MONTAIGNE
AFTER BACH
Born from a collaboration and meeting of two minds, After Bach, a Parisian Interior Design studio was formed by Jessica Berguig, owner of JAG gallery and Francesco Balzano, furniture and objects designer of his eponymous studio. The designers who had previously collaborated together on their first flagship store for chocolate-maker DAMYEL, share a particular interest for materials and art.
Through her gallery work, Jessica had developed her own experience by working on interior design projects, whilst Francesco honed his skills by working as a Project Director for eight years at the internationally revered studio of Joseph Dirand. Together they have forged their own studio, where at the core of their designs rests a belief in shaping environments that are refined and welcoming whilst also carrying the finer essence of being gentle and quiet.
Their first residential project to be conceived from this collaboration is Montaigne, named after occupying one of Paris’ most prestigious real estate locations in the eighth arrondissement, Avenue Montaigne. The apartment has been reconfigured over two levels and is gifted with a terrace that has splendid city views of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower.
Drawing inspiration from David Lynch’s film Mulholland Drive, the apartment has been crafted into an idyllic 1950s modern American home. A solid quietness and reserve has been fulfilled throughout the entire breadth of the apartment through the use of the French oak panelling and natural wallpaper that endlessly dresses the walls. This liberal dressing almost marks a silent enclave for this modern apartment, as though it were extracted from a film set and placed in the midst of the bustling city of Paris.
Berguig and Balzano’s who share a common appreciation for furniture and objects, have flawlessly exercised their skills and carefully mapped out an edited selection of notable pieces that furnish the apartment. Clean and precise lines are in dialogue with furniture pieces by Jacques Adnet or George Nakashima, ceramics by Floris Wubben, and numerous pieces by contemporary artists and designers.
This repertoire for object curation continues into the bathroom with a bathtub sculpted from a single block of fine beige stone, which becomes the artistic centrepiece of the room. Illuminating this work of art are a series of natural oak louvered screens that conduct a clever play of light in the bathroom.
In the bedroom, a luxurious and subdued warmth radiates through a cultivated mix of textiles from the woven wallpaper panelings, to the carpet and selected collection of furniture pieces that have been curated. With its harmonious balance and delicate precision, Montaigne is a sophisticated and modern haven that provides for a divine retreat in the heart of Paris.
PHOTOGRAPHY | ANNICK VERNIMMEN