Giampiero Tagliaferri drew on Françoise Sagan’s 1965 novel La Chamade and the 1960s muse Betty Catroux while redesigning a compact Paris pied-à-terre for a young client who comes from a hospitality dynasty, seeking a residence that feels both contemporary and literary.
Tagliaferri was at home in Los Angeles reading the novel, noting its nocturnal Paris scenes and the protagonist’s love of silence, warmth and freedom. Those observations sparked the concept for the apartment’s ambience, prompting a focus on quiet intimacy and open, airy spaces.
Located in the Triangle d’Or of the 8th arrondissement, the space was move-in ready but stripped of historic detail. Original Haussmann moldings and arches had been removed over decades, leaving a bare framework that invited reinterpretation.
Rather than fabricate missing period features, Tagliaferri treated the empty shell as a blank canvas. He chose to infuse the interior with elements from several eras while preserving a contemporary Parisian feel, allowing each layer to converse with the next.
To avoid a museum-like time capsule, the designer turned to the 1970s for color and texture. Light-suede sofas, lacquered surfaces and stainless-steel paneling create tension and contrast throughout the living area, evoking the bold palette of that decade.
Natural stone flooring, typical of Parisian apartments, grounds the design in the city’s architectural language. The bathroom incorporates Cipollino marble accents, balancing elegance with a relaxed atmosphere that feels both timeless and current.
Vintage pieces were sourced to complement the modern framework. A daybed and armchair by Osvaldo Borsani sit beside a Pierre Chapo table, while a Gabriella Crespi wall sconce illuminates the bedroom, adding a handcrafted touch.
Art advisor Truls Blaasmo assembled a collection that bridges ancient, modern and contemporary works. A Wolfgang Tillmans photograph faces a Roman Dionysus torso, while Marcel Duchamp’s L.H.O.O.Q. Rasée and a late Man Ray piece reference 20th-century Paris, creating a dialogue across centuries.
The living room features a floor-to-ceiling ceramic mural, a collaborative project with Fondazione Officine Saffi. The glazed surface reflects streetlight at night, recalling a 1950s-60s Milan-Paris trend where ceramics became architectural accents.
Rounded corners in the sleeping chamber create a cocoon-like enclosure. Cream-colored suede lines the upper walls, while a dark-brown lacquer platform supports a leather-upholstered bed, offering a tactile contrast that invites lingering.
