Paris | Visit to Merci Concept Store

June 3, 2015June 22, 2015Leave a comment

Hello guys! It’s been a while since my last post!

I’ve just gotten back from a short vacation in Paris, Amsterdam and Copenhagen and can’t wait to share some of the design shops I’ve visited in this trip :)

In our previous trip to Paris last year, we were so busy visiting the museums and all the famous sites (oh well, that was our first ever holiday in Paris… and how could we give up the Eiffel, Notre Dame Cathedral and The Louvre etc), I had to give the Merci a miss due to time constraint.

Second visit to Paris, we were much more relaxed this time, and finally made our way to the well known Merci concept store located in the heart of the trendy neighbourbood of le Haut Marais.

Merci is a general goods store founded by Bernand and Marie-France Cohen (the couple behind the luxury children’s clothing brand Bonpoint). It is a charitable concept store, which all the proceeds are going to children charities in Madagascar. The store was opened in 2009, housed in a sunlit lofty building converted from an old wallpaper factory and has since listed as one of the top places to visit in any kind of Paris design guide. I have probably seen a million pictures of Merci store in Pinterest and read numerous blog posts about this chic, eclectic store, but still felt really excited when I saw the iconic red fiat in the courtyard! Walking through the paved courtyard and stepping into the store, you’ll find a rotating exhibition. Right now they are having an installation of cloud-like structures, floating above the collection of household cotton sheets. It was really very pretty! The ground floor and the half floor up has menswear, womenswear and accessories; as well as the Aesop and Annick Goutal boutique.

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Hotel Henriette in Paris | A Chic and Budget Friendly Boutique Hotel

April 21, 2015April 21, 20152 Comments

Images via Hotel Henriette | Photograph by Hervé Goluza

I will be going to Paris again in May, and too bad that I’ve only discovered Hotel Henriette (via Remodelista) after booking my accommodation with one of the charmless budget hotel chain.

Paris is an absolutely beautiful but expensive city.

Situated close to the Mouffetard district (metro: Les Gobelins), the rooms at Hotel Henriette appear to be unbelievably affordable (single room starts at €69 per night; double room from €89 per night). It has 32 individually designed bedrooms and they are great examples of how thoughtful paint selections (think mustard layered against pastel) and simple furnishings are often more than enough to infuse charm and character to any space. Everything is très chic here.

Loads of bedroom images ahead, hope you find some ideas for your next bedroom remodelling!

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Small Space Living | Christophe Poyet’s Retro-inpired Parisian Apartment

November 21, 2014Leave a comment

A small space of 35sqm did not stop architect/designer Christophe Poyet (co-founder of Humbert & Poyet Architecture) to infuse character and charm to his Parisian pad.

This apartment is located in the attic, and originally consisted of three rooms. The highlight of the apartment is the stunning views of Sacré – Coeur right out of the picture perfect window. Christophe has completely transformed the space to visually expand the room so that all three windows can be seen from any part of the apartment.

My favourite part of this apartment is the choice of colours for the kitchen cabinet and wardrobe door. The perfect french blue and olive green that I’ve always wanted for my own home :)

Images via Domaine

Source – Architectural Digest Russia

Paris – The Decadent La Maison Favart

August 27, 2014August 27, 2014Leave a comment

Continuing on my hunt for affordable accommodation for my Paris trip, but I found myself continue to be lured into looking at images of the luxurious hotel that are not within my budget!

Like this one, one of the top ranked Paris Hotel in TripAdvisor – La Maison Favart.

La Maison Favart is named after the famous Favart couple (founder of the Comic Opera in Paris). It is a beautiful building dated back to 1824 and was reinvested by Architect Atelier Architects Atelier Jean-Luc Bras in collaboration with Exclusive Interiors.

I think every lady will love the interior of this hotel. It’s like a jewel box in the prettiest Ladurée macaroon hues. Delicious.

How could you not like this?

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Paris – Hotel Fabric

August 22, 2014Leave a comment

I am going to France for a holiday in October!

Yes we have a bad habit of always planning a holiday in a short notice. I guess that will give us more motivation to plan, and more excitement look more forward to the trip.

But you know I love the modern French interior. Before even planning on the attractions or museum to visit, I just couldn’t wait to dive into researching on the hotels available in Paris.

And true enough – I found heaps of hipster boutique hotels that I really really drool over. Honestly, they are not within my budget for accommodation. But they are really too pretty to forget.

First of all, is this refreshing, willfully colorful hotel – Hôtel Fabric.

Located at the heart of fashionanle 11^th arrondissement of Paris, in the Oberkampf district, the Fabric, which opened a year ago, is set in a former textile factory (hence the name – fabric!)

The hotel is designed by architect Vincent Bastie, and has 33 rooms in total. Appropriately for its origins, the 33 rooms make use of lots of different fabrics and patterns. Think high-backed headboard upholstered in colourful fabric against stripy walls.

The common area like the lobby lounge has more of a post-industrial vibe, with interesting architectural details like the exposed brick walls, unconcealed ducts, and large metal windows that bring in the natural light. In my opinion, the Parisians have really perfected to art of mixing furniture and accessories of different style and era to create the eclectic look that is so effortless. This is the space where you can admire the Eames chairs, opulent chandelier, industrial style hanging light, vintage storage trunk, and contemporary art all at the same time.