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Paris from above: Printemps department store

While in Paris this past fall I visited the famous department store Printemps on the Boulevard Haussmann. Not for the reasons you think (shopping) but to check out the amazing 365 degree views of Paris from the rooftop restaurant!

Lunch was pretty good by American standards, sub-standard by Parisian, but no one could pay attention to their meals with all of Paris at their feet.

Above you can make out the Eiffel Tower through the haze just beyond the Grand Palais.

Above is La Madeleine which I blogged about HERE.

There are just no bad views, a picture postcard in every frame.

Above is the roof of the Palais Garner, more commonly known as the Paris Opera House. I blogged about this magnificent building after one of my previous trips HERE and HERE.

The views of the Printemp's rooftop minarets are stunning in their own right. That shiny gilding must be recently applied!

Above you can barely see the hidden business district of Paris -leave those nasty tall, modern buildings out of sight!

I love the multilayered roof of the apartment building across the street.

I have to admit I've never visited the Sacre-Coeur, this is the closest I have come.

Nor the Eglise Saint-Augustin seen above.

The other rooftop views of Paris I love are from the top floor of the Musee d'Orsay. Even on a rainy day like in the image above and below -the views of the Seine and the Louvre are stunning.

Paris, not only the city of lights but the city with no bad views!

Hotel de Salm, Paris

One of my favorite buildings to visit on my walks around the city is the Hotel de Salm home to the Legion of Honour Museum next to the Musee d'Orsay along the banks of the Seine. I've never been inside however despite a rather fascinating collection and renowned building. There are simply always more pressing things to do or it's just too lovely of a day to spend inside.

Completed just before the revolution in 1782 for a German prince by the architect Pierre Rousseau it was soon taken over by the new government for use by the Legion of Honor. Rousseau's best-known work today is this building but he was really the starchitect of the day, first for the ancien regime and then the governments which were to follow.

The entry court probably looks familiar to you as it has been copied in many forms in public buildings around the world.

This rare floorplan above (from the book The Architecture of the French Enlightenment by Allan Braham) is situated with the Seine towards the top of the image, what many people now consider to be the 'front' of the building despite no entry. The addition from the mid 1920s to the lower right now houses the main entry into the museum and other museum offices.

Very few tourists who visit the Musee d'Orsay (just to the right of the image above) know to turn the corner to catch a glimpse of the main entry and courtyard of the Hotel de Salm.

I've always admired the 1920s quiet beaux-arts entry to the museum which faces the d'Orsay.

The interiors are quite spectacular and date to the rebuilding of the structure in 1871 when it was burned during the Commune. How I would have loved to have seen the original! What is it with the French burning their heritage every few decades?

The main salon seen in the image above and below is the center of the river facade, obviously with water views.

The image below taken after the Commune shows the burned shell. In the background you can see the opulent Palais d'Orsay which was also burned during the Commune and eventually replaced with the train station which now houses the famous art museum. The burned palace sat unused for 30 years, a daily reminder of the civil war.

The Hotel de Salm may be relatively obscure to the common tourist but has inspired many of our most beloved public buildings and been nearly replicated many times, most notably at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco, seen below and at my previous post HERE, and also at the Chateau de Rochefort en Yvelines (a few images below). It was one of Thomas Jefferson's favorite buildings, aspects of which he incorporated into his own home at Monticello.

The odd thing to me about the Legion of Honor in San Francisco is that the main facade of the original in Paris which faces the Seine and is most widely known, is actually the back of the museum in San Francisco which no one ever sees (below).

The museum should really provide a more landscaped courtyard to the rear of the museum to take advantage of the beautiful structure.

One really senses the similarity of the buildings most through these aerial views (the Chateau de Rochefort en Yvelines seen below).

The French book L'hotel de Salm published by Monelle Hayot further details the existing building and opulent interiors should you be interested.

Most images are not my own. To see accreditation please refer to the image file names.

John Russell Pope's Morton house for sale

I recently discovered that the Levi Morton house (1912) by John Russell Pope in my old neighborhood in Washington, DC, was for sale. For about a decade I lived a block away from this stunning mansion at 1500 Rhode Island Avenue, NW and always admired it.

