Bridge For Design March 2015 Bridge For Design March 2015 | Page 97

T

he truly sublime symmetry of seventeenthcentury architecture surrounds a leafy garden
in the Places des Vosges. It is the oldest square
in Paris – and a highly coveted address. ‘My
client was searching for something small and
stunning on this square,’ says Alidad, the Persian-born,
London-based interior designer whose exuberant decorative
style has attracted a top-drawer international clientele. When
she found it, they discussed the decorative potential of what
he calls ‘one of the smallest projects I’ve ever done.’
Known for a lush, layered look that is exotic and elegant,
Alidad came up with the scenario: ‘I said, “We should just
turn this into a jewel box.” She loved the idea.’
The result, with its gemlike décor, leads visitors on a romantic
voyage through France and Italy to China and right into Alidad’s
imagination. ‘This is a fantasy, easier to do in a pied-à-terre,’ Alidad
says. But for me, the practical side is more important than anything
else. If you haven’t thought out the function, you could make a
Fabergé room and it wouldn’t work.’
Alidad’s attention to detail begins with the interior architecture.
‘The structure of a room or a house must be as balanced and as
perfect as I can get it,’ he says. Jib doors, for instance, replace real
ones, so the walls are seamless and enhance the décor.

LEFT: The sitting room’s jewel-toned walls, in Lelievre Grignan in Topaze, through
Stark Fabric, make a vibrant backdrop for handsome antiques and layers of lush
fabrics. Venetian Rococo gilt-wood mirror and candle sconces, ca. 1750, add
drama when placed in front of an Aubusson Louis XV tapestry. A sofa in Pierre Frey’s
Orsay linen velvet in Jaune, with custom fringe and rosettes by GJ Turner & Co.,
London, complements a side table covered in Pierre Frey’s Granada in Grenat, from
the Alidad collection, Louis XV Nogaret fauteuils have their original woven tapestry
ABOVE: Alidad looks out on the Place des Vosges
Bridge for Design Spring 2015

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