As we enter the holiday season, I am filled with gratitude and extremely thankful to Christian, our River City Lifestyle publisher, for inviting me to join her during a fall 2022 fashion week trip to Paris organized by Chantal Johnson of the local boutique 20twelve. Our Paris excursion is the focus of this month’s inspired series.
When the plane landed in Paris and I set foot on the French ground, it immediately felt like home. People often ask me if I miss France, and I never think about it really because I try to live in the present. Paris is not actually my home, as I am from Corsica just south of France. But I did live in Paris for eight years. I left 15 years ago, but when I have the opportunity to return, this city never disappoints. It is a seductive, creative playground, and I always walk the streets there with a smile like a child.
On this trip, inspiration was, as I expected, swirling all around me. But it was a charming, small Airbnb that captured my heart during this Paris adventure–the view, the brightness, the mid-century vibes, the soul, and the art on the walls.
It is not a huge apartment, but every space is properly appointed, from the wall cabinets without handles, which look like art even though it is for storage, to mid-century influences visible in light fixtures, a sofa, and the wallpaper. Note the dining room glass and brass chandelier reminiscent of the 60s. Even the radiator is stylish!
One of the things that greatly inspires me is how light plays with spaces. I am constantly chasing light. I love books and wallpaper, so when these three elements are mixed together, it is a delight. The way the sun falls on this apartment study is truly poetic. I could stay hours just enjoying the light changing on the wall, which is covered with vintage wallpaper in a mustard color. The rooms are moody, much like a cozy, aged library. It is a hideaway ideal for reading a French novel, perhaps, while sipping a French coffee.
It was at the last minute that we found this Airbnb. I lived there for one week but felt like it could have been my own place, like I had been there before. Every day I soaked in the view, enjoyed the décor, listened to the city noises and enjoyed being under Paris’ spell once again.