Classical Parisian townhouses are invariably grand, but this one is on a different level: it’s located directly opposite the Château de Versailles. The setting endows it with a quality very rarely found in properties in the French capital – it’s close enough to the city to feel connected to urban life, yet it’s also surrounded by nature.
The house’s story is more enchanting still. The financier who lives here spent his childhood in the five-bedroom residence; drawn back by the prospect of raising his family in a greener environment, he sold his Paris apartment and returned to the place where he grew up. He found the 19th-century house well preserved but dated, having not been remodelled for many years.
Needing to breathe new life into his ancestral home, the homeowner commissioned Paris-based interior architects RMGB to redesign it. He couldn’t have made a better choice: led by Guillaume Gibert and Baptiste Rischmann, the studio creates elegant yet understated spaces that “draw inspiration from the past without nostalgia”. The duo’s projects always feature a high level of customisation, with bespoke furniture creating a tailored finish. In fact, they see themselves as craftspeople more than interior designers, and can call on an extensive network of artisans to achieve a polished effect.
The client’s brief was to create a home that was “comfortable and practical for everyday living” – straightforward enough, but the designers had to tread very carefully. “The most difficult part of the project was complying with all the requests made by L’architecte des Bâtiments de France, given that the house is opposite the Château de Versailles,” explains Gibert. “They were very demanding on the rendering of the design, and we had to stay within a certain logic of preserving French heritage.”
The designers’ goal, therefore, was to “modernise the house while preserving the traces of history”. They steered away from creating an obvious “look”. “We didn’t really have a specific effect in mind, but rather wanted to create a lived-in environment, infusing the space with contemporary furniture,” says Rischmann. “It’s as if the family had put down their furniture when they arrived, and the result seems perfectly organised, with an aesthetic that feels natural.”
Accordingly, the lofty rooms and original plasterwork are uniformly painted in milk-white hues, acting as a classic backdrop for more characterful furnishings. “The idea was to incorporate colours and materials in small touches, like the pinkish-orange of the Lek sofa in the living room [by Christophe Delcourt for Collection Particulière], and the blue carpet [a bespoke piece whose ray pattern echoes the fluted lines of a custom storage cabinet],” says Gibert. “The pink adds a touch of acidity, while the dark blue brings a little more classicism to the space. Materials play the same role, from the shine of the dark parquet flooring to the brutality of the marble in the kitchen,” he continues. “Our aim is always to create balance by contrasting materials.”
Mindful of the need to respect the house’s heritage, the duo was conscious of “not overdoing” anything; just a handful of bold flourishes achieved the desired effect. Fond of contrasting textures, they installed an opulent Calacatta Viola marble island in the kitchen which conceals the hob and oven, juxtaposing it with a sheeny stainless-steel cupboard. Just as impactful is the black Grigio Carnico marble in the principal bathroom, where the sinks are a streamlined contemporary interpretation of a traditional design.
The dressing room that adjoins the principal bedroom demonstrates RMGB’s mastery of craftsmanship. “It has two interesting aspects,” Rischmann explains. “The first is its architectural function, separating the bedroom from the bathroom; the other is its manufacture. We worked with our craftsmen to make doors in marquetry veneers with a butterfly motif. A high-gloss varnish lends the piece extra depth.”
Striving for a “harmonious ensemble”, the studio repeated the indigo hues of the living-room carpet on the bespoke master bed (whose curved form is inspired by the midcentury designs of Jean Royère), and coordinated artworks with their restrained palette. “We focused on strong works of art in generous formats, like the tapestries in a château,” says Rischmann. “We wanted an immersive effect, as with the bold, textured canvas by Danish artist Tal R in the living room, and the enormous painting of a lilac bouquet by Françoise Pétrovitch in the principal bedroom.” In the dining room, the tapestry idea becomes literal in the form of an Aubusson tapestry hanging by 20th-century painter Roger Mühl for Pinton. Entitled Le Bassin, its emerald hues echo the soft green upholstery of a set of vintage Willy Rizzo dining chairs.
The final impression, as Gibert and Rischmann say, is one of “freshness alongside history”. This is a place where memories and a new family life can happily coexist.
