Paris My Houzz: A Gallery Owner's Artfully Attractive Family Home
This homeowner has brought her work home with her, balancing an impressive art collection with a relaxing Jungalow touch
Seen from the street, this house could hardly seem more commonplace, with an exterior that’s typical of the Parisian suburbs. The small detached house really keeps its cards hidden: stepping into the garden opens up an oasis of greenery that transports you to Asia – and that is just the beginning of the journey.
For second-generation gallery owner Catherine Mikolajczak, decor is an opportunity to live out all of her dreams. “I love repainting the walls and spend my time buying and selling furniture. I cannot stay in a static environment; I need it to evolve with us,” she says. Let’s have a look.
For second-generation gallery owner Catherine Mikolajczak, decor is an opportunity to live out all of her dreams. “I love repainting the walls and spend my time buying and selling furniture. I cannot stay in a static environment; I need it to evolve with us,” she says. Let’s have a look.
The decor was inspired by Balinese homes and the riads of Marrakech, both of which are enduring fascinations of Mikolajczak’s. “I travelled a lot in Asia when I worked in fashion,” she says. “There, I discovered architectural styles that I really like and that I wanted for my own home.”
“As we are very busy with our jobs and our five children, we absolutely had to create a spot for relaxation, in order to be able to escape without leaving home,” says Mikolajczak.
A corner under a pergola is furnished with rattan furniture and Moroccan tables, where the couple likes to hang out with loved ones in a ‘Jungalow’ atmosphere, a style characterised by a mixture of tropical and bohemian elements. The piece that is most emblematic of the chill space is the iconic Peacock chair. “I love mixing metal objects with wickerwork,” says Mikolajczak.
A corner under a pergola is furnished with rattan furniture and Moroccan tables, where the couple likes to hang out with loved ones in a ‘Jungalow’ atmosphere, a style characterised by a mixture of tropical and bohemian elements. The piece that is most emblematic of the chill space is the iconic Peacock chair. “I love mixing metal objects with wickerwork,” says Mikolajczak.
Not a single blade of grass was left in the garden. “I designed this 90-square-metre area myself to create a large terrace that is easier to maintain. However, with the planters and trees, nature is still omnipresent,” says Mikolajczak.
The garden has southern exposure, perfect for the Northern Hemisphere, and is sheltered from the wind by the neighbouring building. “It creates a kind of greenhouse effect that allows us to grow exotic varieties that are difficult to find in Île-de-France.” Mikolajczak loves plants with sculptural forms and captivating scents. “It’s part of the sensory experience of travelling – in our very own garden.”
The garden has southern exposure, perfect for the Northern Hemisphere, and is sheltered from the wind by the neighbouring building. “It creates a kind of greenhouse effect that allows us to grow exotic varieties that are difficult to find in Île-de-France.” Mikolajczak loves plants with sculptural forms and captivating scents. “It’s part of the sensory experience of travelling – in our very own garden.”
“We often chat with a couple who run an exotic plant nursery in Villecresnes. They give us very good advice,” says Mikolajczak.
Here we find cacti, succulents and even a corkscrew willow, which rises from a hole in the trumpet tree wood deck. The white pebbles surrounding the trunk add to the Zen atmosphere.
Here we find cacti, succulents and even a corkscrew willow, which rises from a hole in the trumpet tree wood deck. The white pebbles surrounding the trunk add to the Zen atmosphere.
This 77-square-metre add-on replaced the old garage. Built on a concrete slab, it houses the living room, pictured here; the master bedroom, which can be accessed by the stairs in the background; and the TV lounge in the basement.
The huge walls open the living room up completely to the outside and flood it with light. “Even when closed, they enhance the feeling of spaciousness in a room that is, after all, only 27 square metres, since we adopted the dimensions of the old garage. Fortunately, the ceiling height is quite extraordinary since the zinc roof is 2.5 to 5 metres high,” says Mikolajczak.
The huge walls open the living room up completely to the outside and flood it with light. “Even when closed, they enhance the feeling of spaciousness in a room that is, after all, only 27 square metres, since we adopted the dimensions of the old garage. Fortunately, the ceiling height is quite extraordinary since the zinc roof is 2.5 to 5 metres high,” says Mikolajczak.
