CASE STUDY
A Neo-Gothic Retreat
CASE STUDY
A Neo-Gothic Retreat
After 27 years in Paris, we decided to leave the capital to look for a more peaceful and human-sized city. Eliminating several options, the choice fell on a city in the Grand-Est appreciated for its quality of life and animated culture.
We have always been in contact with many museums, antique dealers and auction houses in order to satisfy our passion for antiques, furniture and paintings. Indeed, we are viscerally attached to culture and art because of our upbringing; our souls as collectors have meant that we have always enjoyed inhabiting buildings with a rich history, especially the ones with a uniquely unusual atmosphere.
We have always been in contact with many museums, antique dealers and auction houses in order to satisfy our passion for antiques, furniture and paintings. Indeed, we are viscerally attached to culture and art because of our upbringing; our souls as collectors have meant that we have always enjoyed inhabiting buildings with a rich history, especially the ones with a uniquely unusual atmosphere.
"The history of Fleming Howland corresponds exactly to our values..."
We are also committed to the "job well done" of craftsmen who are still able to produce beautiful work. The final choice of living therefore fell on a wonderful 102 square meter neo-Gothic building, dated 1899, which had been converted into apartments of various sizes; Le Nôtre has an extraordinary ambience, with a ceiling height of 6.5 meters, including a mezzanine 3.5 meters high, overlooking the rooftops of the city through a rose window of 2.5 meters in diameter.
The Reading Room
In the spirit of neo-Gothic, we decided to convert the mezzanine into a relaxing reading room which would also be home to our collection of books, carpets, objects and paintings from the 19th century.
The question of seating soon arose; naturally, curved seats are in perfect harmony with the spirit of the place. But for comfort and relaxation, what choice? Quite naturally we turned to Fleming Howland because we knew the history of this factory; And we had already been able to appreciate the quality of the furniture at various friends' houses. The patina and age-old techniques magnified the beauty of these products.
The Reading Room
In the spirit of neo-Gothic, we decided to convert the mezzanine into a relaxing reading room which would also be home to our collection of books, carpets, objects and paintings from the 19th century.
The question of seating soon arose; naturally, curved seats are in perfect harmony with the spirit of the place. But for comfort and relaxation, what choice? Quite naturally we turned to Fleming Howland because we knew the history of this factory; And we had already been able to appreciate the quality of the furniture at various friends' houses. The patina and age-old techniques magnified the beauty of these products.
The history of Fleming Howland corresponds exactly to our values and easily guided our choice of design for our home. It was important to find a sofa that was comfortable, timeless, fit well into place, develop a patina over time and in a colour that would blend in with the other elements of the room's décor.
The history of Fleming Howland corresponds exactly to our values and easily guided our choice of design for our home. It was important to find a sofa that was comfortable, timeless, fit well into place, develop a patina over time and in a colour that would blend in with the other elements of the room's décor.
Several weeks of reflection pursued…fabric or leather? Buttoned or plain? After much consideration we finally decided on Fleming Howland’s Heirloom collection, a large Ralph Waldo Emerson chesterfield sofa in a beautifully rich hand-coloured chestnut colour.
The company took the necessary time to build our dream sofa but also agreed to keep it for two years, awaiting completion of the apartment reconstruction; a service like no other. The ultimate pleasure of course, seeing the piece in the room it was destined for…the result is plain to see.
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