I have no words. I mean really.
(Hey, J, if you’re reading: you can almost reach out and touch your old apartment from here!)
I’m just going to quietly file this away under When I Move Back to Paris. Oh and in case you’re wondering, it’s for sale (price upon request of course).
(Photos: Christie’s Real Estate)
Whoa, is it really December already?? This is a busy travel month for me so it’s going to be a mad frenzy around here while I try to get things done in between trips. Thanks for all the sore throat suggestions this week. It feels a lot better although now I sound like Peppermint Patty. (That’s the husband’s description.)
Anyway ….. let’s take a look at the only chateau-hotel in Paris – the St. James Hotel - because there are so many great design ideas to take away.
As a francophile, there’s nothing I don’t like about this place.
Check out the ceiling:
The painted detail around the drapes is something I haven’t seen before and I really love it:
Black and white toile and stripes are always good together:
The interesting striped wallpaper is a perfect background for the gothic headboard and I like how it’s echoed in the drapes and walls:
This soft color palette is so pretty and here’s a sunburst collection done right:
Baroque headboard, bubble pendants and Bergeres all work beautifully in this serene room:
This is my dream bathroom:
That vanity and those tiles!
And check out how cute the website is:
I hope you enjoyed this Hotel Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK. You can see all of my past hotel picks here. Bon voyage!
P.S. If you haven’t already left a comment on my “Creating an Entertaining Space” Ideabook at Houzz, I would really appreciate it! Each comment is a vote for me and if I win, you could win a $250 gift certificate to any online retailer of your choice. Merci beaucoup!
(Photos: St. James Paris)
So the Hicks rug ended up in the dining room. I decided it was too much pattern for the living room but it works well in here because there’s less going on.
This is truly one of my favorite patterns so I’m really glad I was finally able to use it somewhere in the house.
I also brought this pillow out to see how it would look in the room:
A little story about this pillow – with a laughable number of gaps due to my horrendous memory. I bought it in Paris this spring in a little shop in the Marais (I can’t remember the name) and my girlfriend who was with me bought a makeup bag (or it might have been a coin purse – I can’t remember) made out of the same fabric. The salesperson told us the pattern is based on a medieval map of Paris and indeed, it depicts some areas and streets that no longer exist. Not the Louvre which you see here. Obviously that still exists.
I had never seen this fabric before and just loved everything about it. Then, when I was back in Paris this summer, I was reading a magazine (Air France inflight I think) and saw this:
It’s an ad for Le Mathurin, a hotel in Paris, talking about its newly remodeled rooms. See the pattern on the moodboard? It looks like they used it in wallpaper form in that room in the back. Anyhoo, I thought it was an interesting connection.
While we’re talking about Le Mathruin, let me leave you with the video from their website. It’s nicely done and I quite enjoy this kind of music on a Monday morning. In fact, the hotel is so well presented, I’m going to keep it in mind for future trips. I’m also going to make it one of my Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK.
It’s going to be another busy week around here. For all you locals, if you’re free this Thursday, come talk blogging with me at Digital Atlanta’s Design Day at ADAC. You can RSVP here or with ADAC. I also have a great book giveaway and other fun stuff coming up later in the week. But today, I’m on my way to the dentist for a new crown. Hope your week is off to a better start than mine!
(Photos: FROM THE RIGHT BANK)
Today I have a double dose of Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK. 3Rooms is a hotel in Milan and in Paris that grew out of 10 Corso Como, the uber cool concept store I mentioned previously in this post. As the name suggests, both hotels only have 3 rooms each.
First, in Milan, the hotel is tucked away within the 10 Corso Como store. Each suite is individually decorated with designs from the best mid-century designers and architects.
Check out all the Eames textiles in the bedrooms!
Now moving on to Paris, 10 Corso Como teamed up with the supremely talented fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa (one of my favorites!) to create another 3Rooms hotel, located within a townhouse attached to his atelier and apartment.
He handpicked all of the furniture and the result is pure design heaven.
You already know how I feel about these Serge Mouille lights.
I’d be tempted to stay in my room all day, waiting to get a glimpse of the man working next door! (Okay, that sounded stalker-like. He probably gets that a lot though.)
In both, each suite is a full-floor apartment with private entrances. I imagine it would be like staying in the apartment of your most stylish friend ….. who also has the most amazing design collection ever.
Click here for more about Hotels Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK and here for all past hotel picks. Happy Traveling Thursday and bon voyage!
