Fleur Delesalle on how to give period homes a modern refresh
Interior designer Fleur Delesalle has an exceptional pedigree: she studied her craft at Chelsea College of Arts and the ESAG Penninghen school in Paris, then worked for six years in the studio of Iranian-French architect and designer India Mahdavi; first, on the celebrated designer’s furniture collection, then on bespoke projects, which taught her an immense respect for craftsmanship.
‘I still design pieces thinking about how craftspeople will assemble them,’ she says. Mahdavi’s bold colour sense rubbed off on her: Delesalle’s interiors are often drenched in sensual hues, whether on walls or furniture, alongside graphic forms and mixes of vintage and modern design. She describes her style as ‘colourful minimalism’.
Having set up her eponymous agency in 2011, Delesalle collaborates with numerous architects and designers, and has an impressive client list, including the Palace of Versailles. She credits her creative instinct to childhood observations of her mother, who regularly restyled the family home ‘like a theatre set’. Surprisingly, however, she didn’t always intend to become a designer. ‘I originally wanted to be a neurosurgeon,’ she says. ‘But I think I have the same kind of thoroughness in my work today.’
What are her recent projects? Delesalle works predominantly on residential designs. Two of her most recent projects are almost mirror images of one another: firstly, an apartment on Boulevard Raspail for a family of four who love to entertain often, where the Haussmannian architecture and arched doors are reflected in soft curves across the space.
‘The family is always hosting friends, so the heart of the home is very open,’ she says. In Saint-Germain-des-Prés, she designed a small pied-à-terre ‘for a couple that goes out a lot and doesn’t cook much, so the emphasis there was on the bedroom and study’. The classical architecture was brought up to date with a different colour accent in each room: red and cobalt in the bedrooms, aubergine in the living room and forest green in the dining room.
What is she currently working on? Two homes on the same Parisian street: one in an 18th-century building that has recreations of the original wood mouldings in different kinds of timber authentic to the period, including cherrywood; and a grand mansion with unique features, such as a wine cellar and private club. Delesalle also designs her very own furniture collection, which is characterised by its rounded geometric forms. ‘Each piece is created for a particular project, but recently motherhood has inspired some playful designs, such as the “Athena” and “Nemesis” tables that remind me of a baby’s rattle.’
She says: ‘I’m obsessed with balance: never too much, never not enough. Every single element in an interior has to be part of a harmonious conversation.’ fleurdelesalle.com
Expert advice
Fleur Delesalle on how to update and refresh period homes with a contemporary twist
Make the old new again either by reupholstering vintage chairs in contemporary fabrics, or lacquering antique wooden pieces in bright pops of colour, for example.
When choosing vintage furniture, look for pared-down forms: the simpler the shape of a vintage piece, the easier it is to make it look current. The ‘Womb’ sofa by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, which features in the living room of my L’Observatoire project, is a case in point.
Leave walls white and introduce bold colour accents using fabric, painted details and furniture. Don’t hesitate to add a colourful rug in a matching shade, too: it’s like the mayonnaise on a well-cooked dish. In the apartment I designed on Boulevard Raspail, my ‘Geometry 1’ rug design matches the seating in the shades powder blue, cream and charcoal grey.
Introduce curved archways or flooring patterns to balance rectangular rooms and make the flow of space more inviting – I did this in my Boulevard Raspail project. Alternatively, balance a geometric cornice design with furniture in organic shapes.
