Back to Business
Day three saw us diving back into the market with renewed energy. The showrooms we visited offered their own unique perspectives on where interior design is heading. As a designer, these visits are invaluable for staying ahead of trends while understanding which classics are being reinvented.
At Iksel, we experienced the extraordinary intersection of fine art and interior decoration, creating bespoke digital wallcoverings that transform spaces into immersive works of art. Founded by Mehmet and Dimonah Iksel, this prestigious house draws inspiration from historical decorative arts, ranging from Ottoman miniatures to Italian frescoes, Chinese painted silks to French toile de Jouy.
What sets Iksel apart is their meticulous process — each design begins as an original hand-painted artwork before being digitally mastered to create panoramic scenes and patterns of breathtaking detail and scale. Their collections grace some of the world's most distinguished interiors, offering designers the ability to envelop rooms in scenes that recall the grandeur of European palaces, the mystique of Oriental gardens, or the delicate beauty of botanical studies.
Fabricut stands as one of the most comprehensive resources in the interior design industry, serving as a powerhouse distributor of decorative fabrics, wallcoverings, and trimmings for both residential and commercial projects. While we perused the showroom, we found beautiful introductions across their lines: S. Harris, Vervain, and Clarence House.
No trip to DecoOff is complete without passementerie - braids, tassels, cords, fringes, beads, and embroidery - and there is no better place to view them than at Samuel & Sons! This company represents the pinnacle of passementerie craftsmanship, creating exquisite decorative trims, tassels, borders, braids, gimp, and fringe that add the finishing touches to the world's finest interiors. From their meticulous attention to historical accuracy in their classic collections to their innovative contemporary designs, they've elevated what many consider a decorative accent into an art form.
Their showroom, filled with walls of spools displaying every imaginable variation of trim and tassel, serve as a designer's playground where traditional techniques meet modern aesthetics. Whether it's a hand-beaded border that takes weeks to produce, a sophisticated leather trim, or a bold contemporary tape with metallic accents, Samuel & Sons has established itself as the premier resource for designers seeking to add that crucial layer of refinement and detail to their projects.
While we worked most of the day, a visit to Notre Dame provided a powerful reminder of Paris's resilience and the ongoing dedication to preserving its architectural treasures. The restoration work is a testament to modern craftsmanship meeting historical preservation.
The day culminated in what can only be described as a magical evening – the Americans in Paris Party at the Hôtel de Ville. Paris's magnificent city hall stands as one of the French capital's most striking examples of neo-Renaissance architecture.
Located in the 4th arrondissement along the Seine River, the current building was reconstructed between 1874 and 1882 after the original structure was burned during the Paris Commune of 1871. Its ornate façade features an array of sculptures depicting notable figures from Parisian history, while its central clock tower and steep mansard roofs epitomize the grandiose French architectural style.
Throughout its history, the Hôtel de Ville has served not only as the seat of Paris's municipal government but also as a stage for significant historical events, from revolutionary proclamations to modern-day civic celebrations.
Day Four: Finally A Tourist
Our final day in Paris was a whirlwind of contrasts. We found our way to Deyrolle, which offered its usual cabinet of curiosities. This peculiar and enchanting Parisian institution has occupied the same elegant building on rue du Bac since 1831, serving as both a natural history museum and a high-end curiosity shop. Upon ascending its creaking wooden staircase to the second floor, visitors enter a surreal world where taxidermied animals—from tiny mice to majestic lions—pose in theatrical tableaux alongside pristine specimens of butterflies, beetles, and minerals.
Classical wooden cabinets house carefully curated collections of shells and fossils, while the walls are adorned with vintage educational charts depicting everything from botanical studies to anatomical diagrams. Initially founded as an educational supplier for French schools, Deyrolle maintains its pedagogical spirit while fascinating modern visitors with its unique blend of science, art, and cabinet of curiosity aesthetics that feels frozen in time.
Sainte Chapelle's stained glass windows were absolutely stunning – a must-see for anyone interested in historical architecture and design. This masterpiece of Rayonnant Gothic architecture was commissioned by King Louis IX (Saint Louis) in the 1240s to house his collection of precious Christian relics, including what he believed to be the Crown of Thorns. What makes this royal chapel architecturally revolutionary is how its upper chapel achieves an almost impossible feat of medieval engineering: its walls appear to vanish between soaring stained glass windows that rise 50 feet high, creating the illusion of a jewel box suspended in light.
The chapel's 15 windows contain 1,113 biblical scenes rendered in richly colored glass, demonstrating a technical sophistication that pushed the boundaries of 13th-century construction methods. The architects eliminated as much stone as structurally possible, replacing traditional walls with a skeletal frame of delicate columns and ribs that support the weight of the vaulted ceiling while allowing for unprecedented expanses of glass—about 70% of the upper chapel's surface area. This daring design not only revolutionized religious architecture but also perfectly embodied the medieval theological concept of divine light as a metaphor for spiritual illumination.
A Note About Parisian Hospitality
Let's address the elephant in the room – that tired old stereotype about French rudeness. Throughout our stay, the Parisians we encountered were nothing short of delightful. From patient shopkeepers who endured my enthusiastic but mangled French with encouraging smiles, to a helpful taxi driver who went out of her way to find us on Rue Jacob, the warmth was palpable.
Perhaps it's time we retire this misconception. The French aren't rude – they're actually quite polite and wonderfully accommodating. They simply have a refreshing directness and an appreciation for common courtesy. A simple "Bonjour" before launching into questions, and even the most basic attempt at French phrases, was met with genuine appreciation and often a switch to perfect English to help us along. It's a city that doesn't mistake efficiency for rudeness, and frankly, we could all take notes on their blend of professionalism and genuine hospitality.
If you enjoyed this insider's look at Paris, be sure to come back next week for Part 4 of our journey, and you can revisit Part 1 and Part 2 here!
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