(Photos: 10 Corso Como)
***Don’t forget, there’s one more day to enter the very stylish Ilse Jacobsen rain boots giveaway!***
I just learned that Martin Margiela designed a hotel in Paris. One of my all time favorite fashion designers + a hotel + Paris? I flipped out when I heard the news. And when I saw these first photos, I really flipped out. La Maison Champs-Elysées is scheduled to open in a few weeks and here is a first peek.
I’m going back to Paris in a couple of weeks and I’ve already booked my hotel but you can bet I will be paying La Maison Champs-Elysées a visit!
For more about Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK, click here. For all of my past hotel picks, click here.
Happy Traveling Thursday and bon voyage!
I’m out the door to fit in as much as I can in these last couple of days so I’ll leave you with some more snapshots.
These are at the George V …..
and these are out on the streets by day and night …..
See you all on Monday! Thanks so much for joining FROM THE RIGHT BANK from the right bank this week!
I hope you’re enjoying this week of FROM THE RIGHT BANK from the right bank as much as I am. 
Here are some of the things I’ve been enjoying so far.
My little balcony with a view over the Tuileries:
….. and down this street:
lunch at sidewalk cafes:
coffee at sidewalk cafes:
great meals:
at cozy wine bars:
the most gorgeous sunny days:
and spring blooms:
There’s so, so much more but this internet connection is S-L-O-W and I’d rather be outside than sitting here with my laptop. I’m sure you understand.
More to come tomorrow though …..
(I took these with the iphone instagr.am app.)
(Photos: FROM THE RIGHT BANK)
One of the questions I get asked the most is: “Where should I go shopping in Paris?” Obviously there are thousands of places (there are entire books dedicated to this topic) so the answer really depends on what you’re looking for, your style, budget, location, etc., etc.
A while ago, I put together a list of antique and vintage clothing shops in response to a reader’s question. To supplement that list I’ve compiled all the home decor store recommendations I’ve made over the past year or so here. (These are the stores I’m visiting on this trip.)
The Collection
Boutique showcasing home decor items and furnishings created by European designers.
33, rue de Poitou, 3e
Caravane
6, rue Pavée, 4e
19 & 22, rue Saint Nicolas, 12e
Furniture, lighting, decorative objects, linens and textiles with a global flavor.
Sentou Galerie
29, rue François Miron, 4e
26, boulevard Raspail, 7e
Fun, contemporary furniture, housewares, and gifts representing a wide array of designers.
Cire Trudon
The world’s oldest -and arguably the best – candle maker established in 1643. Yes, 1643!
78 Rue de Seine, 6e
Khadi and Co.
37, rue Debelleyme, 3e
Clothing and home textiles made of hand spun traditional Indian cotton.
Tombées du Camion
Some call it junk, others call it found objects. Either way, this place has a lot of it.
17 rue Joseph de Maistre, 18e
Emery & Cie
Fabric, wallpaper, paint, rugs, tiles, hardware ….. to die for.
18, passage de la Main d’Or, 11e
Astier de Villatte
Exquisite ceramics beloved by all.
173, Saint Honoré, 1e
Marche Saint-Pierre
Mega fabric store.
2 rue Charles Nodier, 18e
I already blogged about the store, Merci, almost two years ago here. I don’t think I have time for it this time but if you haven’t been, I definitely recommend it. I also posted earlier about Cote Bastide, Blanc d’Ivoire and Habitat.
Oh why, oh why does the $ to € exchange rate have to suck so badly right now?!
***Dont’ forget the giveaway of Irish blessing prints closes today at 6:00pm EST.***
As I mentioned yesterday, auctions are on my Paris itinerary. Specifically, I’m going to Hôtel Drouot and I can’t possibly begin to describe how glorious this place is so let me quote from their site:
“Drouot is the oldest public auction house in the world. A crossroads of the art market, and an inexhaustible supply of paintings, furniture and objets d’art from all periods and at all values, Drouot is a magical, ephemeral museum open to everyone. Not only can you stroll in front of the exhibition windows and consult the sales catalogues, but you can also go up close to the works, examine them, see their estimates…and perhaps acquire the object of your dreams – a thrilling experience.”
Yeah, what they said. Here’s just a little taste of the treasures you can find there.
If you’re visiting Paris, I highly recommend it. Even if you don’t buy anything, just go for the inspiration. Some of my blogging pals and I have been talking about a group trip one of these days. Would any of you be up for that?
