Family
In Paris, a charming haven with quintessential Parisian flair.
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Anne Mermoz & Romain Catonné
In this inviting apartment, every corner exudes elegance: ornate stucco moldings, marble fireplaces, and aged parquet floors set the stage for a luminous atmosphere. The owners, Anne Mermoz, a jeweler and the creative mind behind AD.ORNEM studio, and her partner Romain Catonné, an accomplished interior architect, have curated a space that seamlessly blends their individual styles. While preserving the quintessential charm of Haussmannian architecture, characteristic of Parisian living, they’ve infused the space with a captivating mix of 20th-century design, contemporary elements, and curated artworks. Recently, The Socialite Family had the pleasure of being invited for a tour, discovering the perfect fusion of past and present in this enchanting home.
Location
Paris
Author
Juliette Bruneau
Photographer
Jeanne Perrotte
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TSF
Anne, Romain, please you introduce yourselves.
Anne
I’m a jewellery designer, and Romain is an interior designer. We fell in love five years ago when I was launching my jewellery brand, AD.ORNEM.
TSF
Tell us about your education in ‘beauty’. How did your tastes develop?
Romain
I come from a family that works in the film industry, which taught me about images, rhythm and narration, which are all essential elements in my job. In fact, I was initially more sensitive to moods and atmospheres than to particular objects, styles or eras.
Anne
Unlike Romain, who has always lived in Paris, I’ve moved around a lot, which has led me to become attached to the objects around me. So it was through their emotional value that I became interested in their aesthetic value.
TSF
What about designers and artists: whose work has influenced you and your work?
Anne
I am endlessly fascinated by the work of Jean Després. For his interpretation of the art deco style, he emphasised its graphic nature and contrasts. His work gave me a taste for pure ornament. In jewellery, there is also Aldo Cipullo, for his vision of the precious between literality and poetry, and René Boivin, for the technicality of his pieces. His work is as unique and stylish as it is timeless. Gérald Genta is also a major influence. I was massively inspired by his iconic watches with their dense shapes and clean lines, especially for my collection that bears his name. And I love Carlo Scarpa… architecture, furniture, everything he creates is a dream! For me, he represents originality in authenticity; he achieves the most intimate and beautiful encounter between craft and design.
Romain
I love the architects of the 1930s, Robert Mallet-Stevens, of course, but Bruno Elkouken and Michel Roux-Spitz too. Their creations, devoid of all artifice, with their play on volume and double height, are always highly contemporary. In another register, there are artists like Richard Serra and Donald Judd, whose works with a hybrid aspect, oscillating between sculpture and scenography, are references in my work. And in terms of painting, I love Hans Hartung. I’ve always been more sensitive to form than to colour, so discovering his work was a real eye-opener.
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Les systèmes modulaires d'assises et de mobilier réveillent les volumes anciens de cet appartement parisien. A g. élément de canapé Rotondo, The Socialite Family. Table d'appoint Carlotta, The Socialite Family. A dr. secrétaire-bibliothèque, USM.
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I am eternally fascinated by the work of Jean Després, for his interpretation of the Art Deco style, in which he emphasized its graphic and contrasting essence. His work has instilled in me a taste for ornamentation without frills.
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TSF
Tell us about your apartment.
Anne
We were looking in the VIth or the XIVth arrondissements, where we each lived separately, and finally, we fell in love in a neighbourhood halfway between the two.
Romain
What we liked was the layout of this apartment: on the street side, the double living room, which allows Anne to have a separate office while receiving guests in an open space, and on the courtyard side, the large bedroom, which is quiet and not overlooked.
TSF
Romain, how does your architectural signature express itself here?
Romain
It’s always a challenge for interior designers to consider their own apartments. We liked the way it was organised, and there was hardly anything we needed to do to feel happy with it. So we did things spontaneously, simply paying attention to light and circulation and to creating a pleasant place to live that is to our taste.
TSF
And Anne, where do we find your creative touch?
Anne
Decorating the flat was a pleasure as well as an exercise, as we were moving part of my business into it. So we had to find a balance between the world of AD.ORNEM and what we both wanted, which was quite natural because our tastes are very similar. It was easy for me to incorporate elements that refer to my work with streamlined pieces with a mix of seventies and art deco influences.
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TSF
What guidelines did you follow in designing your interior?
Anne
To be surrounded only by things we like, which took us a long time: we lived for weeks with just a bed and chairs! In the living room, we wanted a celadon base and a few touches of red to give a more contemporary twist to this classic Parisian apartment. And overall, we favoured vintage pieces from the 1970s in glass and metal to keep things light.
TSF
Do you have a piece on display here that you particularly like?
Romain
Our coffee table, a piece by designer Jonas Trampedach made from three sheets of riveted aluminium. I love its sculptural quality.
Anne
The Quadrifoglio pendant light by Gae Aulenti in my office, which is inspired by the four-leaf clover: I feel like it’s watching over me and bringing me luck!
TSF
What does your home say about you?
Anne
That we love things that we have taken the time to find, desire and enhance.
Romain
Above all, this apartment is the place where we have been able to express the tastes we have in common, and it is perhaps the beginning of creative projects together!
TSF
You live in the XVth arrondissement. What are your favourite places to go?
Anne & Romain
Well, it’s not the liveliest district in Paris, but it has its little gems! We like the Bourdelle museum and its great hall, which presents the sculptor’s monumental works, and it has very pretty little gardens. The Blomet swimming pool is one of the nicest in Paris, with its old bath-shower cabins and its 50-metre pool. And as a bonus, they open the glass roof in summer! At weekends, we often go for a lemon moelleux at Des Gâteaux et du Pain, Claire Damon’s pastry shop. Finally, for lunch or a drink on the terrace, we like La Tour de Nesle, a nice local brasserie with a traditional and reliable menu.
TSF
Where will we find you next?
Anne
In Carrara, where Romain will start sculpting marble this summer. In Naples, where I’m working on a project with local artisans specialized in carving ancient coral. And still at the Ritz Paris, where the AD.ORNEM collections will be available until spring.
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Table basse de Jonas Trampedach pour Frama.
