Architecture News

Marthe Simon and Paul Peller of Marthe Architecture dedicated two years to meticulously transforming a Parisian apartment on the Left Bank. Their design philosophy embraced opulent details like gold leaf and trompe l'oeil, crafting a warm, maximalist aesthetic throughout the residence. This extensive timeline allowed for a deep understanding of the space, ensuring every design choice was intentional and tailored. The result is a harmonious blend of historical Parisian grandeur and contemporary luxury, where every element contributes to an immersive and visually rich experience. The designers focused on creating a dwelling that feels both extravagant and intimately personal, a testament to their dedication and artistic vision.

The collaborative partners, Marthe Simon and Paul Peller, envisioned a dwelling brimming with warm, maximalist touches. They meticulously planned the integration of elements like gold leaf, trompe l'oeil, and rich textures. This unhurried approach, spanning two years, allowed them to fully immerse themselves in the project, ensuring every detail contributed to the apartment's unique character. Their design journey began with merging two distinct apartments into a unified, flowing space. Drawing inspiration from the building's Napoleonic Second Empire heritage, they aimed for a timeless Parisian elegance, characterized by expansive doorways and a minimalist structural approach. Unnecessary internal barriers were removed, and new areas were thoughtfully created, featuring corridors as spacious as rooms themselves, thus enhancing the overall sense of openness and grandeur.

Reimagining Parisian Grandeur

Marthe Simon and Paul Peller embarked on a two-year journey to transform a Left Bank apartment in Paris, focusing on opulent finishes and a maximalist approach. They integrated gold leaf, trompe l'oeil, and rich textures, allowing ample time to refine every detail and deeply understand the space's nuances. This meticulous process converted two separate units into a single, cohesive dwelling, reflecting a timeless Parisian aesthetic with grand openings and carefully placed artistic elements. The result is an intimate, luxurious home where historical charm meets contemporary design.

The design duo, Simon and Peller, began their ambitious project by merging two previously distinct apartments, each spanning approximately 1,100 square feet, into a single, expansive residence. Their primary goal was to create a more fluid and interconnected floor plan, breaking down traditional barriers. Inspired by the property's Napoleonic Second Empire origins, they committed to a design that honored a timeless Parisian aesthetic. This involved incorporating generous openings, establishing a minimalist structural framework, and installing imposing double doors—some sliding, others hinged—to enhance the sense of grandeur and accessibility. Internal partitions deemed superfluous were removed, and new spaces were thoughtfully delineated with hallways as wide as many rooms, ensuring an unobstructed flow and an open, airy ambiance throughout the reimagined living space.

A Symphony of Shimmering Materials and Thoughtful Illumination

The apartment's interior is a dazzling display of reflective surfaces, creating a jewel-box effect throughout the home. Metallic floral wallpaper adorns the entryway, while living room walls shimmer with patinated bronze and gold leaf. The dining room features a unique quilt-like custom wallpaper, inspired by Gabriella Crespi's rattan-focused designs, with friezes and a trompe l'oeil bamboo trellis. In the primary bathroom, Italian students hand-painted mirrors with metallic hues, complementing the hammered brass basins by a Lebanese artist, highlighting a carefully curated selection of materials for each space.

The apartment truly comes alive through its consistent use of shiny surfaces and intricate lighting. In the living room, a patinated bronze-and-gold leaf application on the walls perfectly complements the wicker-patterned brass fireplace, which serves as a central radiant feature. The dining area is enveloped in a bespoke, quilt-like wallpaper, a maximalist pattern defined by three distinct frieze bands and a trompe l'oeil bamboo trellis, drawing inspiration from Gabriella Crespi's iconic rattan-infused home decor. The primary bathroom showcases mirrors hand-painted by Italian art students, their metallic tones harmonizing with the unique hammered brass basins crafted by a Lebanese artisan. Paul Peller emphasizes the deliberate choice of materials for each individual room and the strategic placement of light sources at lower heights to foster a sense of intimacy. Sculptural overhead lights, such as a black wrought-iron pendant in the form of a stylized tree branch, echo the floral motifs found throughout the home. The kitchen features a Chinese pendant light that seamlessly integrates with the gold leaf, red Iranian travertine, and antique-finished terra-cotta tiles, ensuring that when illuminated, every texture—from lacquer and wood grain to tortoiseshell and patina—radiates a gilded sheen, creating a cohesive and opulent ambiance.

