The conception of Joseph Dirand’s Avenue Montaigne apartment in Paris more closely resembles the patronage-based relationships of yesteryear, than a contemporary customer/client interaction. While benefactors of centuries past typically had stringent demands in return for their generosity towards artists, Joseph Dirand found himself in a more unique situation.
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Dirand, who has worked on projects for the likes of Balmain, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Chloe, and Pucci, as well as the hotels, residences, and restaurants around the world, was commissioned by the heiress of an Eastern European fortune to design two large apartments with an almost limitless budget. The kicker? Complete creative freedom.
“She told me, ‘I want you to achieve your dream; that would be my dream’,” Joseph Dirand said of the only meeting he had with his client. For all the artistic license and budget (or lack thereof) afforded to Dirand, the resulting apartment is a masterclass in restraint.
Paradoxically opulent whilst retaining a minimalist sensibility, the 600 square metre Avenue Montaigne apartment features a monochromatic colour palette of dark greys and blacks, set atop pale creams and whites with marbled accents. A carefully curated selection of furniture, artefacts, and artwork from the likes of Vladimir Kagan and François‑Xavier Lalanne lend the residential apartment a slightly gallery-like appearance.
Words by Theo Rosen
