How do the new generation of Parisian interior designers, such as Mahdavi and Vincent Darré, live? Marie Kalt, editor-in-chief of the French Architectural Digest, shows in ‘The New Chic’ how they combine casual elegance with the well-known French flair.
The title of Marie Kalt’s new book, published by Rizzoli New York, references ‘The New Chic’, but she could just as easily have suggested ‘the radically cool’ as an alternative description. Every room in this book is sublime, especially those created for the annual design showcase AD Intériers where the participating designers are given carte blanche to create living spaces unfiltered by commissioning clients…
In her introduction to the volume, Kalt explains how French AD selected 30 designers and studios as the new generation of practitioners in the decorative arts; combined together they represent French style in the 21st century. The book further distills the number to 12 firms singled out by the publication as the finest working in France today, including instantly recognizable names like Jean-Louis Deniot, and lesser-known (at least to me) talents like Tristan Auer.
Fine art mixes with contemporary furniture and audacious color schemes in baroque rooms, pushing the envelope in new and exciting ways. But there’s updated traditional, cool minimalism, and glamour as well – all seen through the lens of what Kalt refers to as the ‘stars of tomorrow’ (who are indeed the stars du moment).
And there’s a bonus to owning this book: the final chapter is titled ‘The Best Address Book In Paris’, an au courant list of the finest designer furniture, art, and antique galleries in Paris – addresses, phone numbers, and website addresses included. Magnifique.
The New Chic: French Style from Today’s Leading Interior Designers’ is available at your favorite bookstore and at Rizzoli.
Yakymour 