For the interior design world, Paris delights, even in winter, with the Maison & Objet fair and Déco Off having showcased the best in design and furnishing fabrics respectively in the City of Lights and its St. Germain quarter Jan. 18 through 22.
I had not attended since before the pandemic but was glad to be back as this year the city was in full swing. It was also a wonderful time to connect with vendors in a more relaxed atmosphere, having the chance to look at product without the daily pressures of timelines and client meetings. It definitely recharged my creative spirit and allowed me to look at design in new ways.
Travel is one of the greatest inspirations for me, and this year it was coupled with visits to several private apartments and artist studios. The opportunity to visit these apartments allows you to see how other people live, entertain and often work. One apartment was an entire floor in a grand, old building. Completely done in a classic French style, it was stunning, formal and loaded with art and antiques.
Another apartment we visited was a much smaller one bedroom near Notre Dame. It was colorful with beautifully lacquered walls and ceilings. Although still very much French in feeling, the colors amped up the style, so much so that everyone we spoke with at a cocktail party wanted to live there.
A third apartment, belong to a photographer and his wife, overlooked the Eiffel Tower. It was more mid-century French in décor in a classically beautiful, old apartment building. There neutral colors were a soft backdrop for large black-and-white photographs and neutral art pieces. We felt immediately at home and so chic.
We visited two art studios. One was a jumble of art – with works by the artist, friends and collaborators. Every inch was covered with objects she finds interesting, from bits of pottery to shells, rocks and flowers, and the walls were completely covered in art. It certainly gave new meaning to gallery walls. Visiting there, you felt immersed in the artist’s madcap world.
Photographs courtesy Cami Weinstein.
The other artist’s studio was the complete opposite – much like the artist’s work. The studio was calm, orderly and serene, the art very much a reflection of the studio space itself.
A not-to-be-missed exhibit was the Mark Rothko show at the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
The exhibition covered two floors and showed his progression as a painter. It’s hard not to be inspired by his work. The combinations of colors he used are amazing and, for me, a springboard to creating rooms in these colors. I took photographs of many of the paintings to use in my own work when I need to look for that certain unusual color combination to add to a room to make it a magical space to be in.
Walking around St. Germain on small, narrow streets in the cold and popping in and out of showrooms, each displaying gorgeous items, was truly magical. You could put the problems of the world aside for a few hours and reflect on the meaning of home. Visiting all the
apartments and showrooms, it was clear that there is no one way to decorate your home. Your home should be a personal reflection of who you are and what you love to surround yourself with. Style occurs from confidence in your own taste. Working with a designer who understands this and is able to bring that out in the design of your home makes for a wonderful synergy.
Almost all of my clients have great taste. They just may not be sure how to execute and curate their taste in a home that makes them happy. That is where interior designers come in. We help navigate the myriad choices that are in the field of possibility and narrow them down to create beautiful, functional spaces for living, entertaining and working.
For more, visit camidesigns.com.
