Le flea, c’est chic
The walls are clad in reclaimed timber, the Eames chair was a flea-market find and the desk is eBay. We are not, it seems, the only nation in the grip of an antiques obsession. The Paris apartment of Kenzo chief executive James Greenfield is awash with quirky furniture and raw materials that nod to its origins as a thread factory.
“Paris is full of disused lofts and old industrial spaces begging to be renovated,” states Greenfield, who lives here with his wife, Karine, a sculptor, and their two sons. “We wanted to respect the history of the building, so we only used materials in the same style as the original. We chose untreated steel for the window frames, because it develops a lovely patina with age and complements the industrial look of the building. And we have used concrete to create staircases, built-in shelving, a bath surround and kitchen worktops. It’s warm, hard-wearing and versatile, as it can be moulded into whatever shapes you need.”
But it’s the quirky finds that really make this industrial space stand out, from the cardboard-cut-out lamp on the stairwell to the Indian saris that serve as curtains in the living room. Here’s the lowdown on the detail, plus some of the most stylish homeware treasure troves in Paris.
Exposed concrete staircase The trompe l’oeil cardboard-cut-out lamp was a window display from a Givenchy store.
Bathroom The sink and raised-but-sunken bath have a textural concrete surround, and the walls are clad in warm railroad timber found at a market in the south of Paris.
Boys’ room The couple’s sons share a bunk in the basement bedroom. A glass-topped dividing wall separates it from the bathroom above. The rug is vintage Scandinavian.
Study area A Pierre Paulin desk from eBay overlooks the courtyard garden. The glass floor forms the ceiling of the spare room below. The rare three-legged Eames ant chair was found at a flea market – for reproductions in the UK, try utilitydesign.co.uk.
Worth crossing the channel for
Carouche Quirky finds from flour sacks to travel cases, and mid-century antiques .
Complement d’Objet Twentieth-century design, particularly lighting.
Fiesta Galerie European classics and postwar American pieces, from pop art curios and French street signs to Eames rockers.
Galerie Alexis Lahellec Furniture, lighting and accessories from the 50s and 60s ().
Les Puces du Design Twentieth-century vintage originals at this annual fair. Hurry – the next one’s 27-30 May .
Les Puces de Saint-Ouen A collection of 15 markets, covering nearly 20 acres, make up the world’s largest flea market.
Merci Concept store selling homewares, fashion, books and more. It has an old-school haberdashery section, too. Donates profits to charities. .
Pages 50/70 Classics from Eames, Saarinen, Jacobsen and Van der Rohe (.
Porte de Vanves Trinkets, fabric and curios
Zut! Industrial antiques, including station clocks, globes and factory workbenches.
Photographs: Justin Westover for the Guardian
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Submited at Sunday, May 23rd, 2010 at 3:00 am on Life Style by Gillan
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