ONLY 6 DAYS into the new year and we’re still taking things very slowly here at TIG, as you may have noticed. A new year is always a good time for a palate cleanser, and this spare and spacious Paris apartment is the perfect place to begin. The space was designed by Helene Van Marcke, a designer and architect who was born in Ghent, Belgium and counts the Arte Povera movement and old American Shaker houses as inspiration. Van Marcke opened her design studio in Paris in 2013 and another studio in Ghent in 2017. She designed this minimalist Avenue Marceau duplex in 2019, and its soothing neutral palette, mix of natural materials such as cool marble and warm wood, clay tiles and linen drapery is exactly the mood we’re looking for at this time of year. Van Marcke aims for creations with a strong impact and a timeless feel, a mix of softness and rigidity, spaces that sophisticated without being pretentious and “always with a touch of retro humor.” Located near the Champs Élysées, this home occupies the top two floors of a Haussman-style stone building and has views of the Eiffel Tower, Sacré Coeur and the Arc de Triomphe.
