Discover the ‘made in France’ sophistication of Guillaume Alan in the Kennedy Residence

Interior designer Guillaume Alan guides us through a Parisian minimalistic sanctuary

Project:
Kennedy Residence
Architects:
Guillaume Alan
Location:
Paris, France
Photography:
Matthew Donaldson
Words:
Caroline Meeusen

Stepping inside the Kennedy Residence in Paris, you’re immersed in a sober and minimalistic sanctuary. This terrace penthouse apartment is a perfect representation of the sophisticated style of its designer Guillaume Alan.

With his father being an architect, his mother an interior designer and his grandmother an antique dealer, the French Guillaume Alan was destined to become an interior designer himself. He opened his first own studio in Paris at only 22 years old and has become an internationally renowned designer ever since, opening a second studio in London in 2011 as well. Creating interiors and furniture with pure lines and a minimalistic aesthetic, he goes back to the essence and yet says it all with so little.

Set in a 19th-century building and with beautiful views of the Seine and Eiffel tower, this Kennedy Residence is a gorgeous abode that Alan furnished like only he can, leaving his mark of Parisian elegance. The interior breathes a reserved pure sensitivity. As in all his projects, we clearly see here that Alan draws inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s motto as quoted on his website: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. He created a “masterclass in aesthetic restraint,” we hear from the studio. By taking everything in the context into account, from interior to architecture, furniture and decorative details, Alan created a harmonious whole in line with the finest tradition of French design. “This project expresses a minimalist poetry of space, an elaborate and highly precise process, giving birth to a universe of serenity, calmness and emotion,” says the designer. The result is minimalistic, pure and flawless, yet opulent at the same time.

With high-ceiling arches, recessed mirrors, windows shaped like an old door Alan saw in Oxford and Georgian-inspired lighting, he incorporated historical references in combination with minimalism and classicism. The rooms have a continuing sober color palette that exists of beige, chalk, white and grey. As always, Alan chose a luxurious and tactile material scheme of fine woods, such as oak or ash, natural marble, brass, raw linen, soft leather, wool, silk and bronze.

Filled with tranquility and emotion, this is a true epitome of Parisian elegance and essentialism.