The Art of Design Issue 47 2020 | Page 64

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“ AU BONHEUR DES DAMES ”

A PROJECT BY SÉBASTIEN CARON

Renovation of a family apartment in the former “ Grands Magasins de La Paix ” located in the historic Opera district of Paris . The area ’ s department stores inspired Émile Zola ’ s novel “ Au Bonheur des Dames ” ( The Ladies ’ Delight ).
A MAJOR CREATIVE CHALLENGE
The apartment was historically composed of three large rooms of 50 square meters ( 540 square feet ) each , which had been partitioned according to the needs of its successive occupants .
The project involved radically transforming the space , which had seen better days , to create a family apartment with a master suite and three bedrooms .