Smoke and Mirrors: Lamarck Apartment by Lauranne Elise Schmitt.

Through humid hues and tricks with transparencies, Parisian designer Lauranne Elise Schmitt creates an illusion not dissimilar to that of a desert dream mirage, in this 60-square-metre Haussmanian apartment. Situated in the 18th arrondissement of Montmartre, the Lamarck Apartment strikes the perfect balance between work and play, with its polished mahogany cabinetry and musk-mauve colour palette.

With the air of a sultry smoking lounge in a private members club, the subdued atmosphere of the mahogany casework and tan leather elements assembled in the living room gives the sense that the owner might be partial to playing host to only the best company. The plush Toga sofas add a sense of comfort, as one imagines settling down for the evening with a glass of single malt and engaging in a range of board games or books.

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The lounge room is elevated and brought into focus by the dynamic backgammon-chess rug, tied together by the visual weight of the brushed steel coffee table. The aged mirrors abutting the mid-century sideboard give the illusion of grandeur and an extension of space, speaking to the size limitations of the apartment and the Hausmann spirit of the home.

Separated by the iridescent ochre Patricia Urquida glass table, the lounge room appears to meld into the kitchen, speaking to the mirage-esque nature of the material and colour palette. Here we see casework details curated as if by Dutch artist Mondrian, subtly bringing a clear alignment and structure to the room, making it easier to read as a utilitarian space. The polished concrete splashback, in its understated tone, becomes a visual colour link between the glass table and the suspended mellow-yellow pendant light by Studio Sabine Marcelis.

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Polished concrete comes to play again, as we enter the bathroom where a custom vanity and bath are displayed in a ‘Rose des Sables’ hue, almost juxtaposed with the energy of the bold burgundy walls, yet allowing the colour to take centre stage. In the master bedroom, we see this colourway further highlighted through the introduction of pops of turmeric yellow, such as the Modulation floor lamp by Axel Chay and the Charlotte Perriand wall fixture. This further cements the contemporary and fun edge that the designer has introduced to the Parisian apartment.

It is almost always immediately evident when a designer has been given the freedom to work and play to their strengths and cultivated style, the cohesive and consolidated nature of the end product being the main giveaway. The Lamarck Apartment is one such project, as no elements seem unintentional or out of place, and speak to a clear vision and united visual language that can only be achieved through a trusting client relationship and of course, a certain design adroitness.

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[Images courtesy of Lauranne Elise Schmitt. Photography by Alice Mesguich.]