SAINT-SÉVERIN
STUDIOVLACH
The Church of Saint-Séverin located in the 5th arrondissement (also known as the Latin quarter) of Paris, is one of the key monumental buildings that exist in this neighbourhood. This celebrated building exhibits the heights of Parisian architecture that encompasses four centuries of work stemming from the 13th to the 17th century. Nestled within this same arrondissement, is the latest project to be delivered by Studiovlach, an apartment that is set within an 18th century building and is exemplary of this same cultural expertise of design excellence.
Designed for a couple, the apartment measures 94 square metres and has been revived from its last 80s renovation, and instead has been reclaimed into a striking contemporary residence through the meticulous care of Monsieur Thomas Vlach himself. The clients gave the interior architect their complete trust, as he was given the carte blanche when it came to redesigning the space. Their only request was to have a double living space within the floor plan which was an absolute must in order to host receptions, and to deliver natural light into the bathroom which did not previously exist.
The new program for this apartment features an open living room that is showered with natural light that enters through the generously sized windows, offering views of the Parisian rooftops. This space is immediately connected to the dining room, which conveniently serves as a double living room, making it the perfect arrangement for any host entertaining their guests. Refined to an absolute minimum of essentials which have been perfectly arranged, a custom coffee table designed by Vlach appropriately anchors the room. The raw and monolithic qualities of this table are quietly softened by the surrounding forest green velvet sofa by Maxalto, a pair of tan leather Capitol Complex Armchairs and stool by Cassina. These pieces all delicately sing in concert with the stone fireplace and walnut timber cabinetry featured in the niche walls.
“The main intention was to have at the same time a vintage base with a contemporary look. I also wanted to break from the bright apartment with natural oak floors and wanted to explore other contrasts. I was looking for a dark atmosphere while being inviting.”
The dining room is also graced with the same treatment of spectacular natural light within this double living space. It is further illuminated with lighting treatments by Apparatus Studio and Contain Studio, which help to showcase another custom piece by Vlach that takes centre stage, the Otello dining table. Composed of solid larch wood, it features an exposed raw tabletop, whilst the table legs have been coated in a deep burgundy that provokes an arresting contrast to the dark oak herringbone timber floors. The table has been wrapped with Gobi chairs which seamlessly connect with all the elements within the room.
From the dining room, the side opening leads to the adjacent kitchen. Although the kitchen was not a main priority for the clients (as their only request was for it to be equipped with the essential elements according to their brief), this space has nonetheless has been treated with the same level of diligent attention. In fact, Vlach has carved this space with the same meticulous attention as the other spaces within this apartment, which in fact deservingly earns the title of it being the pièce de résistance. Starting with the kitchen island which acts as the main utility of the space, this has been dressed in a Ceppo di Gré stone, where the carved stone sink and cooktop are located. To soften and add warmth to the kitchen, a series of tall cabinets covered in a walnut stained veneer have been invited into this space. The show stopping features of this kitchen is culminated with a wall composed of glass bricks that stand behind the kitchen island, which serves as a partition between the kitchen and the bathroom. This well crafted and ingenious design allows natural light to be shared and artfully shimmer through the kitchen, which is received from the window in the adjacent bathroom.
“Wood is a material I used in a variety of species and tone. I like how a wood’s texture can express many different things considering its grain, color, finish, brushed or not etc. To balance this, I used a few mineral materials such as ceppo di gré stone, calacatta marble, and glass bricks. Most of the time, I prefer to use natural materials to bring a timeless feel to the project I do. The dark tone of the floor is also central in the project as it disappears and emphasises everything in the room.”
This soft luminosity which feeds into the kitchen, is not only owed, but is also accented by the luxurious floor to ceiling Calacatta marble in the bathroom that reflects into the glass - thus creating a spectacular canvas of light to shimmer through the glass brick partition. The entire bathroom is decadently draped in this stone as though it were a blanket, where even the vanity and bathtub have been carved out of this precious stone as though it were all joined as one piece to begin with. The only elements that softly breaks this achromatic serenity in the bathroom are the black tapware and finger pulls in the joinery that gently complement the black frames in between the glass partition.
In the bedroom this same level of refinement has been continued with just the right amount of layers weaved in together. This starts off with an Anabô wallpaper that is reminiscent of French 19th century art, illustrating a passion for foreign explorations during this period. A custom designed bedhead and side table by Vlach is also featured in this scene, creating a perfect level of contrasts between the two eras of design. Lastly, a wingback chair by Patricia Urquiola casually rests in the niche that has been resourcefully designed and used as a custom desk space.
Vlach has articulately expressed an impressive play of natural material selections that concertedly interact and sing together in this apartment. He has cultivated an apartment that possesses absolute refinement with his meticulous curation of furniture pieces and colour palettes. Together, they form an intelligent language that marvelously speaks with undertones of vintage classic mixed with contemporary design.
PHOTOGRAPHY | STUDIOVLACH