For the past 75 years the National Coatings Association has been the (excellent) caretaker of this historic structure which has housed a former Vice President, a Russian ambassador, and even Alexander Graham Bell.

If you are familiar with a map of Washington, the regular grid of streets is broken by a number of Avenues which meet at traffic circles; this creates some odd triangular building sites. The Morton house is within one of these odd shaped lots which explains the strange angles in the first floorplan above.

The gracious porte cochere sits on the north side of the property on Rhode Island Avenue. Pope cleverly used the irregular slanted front facade for service spaces, situating larger and more important rooms around the more regular square facades. In 1912 these rooms faced gardens which are now (partially) parking lots.

The odd service wing in the floorplan which included storage and servant apartments either was never built or was torn down at one point for more parking. I always wondered if the stucco part of the building which you see to the left of the photo above was original and apparently it was. It looks different than the elevation drawing earlier in this post and rather like an after thought. It houses the original dining room and butler's pantry.

The (west) side facade above is the most prominent as it faces Scott Circle and affords beautiful views.

As with many parts of the city the area has changed significantly since 1912 and this mansion is surrounded mostly by large apartment buildings and hotels which you get a sense of in the above photograph or on google streetviews.

This existing house was an extensive renovation to an older red brick Victorian structure dating from 1879 designed by John Fraser, a well-known Philadelphian architect. The interior was completely redone by Pope in a Classical style which included this stunning staircase which includes Levi Morton's monogram.

The original fixtures are all extant and included with the sale offered by Lucia Wadeson of Cresa Corporate Real Estate. I can imagine this becoming rather grand condo's with a significant addition or ideally an embassy (Cuba?).

Images are not my own: B&W Photographs and drawings from the book "Mastering Tradition" by author James Garrison and color images from this article in the Washington Business Journal.

See Timothy Corrigan at Hillwood!

I've recently been enjoying my copy of designer Timothy Corrigan's "An Invitation to Chateau du Grand-Luce" and was thrilled to hear he'll be speaking at Hillwood next week, Tuesday, February 3 2015 at 7pm! Information on the lecture available HERE.

While the pictures of the restored Chateau are the obvious reason to peruse the book, Corrigan's conversational writing is approachable and enjoyable. Not knowing much about the designer I assumed it would all sound rather pretentious; you know what I mean by 'my chateau in France'.

Corrigan's approach to the restoration and decoration of the chateau is one of ease and a true country house; taking the best of French design and translating it to modern life in a very Californian sense while respecting the history of the structure.

As the book is amazing you've probably already read and seen quite a lot about the book and the chateau itself online if you haven't purchased your own copy. If not Architectural Digest (where I found these images) is a host of information about the chateau. THIS main article will give you an overview of the book and estate, THIS video will have Corrigan charming the pants off of you, and THIS great slideshow has great 'before' and 'after' shots.

The most beautiful room in the chateau is probably the Salon Chinois, seen in the image above, with restored wall murals by the great 18th century artist Jean-Baptiste Pillement.

My favorite room though is probably the kitchen, seen in the image above. You just know this is where everyone hangs out! The cabinetry could not be attached to the walls in a typical manner, as the building is a historic landmark and the original boiseries could not be damaged or altered. The kitchen was designed with free-standing pieces of furniture which would not have to be attached to the walls. I'm sure this sunny corner room sees a lot of action!

The one thing missing from this entertaining and beautiful book is a floorplan! One can imagine the plan based on the simple nature of the classical French Chateau with enfilade seen above, but the interstitial spaces are harder to guess at. I'm always asking for this though, no surprise.

The book is organized as if one were spending the weekend at the chateau as Corrigan's guest (can you even IMAGINE!) and walks you through the spaces and activities one would discover. Stacey Bewkes and Susanna Salk had this privilege and you can read their reactions and watch their fun videos over on her blog Quintessence HERE.

