Family
A Tranquil Loft in the City That Never Sleeps
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Christiane Lemieux, That New York luxury With A Difference
Interior designer, artist, traveler, and author Christiane Lemieux has transformed her New York apartment into a luxurious sanctuary. Featuring noble materials and a palette of subtle, harmonious tones, the space is punctuated with totem-like objects and warm textiles that add a touch of inspiration to her everyday life. During a visit to the city that never sleeps, The Socialite Family dropped by this serene retreat for tea.
Location
New York
Author
Elsa Cau
Photos and videos
Constance Gennari
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TSF
Please tell us about yourself, Christiane
Christiane
I'm a designer, entrepreneur, mother and artist. I established Lemieux in 2020.
TSF
What is your professional background?
Christiane
I'm a designer and art director. I have a university degree in art history and a design degree from Parsons School. I've written three books, and I'm currently working on a fourth and a fifth. I also paint, I design fabrics, and I'm an entrepreneur. For the latter, I teach at universities and business schools in the United States about business and entrepreneurship.
TSF
What sort of environment did you grow up in, and where?
Christiane
I'm Canadian. My parents studied together in Paris. They still live there for half the year. My father's family originated in Normandy, in Rouen, and his family migrated to Canada in 1642. I consider myself Franco-Canadian, with a little Mohawk Indian and a little Irish from my mother's family. My parents are very interesting, quite bohemian and adventurous. My father was a Supreme Court of Appeal judge in Ottawa, Canada's capital. As a child, I travelled all over the world. My parents really encouraged me to study hard. An intriguing family legend has it that my mother was a Canadian spy. There are some things I just can't explain: for example, she's bilingual in Russian, she studied at Moscow University and then met my father on a train from Moscow to Paris. At home, we call her Agent M! (Laughs)
TSF
How have your upbringing and your surroundings influenced your taste?
Christiane
My parents are art collectors. Our family home was filled with art. In fact, there are artists in the family! They collect lots of objects, a lot of art, and souvenirs from trips. I grew up in a very eclectic environment. As a child, I travelled all over the world and certain countries and museums really left their mark on me and inspired me. There was India, which I discovered when I was eight, and Egypt when I was twelve... and, of course, Europe, especially France and Italy, which are close to my heart. When I was eleven, my parents took me on a gastronomic tour of Périgord, where I discovered the delights of truffles. Original, isn't it?
TSF
What influences your work nowadays?
Christiane
My influence comes mainly from my travels. Recently, Japan has had a profound influence on me, with its amazing ceramics and absolute attention to detail in the way people live. I follow many auctions worldwide, too, and of course, I'm very interested in the history of art and design.
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I think a space without art simply has no personality; it doesn't show who lives there and doesn't seem inhabited. It's the soul of a place.
TSF
Tell us about the history of this place.
Christiane
I found this apartment in 2008. It belonged to an artist who had been here since 1965-1970. There was just one bathroom and there was asbestos everywhere. It was a disaster. We took it down to the studs, as we say here. At the end of the first phase of work, all that remained were the four walls, so to speak! When I looked at the interior design here, I thought I'd turn it into a Parisian apartment. But after living here for three months, I had to face the facts: it was a New York loft and could never be a Parisian apartment. So I decided to go along with the atmosphere of the place but with some very refined details: the oak floor came from a Belgian warehouse, for example. We plastered the old brick walls, too.
TSF
What was the biggest challenge of the project?
Christiane
The greatest challenge was to build several bathrooms in the apartment from a single building column: it was a real technical and engineering challenge! There's new work on the way, too! The apartment hasn't changed in a decade, and I'm going to redo some things this summer and make some other improvements. I've just come back from a trip to Japan where I experimented with... toilets. More specifically, "total toilets", which are toilets with an astonishing combination of functions, including a bidet and dryer. It's such a different experience there from what we have here! I'm going to put them all over my apartment. I also learned a lot from their approach to bathrooms. So, I'm going to redo my bathrooms in a Japanese style, or rather a Japanese style seen through a rather Parisian prism: it's an evolution of my style, which tends more towards what we call 'quiet luxury' here.
TSF
How would you describe your style?
Christiane
It seems to me that my style could be defined by two terms: minimal and luxurious. I love fine materials like marble in kitchens and bathrooms, silk carpets and hand-plastered walls. All combined with a real attention to detail. In English, we talk about "quiet details".
TSF
Is this apartment a reflection of you?
Christiane
This may come as a surprise to you, but I'd say there's something... Amsterdam about my apartment! I really like the colours used by the old masters from Northern Europe, like the Dutch painters: the blacks, the greys, the old oak floors... These tones also remind me of the rather white light in Paris, Amsterdam and New York. They are at the same latitude!
TSF
Tell us about an object or a work here that you particularly like.
Christiane
My books! I love all my old art history books. I've collected them over the last twenty years, ever since I was a student. I regularly hunt for art books, notably at the Strand Book Store in New York and the Puces de Saint-Ouen in Paris. My next purchase is going to be Toto toilets from Japan, of course. Yes, I'm obsessed (laughs)!
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TSF
Painting seems to be particularly prominent here.
Christiane
Painting and art generally have pride of place in our apartment. I'm always painting, and I regularly come up with designs for my customers. I love art. I think a space without art simply has no personality; it doesn't show who lives there and doesn't seem inhabited. It's the soul of a place.
TSF
What do you have coming up in the next few months?
Christiane
We'll be offering our textiles for sale over the coming months... Stay tuned to our website. And I'm writing something more akin to an encyclopaedia of the decorative arts. I'm preparing my next publications on this subject at the moment... a bit like a follow-up to my book "The Finest Things".
TSF
What does The Socialite Family mean to you?
Christiane
For me, The Socialite Family is an online magazine that shows the lives, interiors and ideas of very modern and very chic families. In English, we say: "it's very relevant".
TSF
Which piece of furniture do you love the most in our collection ?
Christiane
I love your Classica chair, especially in red mohair : it awakens any room !
TSF
Have you any good local go-to places you'd like to recommend?
Christiane
The great thing about Soho is that the neighbourhood is the address! All New Yorkers love strolling through the small shops and restaurants in Soho... And you can always see the sky from here, which is an important detail in New York! The light is wonderful from morning to night. What's more, it's a truly historic district and the city has protected it, especially its old buildings and 'cast iron buildings'. A rarity... But to be more precise, all the famous restaurants are here! For dinner, go to Balthazar (80 Spring St, New York, NY). Go to Morgan Stone (520 E 81st St, New York) for an ice cream. And PopUp Bagels (177 Thompson St, New York) for the best bagels and breakfast.
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Imagine this: I just got back from a trip to Japan where I discovered... the 'total toilets' with their amazing combined functions. I’ve become obsessed with them!
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