The brightness of the space allowed Mikolajczak to paint the main wall a deep Seychelles blue. “When we started the work, I fell in love with Farrow & Ball paints. However, the matt finish is not practical when you have children, because fingerprints are unforgiving,” she says. She eventually decided to create her own paints inspired by what she had seen in magazines, but with a matt lacquer finish. “This is the same pigment as the matt paint, but a wipe of the sponge suffices to clean anything off.”
The colours change every six months or so, “much to the annoyance my husband,” says Mikolajczak, laughing. “I told him that decor is therapeutic for me. When I need to turn things over in my head and refocus, I move the furniture around and change the colour of the walls, because they affect our emotions.”
The colours change every six months or so, “much to the annoyance my husband,” says Mikolajczak, laughing. “I told him that decor is therapeutic for me. When I need to turn things over in my head and refocus, I move the furniture around and change the colour of the walls, because they affect our emotions.”
These butterflies in a bell jar represent another of Mikolajczak’s passions. “I love looking at the colours of butterflies. Nature is full of amazing plants and animals, so having a plant or an interestingly shaped stick is another way of having a little art at home,” she says.
The entrance to the kitchen was enlarged to make it easier to walk in from the living room. Since the wall in question is load-bearing, an IPN beam had to be installed. A sliding glass partition divides the spaces while preserving the feeling of airiness and brightness. There is underfloor heating under the polymer-concrete floor.
A huge painting catches the eye. “The only rule you need to know for hanging a work of art like in a museum is that the centre of the canvas must be at the observer’s eye level,” says Mikolajczak.
As for how to select artwork for an interior, this expert says there is no formula. “Art is above all an emotion. Beauty and harmony are subjective, so you just have to follow your gut,” she says. “Even if you aren’t rich, you can still start building an art collection and allow it to grow over the years. After all, there is a wide range of more or less affordable artistic expressions such as paintings, sculptures, and drawings. The combinations you come up with should be instinctive.”
Another piece of advice from the gallery owner: never choose a work of art based on your furniture, because, according to her, it is the interior that should adapt and act as a frame to enhance the art, not the other way around.
As for how to select artwork for an interior, this expert says there is no formula. “Art is above all an emotion. Beauty and harmony are subjective, so you just have to follow your gut,” she says. “Even if you aren’t rich, you can still start building an art collection and allow it to grow over the years. After all, there is a wide range of more or less affordable artistic expressions such as paintings, sculptures, and drawings. The combinations you come up with should be instinctive.”
Another piece of advice from the gallery owner: never choose a work of art based on your furniture, because, according to her, it is the interior that should adapt and act as a frame to enhance the art, not the other way around.
In the original part of the house, the kitchen was expanded into the space formerly occupied by a hallway. Cement floor tiles hint at Mikolajczak’s love of travel, mansions and the mas, or traditional Provençal farmhouse.
The kitchen is Mikolajczak’s husband’s playroom: “He’s like a Cordon Bleu chef,” says Mikolajczak. The U-shaped layout, with its bar area, makes for a cosy breakfast nook or a space for the whole family to gather and chat when someone is cooking. “It really brings the family together and makes the kitchen the heart of the house,” the owner says.
The kitchen leads directly to the dining room. The salmon-coloured wall paint in this room was also created by Mikolajczak.
“The dining room is very important because we are a bit hedonist: we like to take the time to be together and share a nice meal,” says Mikolajczak, who cherishes this ritual during her otherwise busy days.
The large mirror – placed in the corner to double the light in the room – was a bargain find. The Berber baskets on the right are souvenirs from a trip to Marrakech. The waxed concrete floor echoes one of the earth-tone hues of the cement tiles in the kitchen.
The large mirror – placed in the corner to double the light in the room – was a bargain find. The Berber baskets on the right are souvenirs from a trip to Marrakech. The waxed concrete floor echoes one of the earth-tone hues of the cement tiles in the kitchen.
In addition to butterflies and works of art, Mikolajczak collects straw hats.
A staircase leads to the bedrooms upstairs. Small cutouts in the wall connect it with the living room next door (the cutouts are visible over the mirror in the living-room photos above). “I borrowed this idea from Moroccan interiors,” says Mikolajczak. “This naturally illuminates the stairs while showcasing sculptures.”
The upstairs hallway is another opportunity to display works of art.
This is Juliette’s room, at the end of the hallway. As the 17-year-old girl wanted decor with a sunshiny feel, Mikolajczak opted for a curry yellow that goes perfectly with the raw wood of the closets and the rattan furniture.
Bought in Marrakech, the rug brings warmth and colour to the bedroom.
