Interiorism

Hotel Bellechasse, designed by Christian Lacroix / París

Nearby the Orsay Museum, the “Bellechasse” converted into a delightfull hotel, full of character, being altogether impressive and intimate, “dressed” by Christian Lacroix.

Ideally situated in the heart of the left bank, between the VIIth aristocratic and the VIth artistic districts, this elegant private hotel is now a real jewelcase of “haute couture” where travellers and aesthetes will be able to meet.

Behinds its classic appearance is hidden an outstanding personality. 34 rooms of character where designs, figures, colours and subjects are skilfully orchestrated and re-occur at the same times neo-classicism and bohemian spirit.

Playing with a palette of ambiences and influences, perpetuating a skilful balance between audacity and tradition, Christian Lacroix created 7 universes of diversity throughout the rooms.

Patchwork
Avengers
Saint-Germain
Tuileries
Mousquetaires
Jeu de Paume
Quai d’orsay

A Travel Within the travel

A custom-made hotel, in surroundings already very “couture” right in the middle of Faubourg Saint Germain district, whose aristocratic elegance inspired Proust, with a wealth of famous antique dealers and the Orsay Museum, facing the Louvre, with the Ministries, the Chamber of Deputies, the French Foreign Office (Quai d’Orsay) and the embassies. It represents arts – from literature to painting including design, music, theatre, cinema – with its modern and contemporary art galleries, its exhibition halls, its bookshops and so many places typical of the pleasurable Parisian way of life : cafés, shops, restaurants where tradition meets with the modernist.

Christian Lacroix explains : “in my opinion, a hotel must reflect the character of the locality it is standing in and should represent “ a travel within the travel” while giving its own interpretation of the town, the district, the street it is open to. This hotel provides accommodation to the tourists in search of culture and exhibitions as well as making them feeling “at home” in a district essentially notorious between politics and business.

With regards to the street of Bellechasse , one must think in terms of the 19th Century aesthetics of the Museum of Orsay, with the old furniture of famous antique dealers, with the neo-classicism of architectures neighbourhood and also with the art galleries, contemporary furniture and an unconventional way of life which were, since always, the axies of Faubourg Saint-Germain whose charm, force and elegance come from this balance between tradition and audacity, passed and present, upper middle class and dolce vita, symbolizing for me the spirit of Paris.

On reflexion we proportioned all these ingredients in function of all the places to be re invented.

The reception mirrors this conception immediately by showing the blending between “ the old and the new” and with just a hint of the future. The lobby-bar overlooking on to the patio-garden, plays on to the glass window and the mirror, the bright colours, the white mouldings, the wood storage and the blending styles of cosy furniture.

The staircases are scattered with graphic images and covered with bright red carpet, the walk-ways are softened by round partitions, the ceilings are black and on the ground an exclusive carpet which I drew with strokes of black-ink on to a white back-ground.

The colour allows to give rythm distinguishing floor levels from each other. Generally monochrome, as well as camaïeu, sometimes coordinated to printed wall-paper.

The Rooms

The hotel includes two buildings. One of 4 stores giving onto the street, the other of 7 stores giving onto the courtyard. Namely 34 rooms and 7 decorative topics.

The rooms looking onto the street are more contemporary, mildly blurring the way from the apartment to the bathroom with scattered mirrors.

The rooms looking onto the courtyard are more classic, country style like( pastel drawing) The rooms on the ground floor, facing the street, have a Patchwork style based on primary tones, with Persian and Arabic motives:

Four styles are shared among the other three floors:

A contemporary style: Saint-Germain
Golden leaf effect on walls and ceilings. A panel mixing Pompeï style fresco and photos. Seats in false zebra and brocade.

A “rustic” feeling: Tuileries
A little bit of upper middle class, with large stripes, folk motives in black and white, walls decorated with Slavic-type figures and “trompe l’oeil” small palms and chinas.

Anglo-saxon style: Avengers
It is based on checker-board (a macro-expansion of a game of draughts by my great-grand father) ex-votos, a striked carpet “swinging London” type, some Prince of Wales, some tweed with a hint of the “Avengers” ( Television series).

Finally a fourth style being a bit rustic: Mousquetaires
Yellow brocade curtains, a fresco inspired by the XVIIth century painting, rough stones and some velvet.

On the fourth floor, under the round-shaped roofs, a neo-futuristic and at the same time abstract style is prevalent. Bright and primary colours between Scandinavian child room, cabin and modern simplicity with giant playing cards stuck on the wall, photos and naïve graphics.
Jeu de paume

The rooms looking onto the courtyard play on a register of dark wood, brocade, damasked ceramic or crocodile, high pile carpet, wooden “trompe l’oeil”, Prevert style or astrological frescoes, this on seven floors varying in camaïeu, grey-beige or black going from yellow, green, blue, red and brown. Quai D’orsay.

On the ground floor, the conservatory opening onto the patio with spaces of activities blending with the pastels and dark lacquer from the cosy lounges, while the rooms on the upper floor are more “futuristic” under the upside-down hull of a ship formed by the roofs ( large scale sketch).

The hotel BELLECHASSE is the result of a skilful alchemy. The baroque inspiration of the fashion designer is mixed with the influences of a highly historic district.

The final result is a Parisian touch typically “left bank’.

A mixture of shapes and colours makes it most attractive.

© 2008 Dezziny.