catherine taret is a franco-american writer living in paris who works from her home located in the hip neighborhood of les abbesses, montmartre. all i can say is what an inspiring location, space and view to keep the creative juices flowing for catherine’s work on my little paris. the site, created by her friend fany pechiodat, is an insider website that keeps parisiennes – and those looking for a dose of paris – up to date on everything that’s happening in the city. their motto is “paris is not just a city, it’s an attitude.” enjoy the full sneak peek below (click here for additional and full-sized images), and see how you can channel your inner-parisienne in your own home! {thanks, catherine, elodie and charlotte!} -anne
{photographs by charlotte lascève, styling by elodie rambaud}
[above: It is a typical Parisian apartment, « parquet, moulures, cheminée », as we call it here. And if I had to find a word to define its style, I would have to borrow it from foodies : « fusion ». I guess it is a mixture of the many styles and influences that I cherish: my New England-antique-loving maternal genes, the Fifties (I can so imagine Don Draper sitting in that blue armchair), and Scandinavia. The ceilings are quite high and at some point I decided to get rid of all the high furniture, which increases the sense of space in the rooms. The pair of blue armchairs comes from one of my favorite vintage furniture shops rue Gérando, in SoPi (South of Pigalle). The white coffee table comes from KDesign. The 3-piece lamp and rug come from Habitat. The cat is Nino and comes from Avignon.]
Someone with great confidence in her taste once informed me that you could not have more than 2 colors in one room. Well, I am glad to say I am completely opposed to that or any other decorating statement. Style comes with time and confidence in one’s taste. I had no idea what my home would look like in the end and I still don’t. I just trust my judgement whenever I come across a piece. The walls are painted white and a greenish blue gray color from Ressource.
I love the reproduction from Jasper Johns. I bought it at the Moma many years ago. I bought the Danish buffet in another one of my very secret shops, located rue des Martyrs, Et puis c’est tout ! The dining room is also my office. I came across the architect’s table at the brocante on Avenue Trudaine, the best open air flea market in the city if you ask me, which takes place twice a year. Love at first sight. I just put all the chairs I find, all different, red formica, painted wood, fifties, around the table, and it gives it a shabby colorful look.
A few months ago, I decided to spice up the hallway with stickers by Domestic …. and Mellow Yellow from Ressources’s Fifties collection.
CLICK HERE for the rest of catherine’s sneak peek after the jump!
Like all my fellow Parisians, I squeeze my passion for food into a tiny (but very sunny) kitchen. The green buffet is the very first piece of furniture I bought in a vintage furniture store for my very first apartment. The portrait of Marilyn was given to me by my sister Caroline.
I got the hanger with beautiful bronze … in the yearly Emmaus event in Paris. The armchair is also a treasure found at the brocante de l’avenue de Trudaine. The dresser is your average Ikea. I bought the little painting on the wall from a local artist.
Against the long wall in the back are two 2 Ikea shelves, filled with books, folders and miscellaneous stuff. The poster is from the great film by Godard « A bout de souffle », but I mostly love the graphics. The five little cups are very precious to me, I got them from a fabulous antic shop in Seymour Connecticut, where my Grandmother used to live.
The balcony and the two large windows in the living room and dining room overlook the Sacré-Cœur. I know, so corny. But having breakfast or an aperitif there makes up for the fact that it’s such a Parisian cliché.