Utharaa Zacharias and Palaash Chaudhary, the creative minds behind the lighting and furniture design studio Soft-Geometry, have consistently infused their work with elements of playfulness, a deliberate sense of unhurriedness, and an appreciation for life's everyday customs. Their creations, including furniture and various household items, lean towards a calm and artisanal aesthetic, eschewing sharp edges and overly polished finishes. This design philosophy created a delightful paradox when they discovered their new home: a stark, concrete-clad apartment, seemingly at odds with their inherent style.

This dichotomy was further pronounced by the building's rich past. Constructed in 1961 by the renowned architect William Pereira, The Elysian initially served as the headquarters for the Metropolitan Water District of Los Angeles. Designed with an emphasis on durability, featuring towering 12-foot ceilings and a robust steel-and-concrete framework engineered to surpass the city's seismic regulations, the structure lay vacant for nearly two decades before its transformation into residential lofts in 2014.

Upon settling into their new residence, every aspect of the space—its vastness, the quality of light, the industrial rooftop views, and the dividing wall between the work and living areas—came together with striking immediacy. Chaudhary remarked on this wall, noting its inherent role as a 'natural divider between order and creative chaos.' The couple reimagined the floor plan to better suit their needs, converting what was originally a bedroom into a dedicated workspace and repurposing the former home office as their primary sleeping quarters. Chaudhary succinctly described their bedroom arrangement: 'We essentially sleep in a snug alcove.'

The living area is a dynamic and adaptable zone, serving less as a conventional social space and more as an exhibition for their diverse collection of objects. Currently, it proudly displays pieces from their latest lines, including the Long-Haired Sconces and Flower Sconces, launched during their New York collection, 'Flowers in Our Hair.' Beyond these recent additions, the room features items representing almost every phase of Soft-Geometry's artistic journey, such as various tables, lamps, chairs, and mirrors.

The workspace centers around a vintage workbench, anchoring the room. One wall is dedicated to their digital setup, housing a screen, computer, and pin-up boards adorned with design notes and inspirational imagery. On an opposing wall, vibrant red Componibili storage units, designed by Anna Castelli Ferrieri, neatly organize color samples, fabric swatches, and a myriad of other small items that defy easy categorization. This room also functions as a versatile area for leisure and work, ideal for reading, spreading out sketches, or arranging photo prints for editing. Adjacent to this creative hub is the kitchen, characterized by its sleek steel and white palette. Its impressive 12-foot ceiling provides ample vertical space above the cabinetry, which is thoughtfully decorated with their cherished artworks, plants, and books. The island, a vintage Neolt Architetto drafting table, serves a dual purpose for dining and collaborative work.

The sleeping area, though compact, possesses an endearing quality. Zacharias finds deep satisfaction in its coziness, likening it to a small berth or a room encapsulated within another. It is adorned simply with their inaugural Flower Sconce, their beloved giant elephant ear plant named Haathi, and, on a nearby pillar, a single wedding photograph alongside an alarm clock.

As the couple anticipates the arrival of their first child, they look forward to witnessing how their home will further evolve, embracing the softness of tiny footsteps and the delightful unpredictability that comes with a growing family. Throughout these changes, one element remains constant and cherished: the ever-present light. Zacharias beautifully describes this daily spectacle: 'Sunrise paints the room in a direct, golden hue—a truly wonderful awakening. Sunset, in turn, reflects off the bronze glass of a downtown skyscraper, returning to us as a warm, diffused glow, allowing us to experience it twice, each time with a distinct mood.'

The LA loft of Soft-Geometry founders Utharaa Zacharias and Palaash Chaudhary exemplifies a thoughtful integration of personal and professional life within a compact, architecturally significant space. Their design choices reflect a commitment to slow, handcrafted aesthetics, transforming a stark concrete shell into a warm, adaptable environment. This home, filled with their own creations and curated finds, acts as both a functional residence and a dynamic showroom, celebrating humor, serenity, and the evolving rhythms of their lives as designers and soon-to-be parents.