A Triomphe

You know those interiors which you look at and you absolutely love, and yet perhaps you don't see yourself living in the space, or perhaps the style isn't really something you aspire to? I absolutely love interiors like this--interiors that I really really appreciate, but quite often don't see myself inhabiting. Often I find these interiors in one of my favorite magazines, Elle Decoration (UK edition). There is something about the interiors in this magazine that tend to strike this chord with me, and typically its because they're European, or better yet, Parisian. There is something about the casual, spartan, modern yet old-world, elegant interiors of Europe, which we can't quite get a handle on. Perhaps its the architectural backdrop, perhaps its the lack of perfection that actually creates perfection. Who knows, but I love staring at the photos. 

Such was my feeling about Alfonso Valles and Virginie Denny's apartment, located in an old button factory outside Paris. He's an artist, she's a writer. They both work from home, and require little nooks of solitude within this vast open space. The result is industrial chic, and yet somehow cozy. And very French. 

And of course, breakfast and pastry. How very chic and Parisian. The perfect complement to this wonderful apartment. Valles did most of the interior work in the apartment himself, as Denny was pregnant with their first child at the time and they couldn't afford a full scale renovation. According to Denny, "Our style is a poetic factory aesthetic with a real vintage mood." Love it. 

Photos and quotations courtesy of Elle Decoration