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Glossy walls, ruched curtains and oversized flower-shaped cushions characterise this eclectic 1970s-style Paris apartment, designed and owned by Uchronia founder Julien Sebban.

Called Univers Uchronia, the apartment is in the city’s 18th arrondissement, close to the Uchronia office – a Parisian architecture and interiors studio known for its bold application of shape, colour and reflective surfaces.

Orange desk in Univers Uchronia apartment — Julien Sebban designed Univers Uchronia as his home

Sebban designed the dwelling as his home, which he shares with his husband and Maison Royère artistic director Jonathan Wray.

The Uchronia founder created the apartment as an extension of his studio – “it’s truly a manifesto of our universe,” he told Dezeen.

Colourful living room with pink curtains — Colourful interiors anchor the apartment

Sebban worked with local studio Atelier Roma to create all the walls and ceilings, which are either lacquered and glossy or made of matte pigmented concrete, respectively reflecting or absorbing light throughout the day.

Finished in hues ranging from cloud-like pale blue to lemony yellow, the walls and ceilings complement the poured-in-place resin floor that spans the apartment and features a bold motif that “waves and moves in relation to the architecture”.

Open-plan kitchen in Univers Uchronia — A metallic island features in the open-plan kitchen

The home is anchored by a predominantly pink living space, which includes Uchronia-designed pieces such as low-slung interlocking coffee tables made from walnut burl and orange resin.

Translucent and gathered pink curtains were paired with a geometric vintage bookshelf and a blocky but soft sofa finished in purple and orange.

Onyx dining table — A bespoke onyx dining table was created for the home

“The apartment is very colourful with ’60s and ’70s inspirations and a mix of our contemporary pieces and vintage objects,” said Sebban.

In the open-plan kitchen and dining room, a veiny Van Gogh onyx table was positioned next to a metallic kitchen island, illuminated by a blobby seaweed-shaped table lamp.

Home office with orange and yellow walls — Ornamental jellyfish decorate the home office

A portion of the otherwise orange wall was clad with tiny, mirrored tiles. Reflected in the gleaming ceiling, the tiles have the same effect as a shimmering disco ball.

Opposite the dining area is Sebban and Wray’s home office, characterised by a bright orange, built-in day bed topped with silk flower-like cushions and a wave-shaped backrest.

Bathroom with pink bathtub — The dwelling’s bathrooms follow a similar design

Above the bed, ornamental jellyfish were suspended like planets against a constellation of gold stars, which decorate the ombre orange and yellow wall that nods to the colour-drenched interior of the city’s Cafe Nuances – also designed by Uchronia.

The dwelling’s bathrooms follow a similar design. Accents include dusty pink alcoves and ceramic tiles depicting underwater scenes, as well as a lily pad-shaped rug and a mirror resembling a cluster of clouds.

“The apartment defines the codes we have tried to develop at Uchronia over the last four years,” concluded Sebban.

“It’s a play on colours, textures and materials, and a love letter to French craft.”

Pink-hued bathroom by Uchronia — Univers Uchronia is “a love letter to French craft”

Uchronia was named emerging interior designer of the year at the Dezeen Awards 2023. The studio previously renovated a Haussmann-era apartment for a pair of jewellery designers with multifaceted furniture pieces created to mirror the appearance of precious stones.

Various architects have designed their own homes, such as John Pawson, who created this minimalist second home in the Cotswolds in the UK.

The photography is by Félix Dol Maillot.

Reference

In the arty Paris district of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Stockholm design studio Halleroed has designed a new boutique for French bag and luggage brand L/Uniform.

Taking cues from the brand’s simple, rational approach to design, Halleroed design lead Ruxandra Halleröd created a series of backdrops that allow the products to “pop out in a beautiful way”.

Wooden display cabinets in boutique in Paris by Halleroed — Halleroed has designed a boutique for L/Uniform in Paris

The boutique is comprised of two rooms that drawing on L/Uniform‘s French heritage alongside a mixture of Japanese and Scandinavian design traditions – also known as Japandi.

The first room was designed to nod to the vernacular of the traditional French marketplace, with stepped display furniture and rustic materials, such as walls papered in woven raffia.

Bags hand on walls in L/Uniform boutique — In the first room, bags are hung from integrated wooden hooks

“It reminds us of L/Uniform’s use of French canvas on its more functional bags, but on a bigger scale,” Halleröd told Dezeen.

“We used a Shaker-inspired approach where bags are hung from hooks. There’s an association with everyday market life because some of these bags are specifically made for bringing to the market.”

To create a striking visual contrast with the natural textures of this space, Halleroed added a monolithic display table in deep burgundy with a high-gloss finish.

Mint green display cabinets in boutique in Paris by Halleroed — Glossy red details feature throughout the store in finishes and furnishings

The second room is more “elegant and eclectic”, according to Halleröd. Here, L/Uniform’s leather handbags are displayed against a palette of soft pink and green, featuring an olive-coloured velvet sofa and pistachio display cabinet alongside tactile elements like the handwoven jute-and-wool carpet.

The same glossy red finish from the first room is also reprised – in this case applied to two exposed pipes, around which Halleroed has constructed a low timber cabinet.

Mint green display cabinet in L/Uniform boutique — Pistachio display cabinets provide additional storage

“We worked with colour, texture and material as one entity, creating contrast and also unity,” said Halleröd.

Around the counter, Halleroed added cedar cladding “for a Japanese look and feel”.

This is mirrored across the shop with details such as a rice-paper pendant light by Isamu Noguchi and chairs by George Nakashima, as well as cedar table lamps with rice-paper shades created by a Japanese cabinetmaker.

Gallic influences are reflected in the lighting by Pierre Chareau and Charlotte Perriand and the bush-hammered limestone floor, which according to Halleröd has a “calm, vintage touch that for us is very French”.

Hallway of boutique in Paris by Halleroed — Travertine floors and stone counters bring a sense of refinement to the space

Halleroed also brought Swedish elements into the mix, reflecting the studio’s own approach.

“With our minimalist Scandinavian mindset, we prefer to work with fewer elements and materials but in a conscious and precise way,” said Halleröd.

“Working with wood and craft is something that I think is common for both Japan and Sweden, while we think of the warm tones here as being both French and Japanese.”

Wooden storage cabinets in L/Uniform boutique — Timber joinery nods to Japanese and Scandinavian craft traditions

“Many of the items in the store were handmade specifically for the space, which was important for us since we believe that this reflects the L/Uniform mentality and approach,” she added.

Since it was founded in 1998, Halleroed has completed a number of high-end boutiques around the world.

Among them are an Acne Studios store in Chengdu and various outposts for Swedish streetwear brand Axel Arigato in Berlin, Paris, Copenhagen and London.

The photography is by Ludovic Balay

Reference

French

Uchronia founder designs own home as “love letter to French craft”

Halleroed mixes French and Japandi influences inside L/Uniform boutique

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