La Maison Champs Elysees in Paris has been re-designed by Martin Margeila and it’s a graphic adventure. While it’s mainly a white affair there is lots of experimentation with interesting textures and finishes; gloss, matt, opaque, translucent, light, dark, mirrored, paneled, drawn. My favorite room is the Gilded Lounge Suite (coincidentally – see below). Not that there’s a lot of gold going on. But that fabulous side table is worthy of a mention. I like the black and white illustration or photograph of ornate French paneling that covers the walls. I admire how the illustration is not interrupted by the actual elements in the room such as doors and air conditioning units. It doesn’t try to work around these or incorporate them, it just rail roads them. My background and my perspective is to make things as ‘true’ or as precise as possible so I really like how this guy has consciously ignored reality. Of course this doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t annoy the hell out of me while I lay in bed staring at the  mismatched paneling in my room. However, all would be forgiven when I cast my eye upon the amazing magazine wall with the effective double arm wall light. I am sure that that is a true magazine wall as the light casts the bumps of the spines on to the ceiling. Beats all of the faux library wallpaper out there hands down. A few of the rooms are white, just white. I find this a bit unsettling; it’s the same feeling I get when I view a work by Salvadore Dali – uncomfortable. Perhaps I’m just not a surreal kind of gal. But then again, it’s definitely OK for a space to evoke feeling so I’m good with that too.

I particularly like the mirrored furniture reflecting pattern and texture on another plane. I love the illuminated diamond suspended in space in the silver leaf hallway. Those are individual silver leaf squares applied by hand to the wall. The very act of installation and the quality of the material is worthy of a a few ‘oohs and aahs’ in my opinion. I like this space. It might unsettle me a bit and evoke memory of art I’d rather forget but I absolutely adore bravery.

All images care of La Maison Champs Elysees website.