If I were ever a lucky guest out of the 14 guest rooms pictured in the book I would without a doubt select the Chambre de Bonheur (or Room of Happiness) seen above on the cozy 3rd floor. The beautiful color scheme, comfortable but stylish furniture, and cozy nature of the attic level all appeal to me. One can't read the book without choosing their own favorite! I hope to see you at the lecture next week and if you can't attend I hope you pick up your own copy of this beautiful book!
Images in this post are from Architectural Digest or from the book by photographer Eric Piasecki.

Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris

If someone had told me before my last trip to Paris that the Museum of hunting and nature would be among the most fascinating I had ever visited in this city of museums, let alone anywhere, I would have laughed in their face. Boy was I wrong.

I visited for the architecture of course but was floored by the collections. Housed primarily in the famous Hotel de Guenegaud by Mansart, the museum added on another fascinating structure in 2007 to expand their collection, the Hotel de Mongelas.

Above is the courtyard of the Hotel Guenegaud, designed and built by Francois Mansart (father of the Mansard roof) between 1651 and 1655 in the heart of the ancient Marais district.

Much of the Hotel Guenegaud is sadly closed to the public however. The neighboring Hotel de Mongelas, which was extensively renovated and restored during the 2007 addition of the space to the museum, more than makes up for this closure.

The entrance into the museum is through the courtyard of the Mongelas which mixes the best of the old (built in the early 17th century although largely altered, possibly also by Mansart) with the best of the modern -much like the collection itself.

Like in much restrained Neoclassicim, the only ornament lies in the pediment which is highly sculptural.

I love this shade of blue which contrasts so nicely with the limestone.

The entry to the street features this pleasant face in the keystone.

Each room fronts onto the courtyard, much like a donut, with the primary rooms also facing the street with windows on 2 sides.

The old if not original bronze window hardware is lovely, but more on that later.

The tile floors and this iron railed staircase date from the time of Louis XIV.

The collections are all over the map; dealing with animals and nature however loosely.

One could wander through these lovely rooms all day. Unlike many other museums in this city there are no crowds.

The rooms in the Hotel Guenegaud which are open to the public, on the 2nd level, were among the prettiest in the museum.

I love these marble floors and these chairs, featuring embroidered hunting scenes, are fabulous.

I've been looking for LED picture lights just like this, I should have asked where they were from!

No detail was overlooked -notice the trim on these curtains and those tiebacks!

Different contemporary artists exhibit works throughout the museum, mixed in with the collections. This artist had beautifully detailed works made of animal feathers scattered throughout the museum. Sadly I never caught their name.

This lacquered chinoiserie desk, the envy of most people reading this blog I'm sure (myself included), features a hunting scene as well as hoofed legs.

Naturally (pun intended) there was plenty of taxidermy and other grisly animal carcasses to explore.

This witty artist had made cans that featured endangered species, ala Warhol.

I loved this portrait of the Princess Beatriz de Borbon y Torlonia on her horse -one of many equestrian portraits.

One thing missing from the museum, which you could add to your own collection, is this amazing Porcelain Doll Head Cup with saucer at thestore.com. I like the black color best.

Notice anything about this electrified silver candelabra? The base is of a stag hunt, with grisly dogs.

One of many contemporary exhibits was this bird car by Vincent Dubourg from 2006.

However the main 'exhibit' which impressed me the most was actually built into the building in the 2007 renovation. The artist Saint Clair Cemin produced all of the metal hardware (railings, door knobs, light fixtures, etc) which are to be found throughout the Hotel de Mongelas.

These wonderful bronze fittings were incredibly detailed -featuring textures such as bone or feathers which connect the building to the base of the collection.

Notice how the bronze door handles have a living finish and change (are polished) where handled daily by visitors.

There must have been 100 of these lovely sconces lining the stairhall, each a work of art.

Notice again the living finish of the bronze -the way the detail gets polished over time as people rub against the railing .

The end of the handrail is most striking.

These panels at the top of the main stair double as guardrails.

This museum more than any other I've noticed goes to show that details matter: not just in the collection but in the building as a whole! On your next trip to Paris be sure to check out this gem, the Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature in the heart of the historic Marais.