< Previous52 FRENCH POLISH The imposing exterior of the mansion. OPPOSITE PAGE: Zuber wallpaper provides an elegant backdrop in the dining room. A Francis Russell Design chandelier hangs above the bespoke Jonathan Sainsbury dining table and chairs. AD_036_52-61_Arena_Paris_11429624.indd 5213/12/2020 10:40:00 AMThis refurbished beaux-arts mansion in the 16th arrondissement of Paris combines contemporary elegance with the lustre of the past Words Fiona McCarthy Photography James McDonald AD_036_52-61_Arena_Paris_11429624.indd 5313/12/2020 10:40:27 AMREVIOUSLY O WNED BY FASHION MOGUL BERNARD ARNA ULT, this grand Beaux-Arts mansion in the chic 16th arrondissement of Paris was bought by the current owners about eight years ago. They approached London- based interior architect Bryan O’Sullivan three years later, asking him to trans- form it into a comfortable family home while retaining its gilded charms. The ar- chitect’s biggest challenge? To avoid turning the house into a pastiche of its glamorous architectural past. By the time O’Sullivan came onboard the owners had tried unsuccessfully to kickstart the renovation a number of times; the traditional rooms were still in place, but many of the original details had been stripped out. “The fl oors weren’t great quality, and the plumbing was all shot, but it was still an amazing canvas to work with,” says O’Sullivan. The interior expert’s fi rst rule was to ensure that any architectural interven- tions stayed true to the original building. “We didn’t want to mess with such a masterpiece of a house,” he says of echoing the early 20th-century age of the home in the redesign. “We wanted it to feel authentic.” So O’Sullivan and his team conducted extensive research into period details at Paris’s nearby Musée Nissim de Camondo, a once-lavish mansion that was built around the same time as this house. Here, he found inspiration for the new decorative stucco, stair run- ners, stone fl oors and Versailles parquetry fl ooring reinstated on the ground and fi rst fl oors, as well as the thinner boards of the chevron parquet on the top fl oor. O’Sullivan also drew on the talents of dozens of independent craftsmen in- cluding Irish stonemasons, Belgian timber specialists and British furniture mak- ers, as well as French gilders, ironmongers, painters and polishers. New structur- al additions included arched-fanlight doors to divide the dining room and grand salon from the main entrance hall. “They provide a really nice vista all the way through the ground fl oor and out to the garden,” says the designer. More natural light fl oods through an oblong skylight and top-fl oor light well down into the gal- P 54 AD_036_52-61_Arena_Paris_11429624.indd 5413/12/2020 10:40:38 AMABOVE: A pair of Pierre Yovanovitch armchairs sits opposite a Rose Uniacke sofa in the petit salon. OPPOSITE PAGE: The kitchen and family room sit on the lower level. O’Sullivan added in a 40-foot sliding door that opens the space to the garden beyond. AD_036_52-61_Arena_Paris_11429624.indd 5513/12/2020 10:40:52 AM56 AD_036_52-61_Arena_Paris_11429624.indd 5613/12/2020 10:41:08 AMFortuny pendants hang in the grand salon, which has Pierre Paulin sofas, and Stéphane Parmentier armchairs . OPPOSITE PAGE: The entry hall as a striking reclaimed stone fl oor. AD_036_52-61_Arena_Paris_11429624.indd 5713/12/2020 10:41:31 AMAD_036_52-61_Arena_Paris_11429624.indd 5813/12/2020 10:41:43 AM73 lery on the fi rst fl oor. “Before, it was a really underwhelming space. Now, it really feels kind of wow.” That same wow factor also comes from the impressive scale of the rooms, originally designed by Grand Palais architect Henri Deglane. “They are extraordinarily generous, even for Paris,” says O’Sullivan. With his own impressive architectural pedigree, O’Sullivan was the perfect man for this job. Having worked with major architects including Annabelle Sell- dorf in New York and Luis Laplace in Paris, and interior designers David Collins and Martin Brudnizki in London, O’Sullivan founded his eponymous practice in 2013. Today, he has projects traversing high-end residential projects from New York to Ibiza, superyachts and destinations such as Ballynahinch Castle Hotel in Galway, Ireland, and The Tamburlaine Hotel in Cambridge, UK. This house’s eclectic aesthetic mixes traditional gilded edging and Louis XV- style sconces with vibrantly patterned marble fi replaces, Fortuny pendant lamps and curvaceous Pierre Paulin sofas. Italian fl oor lamps and shell-shaped cocktail chairs from the 1950s team with contemporary woven leather, wool-and-raffi a rugs by Toyine Sellers and 19th-century antiques sourced from London’s decora- tive-arts fairs and the Marché aux Puces in Paris. Giacometti-inspired gesso chandeliers in the dining room and hallways pro- vide a modern contrast to the ornate black-and-gilded wrought-iron balustrades. Bedrooms showcase special bespoke pieces, such as fl uted headboards and a wal- nut and bouclé sleigh bed inspired by the work of mid-century architect Jules Leleu that cleverly conceals a pop-up TV. “I try to hide televisions as much as I can — they are my absolute pet hate,” says O’Sullivan. The result is a house that feels grand but not intimidating. “Nothing feels too far away or disconnected,” says O’Sullivan. “What we tried to do was balance the house’s past with the right contemporary mix of colour, texture and playfulness so the owners felt instantly at home.” bos-studio.com @bosstudio ABOVE: The walls, fl oor and vanity in the main bathroom are in Calacatta Retro marble. The Reda Amalou side table is from The Invisible Collection and the vintage wall lights are by Ercole Barovier. OPPOSITE PAGE: A romantic guest bedroom is capped by antique lighting. 59 AD_036_52-61_Arena_Paris_11429624.indd 5913/12/2020 10:41:59 AM60 “ We tried to balance the house’s past with a contemporary mix of colour, texture and playfulness ” AD_036_52-61_Arena_Paris_11429624.indd 6013/12/2020 10:42:14 AMIn the main bedroom, the bespoke art deco-style bed has an exceedingly modern feature: a secret opening from which a TV pops out. The antique chairs are dressed in Clarke & Clarke velvet from Gallery 25. AD_036_52-61_Arena_Paris_11429624.indd 6113/12/2020 10:42:23 AMNext >