At Elise Chalmin's, episode 2
For four years, her electric kitchen has been printed on our retinas. For four years, her play with paint has guided us towards an endless whirlwind of colourful inspiration. Four years, time enough to double the size of her family, and to need to expand her playground. Elise Chalmin has swapped the Right Bank for the Left Bank, owning for renting, and her vision of a colourful interior for a more tempered version. “I wanted a grown-up apartment!” 130m2 renovated by her own fair hand, in which we find what makes her tick, with added maturity. Guided tour!
Black parquet, blank page
There are those who make do with what's there, opting for an extra-large rug to hide a blackened parquet floor that has suffered the ravages of time. Elise, on the other hand, didn't wait for the ink to dry on the lease before renting a sander. "We had ten days between the inventory and moving in to make it a place where we felt at home." Ten almost cathartic days, during which the designer drew on her creativity to personalise her new cocoon and turn this blank canvas into a colourful showcase.
Pallet required
Klein blue, sharp bronze, zesty orange… Elise’s 65m2 apartment stood out for its bold colours. By doubling the square footage, the equation became more complicated. “I didn’t want it to look too colourful”. The solution can be summed up in one word: palette. Five shades chosen for their harmony, which she drew upon to dress her walls. “I started with Amandier grisé (greyish almond), which I’ve been crazy about for years, to which I added Olive, tobacco, pink and Lin (linen), all enhanced by natural woods”.
A question of consistency
Once the shades were decided, the light did the rest. Looking greyish in the windowless entrance hall, Amandier reveals its pastel tones in Léonard's bedroom, which opens onto the living room... where the Olive walls echo the little boy's bed linen. Are you following? "Staying within the palette right down to the accessories ensures a well-maintained harmony throughout the apartment."
Heads or tails
Located on the other side of the living space, her little brother's bedroom seems to echo it, thanks to a striped design by Maison Janette. “Wallpaper is ideal for rentals. It can be put up in half a day, and it radically transforms the space.” Elise continued this theme in the living room, putting up a border to define the colourful lower wall.
Hotel-style
More imposing, the wallpaper hung in her bedroom is actually a variation of a pattern designed for one of her collections, of which Elise modified the scale and colours before having it printed by a Parisian printer. “I wanted a hotel feel, with a strong headboard and storage”. The starting point of the room, the walnut dressing room enhanced by handles designed by Pauline Borgia for Plum Living, helped determine the shades of the wallpaper.
Instant refreshment
White fronts, metro tiles and a long run of units. On paper, the kitchen in this rented apartment had everything going for it. But that was without counting on the wear and tear of time, which had put the worktop and white ceiling to the test. Two coats of paint later, Elise tackled what she could modify on a budget to change the look of these few square metres. Out with the chipped sink. Integrated into her new wood-effect laminate worktop, her black basin and matching mixer tap bring a breath of fresh air to the whole space. The Elips handles and the fridge, now integrated behind natural oak fronts, add an organic touch that softens the overall look.
The ideas that inspire us
- The entrance painted in its entirety to create a cosy transition zone right from the doorstep
- The wooden worktop and handles that give a new lease of life to the rented kitchen
- The wallpapers used to dress the walls and set the tone in each room
- The border that highlights the dado rail and brings the colours together
- The custom wallpaper, to be printed to bring your ideas to life.