Drouot
9, rue Drouot
75009 Paris
***Don’t forget to enter the giveaway of Irish blessing prints!***
I was giving tips on Paris to a couple of people recently which reminded me that I never posted about Hotel Amour. I love the playfulness of its funky decor so I’m making it one of my Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK.
On my last trip to Paris, I had lunch there in this courtyard. It’s a fun place to hang out and people watch – if you can get a table, that is. It was packed.
Happy Traveling Thursday and bon voyage!
The Balmain boutique in Paris was given a makeover earlier this year and when I saw these images of it, I had to catch my breath. It’s as if it stepped right out of my dreams.
That’s because it’s housed in a hôtel particulier (think mansion) so it has those Parisian architectural details, moldings and parquet floors that I love so much.
*Sigh*
As if that weren’t enough, I absolutely love the palette and all the vintage furniture and accessories.
I wouldn’t mind if they left those Balmain shoes and bags on the shelves either . . .
(Photos: Balmain)
I’m obviously a Right Bank devotee – my blog is called From the Right Bank, after all – but the soon-to-be-open Hotel Belle Juliette is enticing me across the river.
Isn’t it just overflowing with design inspiration?
Happy Traveling Thursday! Bon voyage!
Remember when I flipped for the Hotel du Petit Moulin designed by Christian Lacroix? Well, I love everything he does and most recently, it’s the Hotel Notre Dame whose rooms are filled with
…royal blue velvet, wall-to-wall carpet that resembles medieval paving stones, “cowhide” wallpaper, floral and striped fabrics, marble, slate, natural yellow tones, stone and period wooden beams…
It’s bold, colorful and fun – all the reasons I love Lacroix.
The location is pretty special too, wouldn’t you say?
Happy Traveling Thursday and bon voyage!
(Photos: Hotel Notre Dame)
Today, we have another reader question and it comes from someone many of you may know: Julie Khuu from Design Star 5.
QUESTION
Dear Ally,
We’ve corresponded in the past and I just wanted to touch base with
you and get your thoughts. If you’re not super busy, I would love to
get your expertise on vintage shopping in Paris. I’m scheduled for a
trip in Nov. and dedicating my entire 5 days to shopping for clients
(and myself 
of course).
I’m staying in the Marais and have already planned on spending a Sat.
at Les Puces. Do you have any other fave haunts for furniture,
accessories, and clothing? I completely trust your style and taste and
know that you ARE the gal to ask.
Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you sooooo much Ally. Keep
up the fantastic work!!
-Julie Khuu, Haute Khuuture
ANSWER
I wish I could personally take you shopping but since I can’t 
I guess this list will have to do!
Antiques
As you already know, Clignancourt (or Saint-Ouen) is the granddaddy of all the “Puces.” You could easily spend an entire weekend there:
Marché aux Puces de Clignancourt (avenue de la Porte de Clignancourt, 18th)
The other two well-known markets are smaller and a bit more low-key:
Marché aux Puces de Montreuil (avenue de la Porte de Montreuil, 20th)
Marché aux Puces de Vanves (avenue Marc-Sangnier et Georges Lafenestre, 14th)
A few other places worth checking out:
Louvre des Antiquaires (2 place du Palais Royal, 1st) – exquisite, high-end.
Village St. Paul (rue St. Paul, behind the church, 4th) – a series of courtyards filled with retro items.
Le Grenier de Jupiter (corner of 85 avenue de la Bourdonnais & 201 rue de Grenelle, 7th) – beautiful unique pieces.
Vintage Clothing
Didier Ludot (20–24 Galerie de Montpensier, Palais Royal, 1st) – world famous and with good reason. It’s a must-stop.
Ragtime (23 rue de l’Echaudé, 6th) – also high-end, everything in perfect condition.
Studio W (6 rue du Pont-aux-Choux, 3rd) – small with an amazing collection of accessories.
Free P Star (8 rue Ste-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, 4th) and its sister store (61 rue de la Verrerie, 4th) – jampacked, very popular.
Casablanca (17 rue Moret) – big, hip, affordable.
Quidam de Revel (26 rue Poitou, 3rd) – this may be my favorite.
Adom (56, rue de la Roquette, 11th) – have to dig a little but good bargains.
I think this will be more than enough to keep you busy for five days. If possible, try to leave some time to just wander around too. You never know what you’ll discover. I hope you have a great trip!
If you have a question related to design, travel or Paris, please click here. Your question may be included in this feature.
