The Huff Harrington Project Junkies strike again: we've zipped over to Paris this week to nail down some last-minute construction and design details on a new little apartment we have the absolute pleasure of working on.
This little gem is on a gorgeous, tree-lined street in the seventh arrondissement and has all the pre-requisite details that we like to check off: view of the Eiffel Tower? Oui. Large windows that let in tons of light? Bien sur. Enough space and potential to go from ugly duckling to soignée swan? Absoluement!
It's a little early to talk too much about it - we're photographing it next month and will be so excited to share the photos - but in the meantime, we're having a blast planning, sourcing, shopping and coming up with design inspiration.
This is our third Paris project. Ann's first go-around (with Huff Harrington's Sam Jones) was the often-photographed apartment whose pink-and-white checked Louis chairs launched a zillion Pinterest boards.
Second came her little jewel box of a studio complete with a million-dollar view, silk curtains and her trademark mirrors and crystal chandeliers.
We know there are certain elements that work beautifully in Paris, such as an open kitchen/living space that incorporates charm, functionality - and that all-important view. In this case, we're lucky that the original living room is large enough to accommodate our new kitchen, dining space and living space in one cohesive area with two large windows and some great wall space (for art, of course.)
We knew we had to make sure the one bedroom had an en-suite bathroom plus another full bathroom to accommodate extra guests. And since there was already a teeny little half-bath, we decided to keep that, too. This is Paris, so space is a premium and it's always a challenge to see how little square footage you can get away with by thinking creatively about function (and form, of course.)
For this one-bedroom apartment, we're incorporating several key design strategies:
- keep the basics simple (we're using white and/or gray cabinetry for the kitchens and bathrooms with white quartz and/or marble for countertops and a chic, neutral backsplash.)
- don't compromise on style or quality: we've scoured Paris for pretty tile, marble and fab-u-lous hardware.
- unify the space with one paint color: say no more - Farrow and Ball's Wevet is the winner.
- add luxurious touches throughout: silk or velvet triple-lined curtains, handmade pillows for the sofa, a spectacular chandelier and one-of-a-kind art that adds soul and gravitas to any room. We'll be sourcing pretty much everything in Paris, shopping everywhere from the flea markets to the design studios. We love our job!
We've been hoarding inspiration photos as we go:
For the next month, we'll be making the final decisions on all the really fun stuff: furniture, art, lighting and that last crucial layer of details that take everything to the next level. We'll be shopping till we drop, adding pillows, accessories and all the little details that will make this jewel box shine. We can't wait to show it off - and believe us, the project junkies are definitely in Paris paradise right now!
Stay tuned!
Ta ta.
P.S: want to shop with us in Paris? Join us on one of our buying trips, coming up in March and September 2018. Click here to sign up.
