< PreviousSCULPTURAL NORMS RIGHT: An artwork by Christian Tagliavini hangs at the entrance to the villa. The ceilings are covered in limba wood varnished to a high shine. OPPOSITE PAGE: In a small sitting area, two sheepskin Koumac armchairs by Lemaire are paired with his Hellmet side tables. The painting is by Swiss artist Laurence Amélie Schneider. AD_132-141_Arena_Rabat_11008734.indd 13209/12/2019 05:33:05 PMAR E N A/ Raba t 133 In the Moroccan capital Rabat, French architect Thierry Lemaire has created a contemporary home that’s big on bold shapes and glamorous materials Words Jessica Doyle Photography Jean-François Jaussaud AD_132-141_Arena_Rabat_11008734.indd 13309/12/2019 05:33:15 PMAD_132-141_Arena_Rabat_11008734.indd 13409/12/2019 05:33:26 PMABOVE: Lemaire designed the pivot front door, which is made from stamped bronze. OPPOSITE PAGE: Subtle pattern comes to the fore in this small living room, where a sideboard by the American mid-century designer Paul Evans is teamed with a leaf-print rug. The ceiling light was designed by Lemaire. C decoration and design,’ he says. ‘I like to have the challenge of both aspects.’ He was involved right from the start of the build, over two years ago, working with the lead architect on the interior structure of the 2,000-square-metre building. Rabat itself was a key source of inspiration. ‘The city has a lot of white, modernist buildings that are very like houses of the Fifties and Sixties,’ says Lemaire, who has infused the mid century-style architecture with a dose of Seventies glamour in the form of smoked limba wood (which is used on furniture and to line the ceilings), polished metals, onyx and stone. One of his main challenges was the shape of the open- plan reception space. ‘It was like a corridor; very long and rectangular,’ says Lemaire. ‘I had to fi nd a way of making the light fl ow around the space.’ He solved the issue by installing mashrabiya, traditional latticework screens found across the Arab world. Lemaire has given them a strikingly contemporary spin in steel rather than wood to subtly divide the dining and living area. He worked with the interior designer Clelia d’Aulan Benenati to select artworks and furniture, many of which are Lemaire’s own designs; his made-to-measure pieces, characterised by sinuous lines and luxurious materials are a feature of all his projects. Inspired both by 18th century antiques and iconic 20th century designers such as Jean Prouvé, Lemaire mixes diverse infl uences and fi nishes in his furniture. He has created collections for Holly Hunt and Fendi Casa, and in 2017, he opened his own gallery in Paris to showcase his signature collection. In the Rabat villa, a pair of Lemaire’s Koumac sheepskin and brass armchairs are teamed with two of his sculptural bronze Hellmet side tables in a quiet sitting area; and his Byron chairs, in slick ebonised wood and leather, surround the dining table. Standout bespoke pieces include the eight-metre-long sofas in the large living room; the stamped-bronze marble furniture in the bathroom; and a glossy frake wood piece in the master bedroom that neatly hides a TV screen. Elsewhere are vintage pieces and antiques, such as a sideboard in the living room by the mid-century American designer Paul Evans, which was found in LA, and a vintage 1970s ceiling light in the dining room, picked up at the Saint-Ouen fl ea market in Paris. There’s also a carefully chosen collection of abstract artworks, photography and sculpture. The colour palette throughout is strong yet restrained, with rich brown and gold tones on a background of neutral cream and dove grey. Occasional fl ashes of green, celadon and powder blue add interest, while subtle pattern comes through in the textures of the marble, travertine, onyx and wood fi nishes. The resulting look blends deep comfort and dazzling glamour: the perfect home for a modern woman of substance. thierry-lemaire.fr URVED FURNITURE JU XTAPOSED with clean, architectural lines and sleek materials sums up the dual character of this contemporary villa in Morocco’s capital, Rabat. The work of French interior architect Thierry Lemaire, it brings his European design aesthetic to a property that is both rooted in its setting and a refl ection of its owner’s personality. ‘She’s a very sophisticated, elegant woman with great expertise in interior design,’ says Lemaire. ‘She’s very feminine and glamorous but she has a strong character and knows what she likes. There’s a mix of ideas here – lots of shiny materials and curves, but also a very masculine style, with square shapes. It’s her character.’ The project was the perfect fi t for Lemaire, who studied architecture before changing tack to focus on interiors in the late 1990s. Over the past 20 years, he has branched out from working on private apartments in Paris and Geneva to designing store interiors for fashion brands, and dreaming up exquisite furniture. In the case of this property, ‘It was a project of architecture and also 135 AD_132-141_Arena_Rabat_11008734.indd 13509/12/2019 05:33:34 PMAD_132-141_Arena_Rabat_11008734.indd 13609/12/2019 05:33:46 PM137 ABOVE: A detail of Lemaires's contemporary take on a mashrabiya. OPPOSITE PAGE: A bespoke table by Lemaire is surrounded by his Byron chairs, and a vintage 1970s ceiling light found at the Saint-Ouen fl ea market in Paris hangs above. AR E N A/ Raba t AD_132-141_Arena_Rabat_11008734.indd 13709/12/2019 05:33:54 PMA collection of low marble tables by Lemaire stands between made-to-measure, eight-metre sofas in the main living room area. “ There’s a mix of ideas - lots of shiny materials There’s a mix of ideas - lots of shiny materials and curves, but also a very masculine styleand curves, but also a very masculine style ” AD_132-141_Arena_Rabat_11008734.indd 13809/12/2019 05:34:07 PMThe trompe l’oeil drapery on the Turkish panelling in the main bedroom is topped with real French silk and passmenterie. OPPOSITE: An antique Yemenite bust forms a lamp base in the study. 139 AR E N A/ Raba t AD_132-141_Arena_Rabat_11008734.indd 13909/12/2019 05:34:21 PMABOVE: A curved piece of furniture in frake wood and polished brass conceals the TV in the main bedroom. The modular sofa is from Edra. RIGHT: Eglomise glass panels refl ect the glamorous storage unit. AD_132-141_Arena_Rabat_11008734.indd 14009/12/2019 05:34:33 PM141 AR E N A/ Raba t Bespoke fi ttings in Rainforest Brown marble and stamped bronze make a modern statement in the guest bathroom. AD_132-141_Arena_Rabat_11008734.indd 14109/12/2019 05:34:48 PMNext >