Christian Siriano Puts His Exuberant Stamp On a Historic Paris Apartment

The fashion and interior designer scored a Right Bank pied-à-terre with moldings “practically older than America”In the living room of Christian Siriano and Kyle Smith’s Paris pied-à-terre, 1940s Danish lounge chairs in a green bouclé fabric pull up to a vintage Pierre Chapo cocktail table; the Murano-glass chandelier, reflected in the original overmantel mirror, dates to the 1960s or ’70s.Christian Siriano has always been a fan of Paris. “It’s a fashion mecca of the world,” says the designer, who has made extended visits since 2009, mounting presentations for his eponymous clothing line. But that appreciation reached a fever pitch several years ago, when he—older and even more established, with a blossoming interiors practice—purchased a Right Bank pied-à-terre for himself and his partner, menswear designer Kyle Smith. “It was time to get a place of our own.”The wish list was simple: Someplace central and classic, with four bedrooms, grand windows, and Juliet balconies. “I looked at probably 15 places,” he recalls of the arduous process, which led him to a historic building in the eighth arrondissement. Adhering to the existing layout, he retained whatever original details remained, like the fireplaces, overmantel mirrors, and parquet de Versailles. “The molding is practically older than America,” he laughs.The designer standing by an original fireplace. 1970s Italian chairs surround a vintage French table in the dining room, which is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Woodland Green. Siriano preserved the apartment’s parquet de Versailles floors. Color is everywhere, from the lilac entry to the adjoining mint-hued dining room, schemes inspired from vintage lighting. Vibrant abstract paintings adorn almost every wall. As a fashion designer, Siriano concedes, he sometimes needs an escape from chromatic experiments. “I usually want my homes to feel more zen. But Paris already is zen. You are already relaxed. That’s why almost every room and every fixture here is in color.” Meanwhile, Siriano’s lifelong love of textiles—inherited from a mother who made her own curtains, upholstery, and clothes—informs the interiors’ range of lush textures.The living room is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl, with trim in Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace. Another view of the living room’s vintage furnishings, including a 1930s Art Deco Cabinet. He decorates as any regular person might, buying what he likes and following his gut. “I can do a modern home, but I love things that are old,” he says. “I’m not so closed-minded. My ideas are all over the place.” He populated his home with pieces purchased from second­hand shops in the Marais or the city’s famous puces. French and Italian treasures from the 1930s through ’60s became an especially powerful influence. In the living room, a Pierre Chapo table mingles with a cabinet from the first half of the 20th century, modern art, and a chandelier that gave way to other curving gestures in the rest of the apartment. “Pretty much every single thing in the apartment is vintage,” Siriano says. “I’ve never done that in a project before.”The dining room’s 1950s Italian credenza. The view from the entry into the dining room. Every weekday Siriano takes a short, delightful walk to his neighborhood’s open-air market for flowers and produce. Afternoons are often spent gazing at the mosaics of Sacré-Cœur or an exhibit at the Picasso museum. Château de Versailles, further afield, also serves as a fail-safe source of inspiration. (He and Smith love the restaurant at the base of the palace’s cascading gardens.) But while proximity to France’s rich history of decorative arts expands Siriano’s imagination, he relishes the cloud of peace and quiet that comes over him once he steps over his apartment’s threshold.The kitchen. An unattributed abstract painting hangs above the couple’s bed; sconce from Stanislas Reboul and lamp by Jenna Basso Pietrobon. Today, the pied-à-terre does extra domestic duty as a crash pad for friends like model Coco Rocha, or a viewing suite for Siriano’s new collections. On quiet nights, the couple lights candles and basks in the apartment’s aristocratic ambience. Rowdy cocktail parties are also a regular occurrence. “It’s amazing at night, when you open the windows and see the streets all lit,” says Siriano, still fueled by the fantasy of France. As he says, “It’s such a beautiful way of life.”This story appears in the September issue. Never miss a story when you subscribe to AD.Not a subscriber? Join AD for print and digital access now.Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the best of design in your inbox.