Robert Couturier in NYC&G
Probably the most difficult challenge in designing interiors is to bring different design periods together seamlessly. No one designer does this better than Parisian-born Robert Couturier, who studied classical architecture and design while living amongst furniture designers and tastemakers. We had the pleasure of getting to know Monsieur Couturier while we were writing our first book. When he invited us to photograph his amazing home office in Soho, we just about jumped out of our chairs. His apartment personifies his masterful approach to curating spaces.
Today’s “Inspired By” post is a Brooklyn brownstone Robert Couturier designed for his lawyer featured in NYC&G magazine. What makes this space different from other published rooms designed by Couturier is that the rooms and the architecture he was presented with were less than extraordinary, yet he was able to use his knowledge of modern furniture pieces and his sense of humor to make the mix of old and new look effortlessly chic. It’s so nice to see what he has done with a family home for a couple that clearly loves collecting modern furniture pieces, but want to live with them in a period brownstone that functions for their family. In the front parlor, a period mirror, and a vintage carpet meld with the more contemporary chairs and lamps.
In the dining room/gathering space, Couturier makes the Saarinen table look like a fresh idea by pairing it with Arne Jacobsen Swan chairs and a pair of simple yet elegant bronze bookcases.
Don’t you love the shade of blue on the walls in the family room, below? Notice the very understated, but beautiful white roman shades everywhere.
The small backyard garden looks like a sweet spot to sip a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer afternoon.
This is one of our favorite bedrooms we’ve seen all year. Couturier used both Ochre’s sleigh bed and Arctic Pear chandelier. The light fixtures on either side of the bed make a modern statement in a perfectly serene room.
A Jeremy Cole Aloe Bud light fixture hangs above a small tulip table in the kitchen. Chairs around are multicolor, like the Nelson wall clock behind.
Another shade of blue on the walls color in the home office. This would jolt anyone into productivity!
In the master bathroom, Couturier wraps the walls in marble slab in an otherwise modest room. This is such a clever use of exotic materials.
If we’ve peaked your interest in the work of Robert Couturier, be sure to pick up a copy of his recently published book, Robert Couturier: Designing Paradises. It’s full of photos of more of his adventurous and beautifully curated rooms. You’ll continue to be inspired, we promise!
