sandr018

Details matter. Details are what separate a mansion from a mcmansion, a generic box from a lovely structure, a house from a home. They need not be as ornate or historic as those at the Musee Nissim de Camondo in Paris but any good architect or designer will fill a home with lovely touches that will separate the wheat from the chaff. The stairhall that I mentioned yesterday HERE features this lovely plaster painted to appear as limestone blocks. Notice how each individual block, separated by the thin white 'mortar' lines, is a slightly different tone of French gray? This adds depth and texture to the walls and adds to the illusion of real stone walls. The lovely tapestry above is delicately designed into the treatment of the wall -not simply hung above the stair as an after-thought. I warned there would be many light fixture photographs -here is one of them! These Classical gilded sconces line the stairhall. The above image captures the curtains in the main salon and the boise...

The interiors of the Musee Nissim de Camondo are even more stunning than the exterior; see my post HERE . While efforts have been made to make the house feel as if members of the family had just walked out the room, the house reflects the collections gifted by the Count rather than how they actually lived. One imagines it was probably relatively similar though for such an avid and passionate collector. One enters off the entry courtyard into a beautiful faux-stone stairhall. While the floors and stairs are marble, the walls are plaster molded and painted to appear as if limestone blocks. The architect ingeniously laid out the L-shaped plan so that it flows seamlessly without any hard corners in the hallways. Lighting is so important and this house proves the point. The lower level is glamorously lit, the ground level nicely lit with beautiful fixtures, while the private floor is actually rather cozy and dimly task lit. You'll notice a lot of photos of light fixtures in my posts! T...

Nestled against the Parc Monceau in the chic 8th arrondissement is one of the most famous house museums of Paris, the Musee Nissim de Camondo managed by the musee des arts decoratifs  (see my posts on that wonderful museum adjacent to the Louvre at the link). I had always wanted to visit this storied house but never had a chance until my last visit -I shouldn't have waited! Located on a tony street where many of the grand houses have become foundations, headquarters of international corporations, or embassies -the back of these structures front the Parc Monceau, many boasting private entrances into the park. Built in 1911 by a wealthy banker, the Count Moise de Camondo ,  to house his collection of 18th century furniture, the house was designed by Rene Sergent to combine the best of 18th century living with the most modern conveniences of the time, replacing the much larger home of his father (see the floorplan below).  The story of this most elegant house however is a ...