Product Description

Private Paris homes only open their doors to the few. This book shows us around 50 imaginatively conceived apartments and houses, the homes of prominent people such as Isabelle Adjani, Helena Christensen and Christian and Francoise Lacroix. How we live is who we are. These interiors are "mirrors of the soul", showing the true personalities of those who live in them. From baroque opulence to cool understatement to colourful exoticism, their style is unforced - these are homes that people live in, not museum pieces. They also document Parisian vogues - for the Frech Thirties and Forties, for the furniture of Jean-Michel Frank and Jean Royere, for Diego Giacometti's stucco work, or the design features of the Vienna Secession. This book documents a particularly energetic and fertile moment in one of the world's most beautiful cities. "Paris Interiors" brings together a selection of extraordinary apartments in the French capital, chosen purely for their individuality. From wicked fun to timeless classicism, everything in this unique book will be an inspiration.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #331135 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-23
• Original language: German, French, English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
"Paris Interiors is a superbly illustrated book, depicting some of the capital's gloriously imaginative houses and apartments, belonging to actors, artists and designers." Evening Standard Magazine, London"

About the Author
Lisa Lovatt-Smith was born in 1967 in Barcelona of British parents. She has since lived in London, Madrid, and Milan and is now based in Paris. She is also the author of TASCHEN's Morocco Interiors and Provence Interiors. The editor: Angelika Taschen studied art history and German literature in Heidelberg, gaining her doctorate in 1986. Working for TASCHEN since 1987, she has published numerous titles on the themes of architecture, photography, design, and contemporary art.

Customer Reviews

One for the coffee table and the house...
I confess to my liking for some 'picture books', whether they are about the history of handbags or the history of couture. This one caught my eye as I walked by a store window, with an impending relocation on my brain. Paris has always been an intriguing favourite of mine and I have never tired of liking the quirky and unique characters of the various private apartments I have visited, grand hotels I have stayed in, as well as new 'concepts' such as the Louis Vuitton 'gallery' on Champs Elysees (which by the way was opened with an eye to circumventing Parisian retail laws, whereby shops cannot be open on Sundays but art galleries can!).

Back to the book: the book showcases a collection of pictures with a little historical and contextual commentary in English, German and French. The private apartments belong to people as varied from Thierry Mugler to Christian Lacroix to Helena Christensen. Some are tributes to design, some reflective of the owners' temperament and character, some shrines to the travels and life of the owners. The photos limit themselves to some parts of the featured apartments, thus preserving some of the privacy of the owners, a bit like French style itself. I found some truly a riot of colours, some very plain but none devoid of a story. What is interesting is that one can see wrought iron furniture in typically all (but Thierry Mugler's minimalist one) apartments; much furniture featured is inherited or rescued or bought at flea markets thereby reflecting that taste is a matter of individual vision rather than a huge budget..

It is not just a great coffee table book, it is also a great inspiration, a great collection of idiosyncratic, invidual ideas of creativity and style. And for the price, I think it is great value for money too.

Great value book but beaten by New York interiors for style
I bought both New York and French interiors and New York wins for style. This one is interesting but looks dated which is strange since it was published in 2007. Some of the homes, but by no means all, look like Miss Haversham meets the Moulin Rouge. So red and so cluttered, I wondered if some smell of cats.

I think the Parisians hang on to every stick of furniture and bric a brac according to this book, as well a disturbing number of collections of cuddly toys and black dollies (I would have hidden the cuddly toys before the photographer came round). Always great value by Taschen though and there are still plenty of ideas to keep you going here.

Good Review of Unique Flair in Parisian Interiors
I wanted a review in photos and descriptions of what makes Parisian interiors unique yet quintessentially Parisian. This book does just that. I pick it up time and again for inspiration.