(Photos: 1&2.From the Right Bank 3.Free’P'Star)
Anyone else dying to have a meal at Nomiya in Paris? If you don’t already know about it, it’s a temporary restaurant that is part of “Art Home,” a concept developed by Electrolux and the Palais de Tokyo. The restaurant is housed in a sleek structure on the roof of Palais de Tokyo where you have panoramic views of the city. Reviews indicate that the food is as good as the views.
You have until the end of the year to try and book a table. After that it’ll be gone, possibly to a different location.
Happy Traveling Thursday and bon voyage!
Okay, make that a lot of the time. When I get in one of these moods, I like to revisit some of my favorite Parisian interiors.
Starting with my favorite, Christian Lacroix’s:
Loulou de la Falaise’s:
Erin Featherston’s:
Inès de la Fressange’s
(A girlfriend and I saw her once near Place de la Madeleine and she was even more statuesque and fabulous in person.)
Well, I’m not going to Paris this weekend but I am off another trip. For now, let me just say that I’ll be blogging from half way around the world next week. Tune in Monday to see where! Until then!
(Photos: 1.New York Times 2.Daily Mail 3.Domino 4.the Selby)
(stairs to my metro stop)
It’s Bastille Day and for that reason, I’m really missing France today. So, I wanted to post a few pictures of my old apartment in Paris for those of you who may not have seen it before.
Sorry for the light in some of these but these are the best I’ve got. (I’m kicking myself for not having taken more pictures!)
I think I’ll take the rest of the day off, watch a few of my favorite French films, listen to some Carla Bruni and have a kir royal to celebrate. Happy Bastille Day!
(Photos: ALEK)
This isn’t the type of thing I normally post but it does relate to Paris and I find it so inspiring. You just have to see it! Click for a larger view. It’s truly amazing and there was no Photoshop involved. Happy Monday!
(Credit: Caroll Taveras)
The other pics I wanted to show you from my trip are the awesome views some of my friends have from their apartments. Here are a few of the best:
If you look hard at the last one, you can see the Eiffel Tower behind that tree . . .
This weekend I finally got around to downloading the photos from my trip. Don’t worry, I’m not going to subject you to a “Look what I did on my vacation” slideshow. (You can go to my Flickr stream for that! ) Instead, I wanted to show you my photos of Merci, one of the coolest shops in Paris. It sells highly covetable housewares, furniture, clothing and books in the most amazing space. And the best part is that all profits go to charity. How fantastic is that?
It’s located at 111 boulevard Beaumarchais in the 3rd arrondissement. Highly recommended if you’re visiting Paris!
Helloooooooooo! I’m back and just wanted to say a quick hi. Paris has probably been written about more than any other city in the world so I always feel like there’s nothing new anyone can add. But I happened to be reading an article about Paris in Conde Nast Traveler right before my trip and I loved this line:
” . . . A city can offer little better than aesthetic arrest every time you traverse it. . . . ” — Cristina Nehring
That, to me, is it in a nutshell. I think it captures perfectly why I have always loved it and what I loved most about living there. If you love Paris too, you may find this article about the left bank vs. the right bank interesting. So for now, I’ll leave you with that and some cool interiors from Hotel Sezz. I’ll be back tomorrow with my monthly to do list and a couple of other posts. I’ve missed you all!
A million thanks to my fabulous guest bloggers! You are the best!
(Photo: Hotel Sezz)
Today, I bring you some less swanky but no less charming rooms and spaces I love in Paris. First is the Musée de la Vie Romantique. It’s housed in this lovely private house and I love that it’s not overrun with tourists. My favorite part is the tea salon which extends out to the garden in the warmer months:
Look at that glass structure! How dreamy would it be to have one of those in your garden?
Next up is Le Fumoir, a well-known bar/restaurant popular with just about everyone:
It’s a great place to stop in for cocktail after visiting the Louvre which is just a few steps away. Don’t you just love all the dark wood and old books?
Next is the courtyard of the Hotel Eldorado/restaurant Bistro des Dames:
A bit off the beaten path, it’s very boho and a lovely place to hang out when the weather is nice. There are lots of trees, shrubs and flowers with tables scattered among them. Every time I had lunch there, we would see some actor or musician (whom I never recognized but my Parisian friends would point out).
And finally, another very boho and cozy cafe is Le Loir dans la Théière in the Marais (no website):
This place is all mismatched vintage furniture and lots of posters on the wall. I love that old wooden school desk and all the distressed leather. It’s a great place for tea or brunch.
I could keep going but I would be here all day so I’ll stop here. Tomorrow, I’ll take you shopping! [Update: I'm having the hardest time finding good photos of the places I want to show you so I think I'll have to take some myself and show you after my trip.]
