As soon as you step into Aude Christin’s Paris apartment, the noisy boulevards with their sirens and heavy traffic are quickly forgotten. Entered via a leafy courtyard, the interior designer and Instagrammer’s home offers a welcome refuge.
‘Here in the courtyard, we’re surrounded by gardens and houses. There’s no access for cars or even to non-residents. It’s fabulous and so rare to find in Paris. When the weather is fine, we live with the windows open, lulled by birdsong.’
Aude moves often, always renting, and each time she transforms the new space into a soulful expression of the aesthetic with which she has made her name online. Having originally trained as a textile designer and then worked in the upholstery industry, she has developed an appreciation of colour, texture and pattern.
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‘I dress soberly, often in black, but I like to live surrounded by blooms and colours,’ and couldn’t live in a place that didn’t reflect her style, she says. ‘I need to add character and personality to my homes, even if I’m only staying there for a few months.’ And here, in this two-roomed apartment with its white walls and simple tiling, she has done just that, injecting colour and pattern throughout.
In the kitchen, bronze wallpaper was introduced and the neutral floor tiling covered with a monochrome vinyl rug. ‘I transport my vinyl rugs from one apartment to another. They’re perfect for hiding unsightly flooring and are easy to maintain,’ says Aude.
While in the main room (which includes a dining corner, study, and living room), each area is zoned by the use of different wallpapers. The most awe-inspiring, perhaps, is an Ananbô panoramic wallpaper, which opens up the space behind the sofas with a dreamlike landscape.
‘The lengths are not glued, but stretched out, like a canvas, which allows them to be easily moved without damaging them. There is nothing fixed or permanent here.’ Aude treats wallpapers like accessories that can be switched out as needed.
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The furniture is also regularly changed, driven by second-hand finds. ‘I have an antiques dealer right in front of my house, Lilas Antiquités. I always find something there, whether it is a small plate at €3, a candlestick holder or a side table,’ she says. She has no storage space, so the old furniture is sold to make room for the new.
In the dining area, bistro chairs have recently been swapped for cane ones, which match a wicker cabinet she already owned. ‘The cane furniture reminds me of the 1950s Riviera,’ says Aude. ‘I love the Villa Santo Sospir in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, which was decorated by Jean Cocteau, and features cane furniture.’
The apartment is located in the Port-Royal district at the crossroads of four arrondissements, which Aude likes to regularly explore. ‘On Sunday mornings, we go to the market on the Rue Mouffetard. Whatever the weather, there is always a musical ball going on, with an accordionist, on the Place Saint-Médard, just in front of the church. People dance. This typically Parisian atmosphere is so lovely!’
@aude.jolijour
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