- Interior
Paris sings a song that does not resound anywhere else. The architecture and interiors that you can admire in this city only enhance that attraction. Montaigne from studio After Bach is a project that fully makes that description come true. This charming apartment was transformed into a sophisticated place where it is wonderful to come home. A sober temperament was given a continuous glow.
After their encounter, it soon became clear that Jessica Berguing and Francesco Balzano had similar interests and ambitions. Being two driven lovers of aesthetic, they both found a companion in the other who could support them on their creative path. Together they would take their passion for decoration, materials, and art to a higher level by founding interior studio After Bach, and they did so only in December 2020. This project marks the first time that After Bach tried their hand at a residential design. Montaigne is situated on the eponymous avenue and is a prestigious apartment with two floors. Additional assets are the surface of 180 square metres, the large terrace, and the view of the Eiffel Tower. Furthermore, the interior architects were given carte blanche for this renovation. 
Ambition to give details a decisive and clear voice
Montaigne is located in a beautiful building in a city that is equally stunning, but the team also leaned towards a rather American style when deciding on the new direction of the residence. They were inspired by David Lynch’s cult film Mulholland Drive and visualised an American townhouse with a sober, minimal interpretation that almost hints at Japanese influences. Next to this, it was their intention to deliver a result that feels like a one-family-home that looks out over the roofs of Paris. A complete restructuring and refurnishing were needed to reach that goal. The duplex was designed with an American house of the fifties in mind, and therefore shows similarities with large-scale home building. In order to create a clear echo of those influences, they worked with custom-made wall panels in massive oak as upholstery. As finishing, these are covered with natural fibers in green or beige. 
The residents of the apartment enter their home through the fifth floor and pass the guest bedroom and adjoining bathroom first. Via the staircase they arrive on the upper floor with the living room, dining area, kitchen, and master suite. The studio decided to use the same ivory, French Massangis stone both indoors and outdoors. The material palette relies on three pointers: stone, wood, and natural fibers. The wall panels are one of the most obvious pieces of evidence of this, as well as the bathtub that was sculpted out of a beige block. Both here as in other rooms, they carefully made sure that the entering light would optimally complete the interior. For example, by working with slat screens in natural oak, a spectacle full of dynamic originates. 
By repetitively adding the right pieces of furniture and details, the duo guaranteed an apartment that is completely streamlined. The designs of Jacques Adnet and George Nakashima are both the right conversation partner for the precise and pure lines that characterize the project. The ceramics of Floris Wubben contribute to the sculptural dimension that you can for example see very well in the living area. All the choices that After Bach made during the process unite in a result with a calming but special ambience that is completely in line with the delicate character of the memorable property.
Do you want to know more about After Bach? Read the full article in Imagicasa Winter 2022.
Photography by Annick Vernimmen