(Photos: 1.Paris.fr 2.marieclaire.fr 3.lefumoir.com 4.eldoradohotel.fr 5. ehow.com)There are a million things I’m looking forward to doing on my trip to Paris and I could post all sorts of beautiful Paris images. But because this is a home/design blog, I want to limit the content to interior design and decor. So for the rest of the week, I’ll bring you some of the prettiest interiors I know in restaurants, hotels, shops, etc. Before you get the wrong idea, I do love the fancy but I also love the homey and humble. (There’s that schizophrenia again!) So while today’s post is on the high end, tomorrow’s will be at the other end of the spectrum.
On the top of my list of things I’ll be doing is seeing friends. And I plan on sipping lots of champagne, having high tea, and doing some fine dining in some seriously beautiful settings with said friends:
(Le Meurice)
(Hôtel de Crillon)
(Plaza Athénée)
(Pershing Hall)
(Le Grand Véfour)
More pretty spaces tomorrow.
Our airline tickets for Paris are in hand but I haven’t decided on a hotel. I usually plan way ahead for these things because I hate being shut out and of course, that’s exactly what’s happened. I was really hoping to stay at the Petit Moulin (which I blogged about earlier) but they’re annoyingly booked solid one night right in the middle of my stay. So I’m looking into other options. Bella posted photos of the Hôtel Particulier Montmartre on her blog today which reminded me how much I love their garden!
(Hôtel Particulier Montmartre)
And I’m in love with the rooms of L’Hôtel:
(L’Hôtel)
Aren’t these rooms just perfect? I’d stay there in a heartbeat except that it’s on the left bank and I, as you know, am a right bank girl.
Back on the right bank, I wouldn’t mind staying here with that view while I’m brushing my teeth:
And of course I’m all for Mama Shelter because I love Philippe Starck but my husband has nixed this one. He’s right that it’s pretty far out of the way but I do have several friends who live close by and it’s right across from La Flèche d’Or where I used to hang out about a hundred years ago.
In any case, I need to make a decision and soon.
Before moving to Paris, I had known Côté Bastide for their great bath products. But after walking into their shop, I discovered it’s a whole lifestyle. I sometimes fantasize about a vacation house in the French countryside and it would basically look like a Côté Bastide shop.
(baccarat.fr)
I love the mix of contemporary pieces with very ornate ones that I found in a lot of Parisian restaurants in recent years. I think the Crystal Room at the Maison de Baccarat by Philippe Starck is to die for.
(lucascarton.com)
This is the private room at Senderens. I love the walls. (The food is divine too.)
(philippe-starck.com)
And an oldie but a goodie – Bon also designed by Philippe Starck.
Another one of my go-to stores in Paris was Habitat. I just love it. (And I’m loving their current all white display!) It’s where I went for things like frames, kitchen utensils, shower curtains . . . practical things but that were designed and made well. I can’t think of an American equivalent so I would describe it as the Conran Shop in aesthetic crossed with Crate & Barrel or West Elm in practicality and price range. There must be something like Habitat here - what am I overlooking?
(paris-hotel-petitmoulin.com)
I love fashion almost as much as interior design and one of my absolute favorite designers is Christian Lacroix. He made a big splash when he designed the rooms for the Hotel du Petit Moulin a few years ago and for this reason alone I’m tempted to stay there on our spring trip to Paris. The rooms, like his clothes, are colorful and fanciful with a touch of whimsy. He’s the one person who could make me abandon my love of white and just go crazy with color.
(blancdivoire.fr)
One of my favorite stores in Paris is Blanc d’Ivoire. It was my go-to shop whenever I needed linens or something for the table because I knew I’d always find something I liked, something very French. They have beautiful furniture as well. Before we moved, I had a list of stores that I had to visit to stock up on goods to bring over with us and Blanc d’Ivoire was one of them. I’m planning a trip back to Paris this spring and that got me thinking about all the shops I used to love. I’ll post some other favorites this week.
This was one corner of my studio in our Paris apartment. Fairly organized and neat the way I like it. But I just haven’t been able to do the same in the new house. One reason is that even though I have about the same amount of space, all our excess furniture has ended up in there. Most of those will eventually go to the cabin but for now I have to work around them so it’s a challenge. Sorting that out is on the list of projects for the next few weeks. In the meantime, I’m looking at these for inspiration:
(jasonloucas.com)
(via desiretoinspire.blogspot.com)
(ngocminhngo.com)
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