey and Florent Maillard, CM Studio Paris

The renovation of the apartments was carried out by the Paris bureau CM Studio Paris, founded by decorators and great connoisseurs of architecture, history and antiques John Cory (John Cory) and Florent Maillard (Florent Maillard).

“We got an absolutely empty room in a terrible condition. Even the floors had to be replaced and redevelopment done. Only the old fireplace and ceiling beams have been preserved,” says John.

In working on this project, the designers took the most careful approach to the history of this place and drew inspiration from the life of the Marquis of Semonville and his era. Therefore, the apartment has a lot of works of art, antique and vintage items from different parts of the world.

Carpets, floor lamps, sconces and antique sinks of the XVI, XVII, XVIII centuries — all this was painstakingly collected from antique dealers around the world. Each object had to be studied from all sides and “turned in your hands” to find the right place for it. The end result was impressive: a fashionable space filled with antiques and works of art in which, unlike museum exhibits, objects live a full life.

This room with five-meter wooden vaults decorated with handmade decor and a monumental stone fireplace turned out to be the most impressive. The living room is located here — the heart of this house. A special chic is given to it by the gallery on the second floor with wooden carved railings and two authentic paintings by the master of the Italian Renaissance Andrea Vicentino. The plot depicted on the canvases — the meeting of the Venetian and Turkish ambassador — refers to the former owner of this house, the Marquis of Semonville, who once served as the French envoy to the Ottoman Empire.

Oriental motifs continue in the bathroom of the owners, decorated with luxurious red marble, which reminds of the magnificent decoration of Turkish baths. No less rich materials and finishes are used in the kitchen with its black marble sinks and natural wood furniture.

For the master bedroom, the designers chose a more restrained style, moving away from lush oriental and baroque associations in favor of more modern eclecticism. The walls are the color of pink powder, oriental carpets, Venetian mirrors, velvet and a collection of modern photography — all together this creates a bright and at the same time fashionable atmosphere here. “We like to add modern art, of course carefully selected, to very classic interiors,” says Florent. “We like to do projects with a soul, and we adhere to an eclectic approach, mixing different eras and cultures with furniture and decorative items and drawing inspiration from the East and the West at the same time.”

Designers are proud of the complex coloristics that they painstakingly selected for each room of the apartment. White is too easy, it’s a win—win option, you never take risks with it, they believe. But who does not take risks — he does not drink champagne! Therefore, many unusual color solutions are used in this apartment — from pale powdery walls in the bedroom, to greenish-gray in the dining room and wine-red in the kitchen. All this is organically combined with natural wood of different tones, with careful selection of upholstery and textiles. The result turned out to be bright and extraordinary, where Baroque and rococo coexist with shocking modern photography, and the East enters into a harmonious dialogue with the West.

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