Lila-May is the youngest of the family. The decor in her room was deliberately kept very neutral. “As she is only five years old, we wanted to create a canvas that she can customise bit by bit according to her tastes,” says Mikolajczak.
The large closet is actually a china cabinet, which has been personalised with wallpaper on the inside. “It brings a vintage touch to the room and allows you to see Lila-May’s pretty dresses on their wooden hangers.”
The large closet is actually a china cabinet, which has been personalised with wallpaper on the inside. “It brings a vintage touch to the room and allows you to see Lila-May’s pretty dresses on their wooden hangers.”
Lou and Adam, the two boys from Mikolajczak’s husband’s first marriage, stay in the third bedroom every other weekend. Mikolajczak’s eldest daughter, Marussia, also stays here when she comes home from school in Montreal.
Here too, works of art adorn the walls and bring graphic design and character to the room.
Here too, works of art adorn the walls and bring graphic design and character to the room.
Back downstairs, on the other side of the living room, are the entrances to the basement TV lounge and master bedroom.
The TV was moved to the basement from the living room to make the latter a place for distraction-free quality time with family and friends. When the family wants to watch a movie, they just go down a few steps to enjoy this cosy space completely dedicated to entertainment in front of the TV.
The TV was moved to the basement from the living room to make the latter a place for distraction-free quality time with family and friends. When the family wants to watch a movie, they just go down a few steps to enjoy this cosy space completely dedicated to entertainment in front of the TV.
The master bedroom also comes off the living room. It is raised up by a few steps. There are no masterpieces here, but there is a wonderful non-woven wallpaper mural which is based on a hand-painted original. Thanks to the 4-metre-high ceiling, it’s not overwhelming.
“I felt like having a neutral room dedicated solely to rest, a bit like a decompression chamber,” says Mikolajczak. “The fresco in here is spectacular, and so encompassing that you feel like you are in a cocoon.”
The bottom of the wall is painted in yet another colour created by the owner.
“I felt like having a neutral room dedicated solely to rest, a bit like a decompression chamber,” says Mikolajczak. “The fresco in here is spectacular, and so encompassing that you feel like you are in a cocoon.”
The bottom of the wall is painted in yet another colour created by the owner.
The furniture, curtains and decor are another testament to Mikolajczak’s love of travel.
The bedroom leads directly to a dressing room. The master ensuite is below it.
“We wanted to create a Zen and earth-toned atmosphere that would be as neutral as possible and match the outside well,” says Mikolajczak, who likes to open the glass wall whenever the weather allows.
“In the summer, we feel like we are on holiday. We take baths with a view of the garden, then walk only a few steps to have a Moroccan tea under the pergola.” In winter, the couple has the pleasure of feeling like they are in the mountains: “Taking a bath when there is 20 centimetres of snow on the terrace is such a delight!”
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
More
Can’t get enough of international design? Take a look at last week’s Moscow Houzz Tour: Industrial Minimalism in an Heirloom Apartment
“In the summer, we feel like we are on holiday. We take baths with a view of the garden, then walk only a few steps to have a Moroccan tea under the pergola.” In winter, the couple has the pleasure of feeling like they are in the mountains: “Taking a bath when there is 20 centimetres of snow on the terrace is such a delight!”
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
More
Can’t get enough of international design? Take a look at last week’s Moscow Houzz Tour: Industrial Minimalism in an Heirloom Apartment
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Catherine Mikolajczak, founder of Galerie 42B, her husband, and their five children: Lila-May; Juliette; Lou and Adam, who visit every other weekend; and the eldest, Marussia, who is usually at school in Montreal. They also have a dog named Daphne.
Location: Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Île-de-France, in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, France
Size: 177 square metres, including a 77-square-metre addition; and an about 90-square-metre garden
Renovation budget: AU$316,000-$475,000 (200,000-300,000 euros)
“We bought this house in 2009,” says Mikolajczak. “We were looking for a home big enough to accommodate our step-family of five children. Saint-Maur-des-Fossés was ideal: it is a charming, quiet town. With the river Marne nearby, it has a pleasant countryside setting that makes us forget Paris is only 10 kilometres away.”
The couple kept looking despite an expensive market, and eventually found this house, which is typical of 1920s workers’ homes in France. “We immediately saw its potential, because we could build an extension in the garden,” says Mikolajczak. Therefore, the garage and a small house that had stood in the backyard were torn down to make room to expand the originally 100-square-metre space into a 177-square-metre home.