Historical decadence

By FinchD

Photography: Courtesy Diff Studio

Read Time: 2 mins 

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This “exquisite apartment in Paris” is an amalgamation of nuances from 19^th century traditional architecture and contemporary architecture, resulting in austere, albeit self-indulgent spaces. 

Located in the historical centre of Paris, the architectural style of the original building, which is a 19^th century edifice, instinctively creates a preordained design concept for the apartment.

 

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Designed by Vitaliy Yurov and Iryna Dzhemesiuk of Diff Studio, the apartment is a reflection of the historical references in its vicinity. It thus has traces of styles ranging from baroque to rococo to the Napoleonic style of the Second Empire, to art deco of the modern age.

 

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The mouldings of the house, designed as symmetrical patterns are reminiscent of the baroque style, while the pastel shades and asymmetrical organisation of the frivolous carvings along the varied surfaces exemplify the rococo style. On the other hand, the introduction of glass and iron draws primarily from the Napoleonic period of the Second Empire. The ultimate contributors to this eclectic mix are the furniture and art pieces, evidently modern, with sleek and smooth edges, and minimalistic in nature.

 

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The retained marble fireplaces, mirrors, radiators and stucco thus act as starting points around which the design evolves. The mouldings on the walls and wooden surfaces appear as extrusions and tracings of the carvings on the marble fireplaces, while the gold centre pieces, door handles, mullions and other curios borrow from the gilded mirrors.

 

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The largely monochromatic colour scheme of the house is elevated by the use of materials, which although opulent in appearance, carry subtle bearings of understated classiness, and consist primarily of marble, wood, stucco and glass.

 

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The “exquisite apartment in Paris” as the designers describe it, alludes to a palimpsest of ideas and styles, one that attempts to uncover a wide range of histories simultaneously, creating opulent spaces intermingled with a modern lifestyle, albeit at the cost of losing a sense of identity in the process.