When French interior designer Louis Denavaut was approached by an old friend to redesign his and his wife’s Parisian apartment, he hesitated to take it on due to its old age. That all changed when he witnessed the space in person and was immediately captivated by its stained glass windows. “I found them to be so beautiful and couldn’t resist accepting the challenge,” he says. “What’s more, I got to reconnect with an old friend.”

Lunain is situated in Paris’14th arrondissement, a vibrant and diverse neighbourhood occupied by verdant parks,contemporary art museums and historical buildings,including the Art-Nouveau-style one the apartment is located in. Aside from the apartment’s stained glass windows, Louis noted its curved walls and arched doors, which drove him to design a series of bespoke furniture pieces that conformed to the space. One of the home’s defining features is the tan-leather-upholstered sofa, which fits perfectly with the arc of the living room wall. 

In keeping with the apartment’s 20th-century origins, Louis chose stained oak as the primary material for the furniture and surrounding joinery.“The oak gives a timeless quality to the historic space,” he says. The interior walls are painted in a light, almost iridescent white, while the ceilings are painted a muted green: a decision Louis says was inspired by the palette of the stained glass windows. The expressive marble which adorns the kitchen and bathroom, with its graphic veining, was chosen to bolster the warm, natural tones.