Caroline Gayral and Julien,<br/> Esther 4 years old

Family - Paris

A longing to travel and Berber treasures in Paris.

Caroline Gayral and Julien,
Esther 4 years old

She has piercing eyes that remind us of women from faraway, mysterious countries. Pushed by her desire to travel and meet people, Caroline discovered treasure troves from lost tribes while exploring the Moroccan mountains. Immersing herself in the history of Berber rugs, she decided to present them in Paris like an art exhibition. Explaining their story, the reasons behind them and their meaning, these rugs have true artistic value. Today she is an expert on the subject, and Caroline invited me into her highly personal home to show us a few of them.

What won you over in this apartment?

Caroline Gayral

The view over the paved, tree-lined courtyard and the magnificent private mansion opposite. It’s an oasis of calm, even though we’re just next to the rue des Martyrs, in the middle of a bustling area we adore!

Where do you like spending the most time at home?

Caroline Gayral

We completely went against the very classic plans for the apartment. We instead put the kitchen, living room and an alcove for dining overlooking the courtyard to make the most of the view. In this large living room, we put a lot of effort into the lights, the fabrics and the rugs to make it warm and welcoming. We love spending time here as a family and with friends.

How did you design the décor?

Caroline Gayral

We’re very fond of foreign objects steeped in history. But we still want to keep a Parisian spirit. The family furniture and the objects from our travels are hidden all over the apartment, and really make us feel at home. Even when they aren’t souvenirs, they still make sense to us. For example, the Fat-Fat tables from Patricia Urquiola in our living room evoke Moroccan engraved silver trays. I’ve also always dreamed of going to Japan, and to help me along my journey I’m looking for an old Japanese screen to act as our headboard.

Which style inspires you the most?

Caroline Gayral

I’m doing a course on 20th century styles at the Drouot art school. It fascinates me and comforts me in the idea that I am definitively eclectic. Rather than choosing a particular style, I prefer to exclude the ones I don’t love, like the one from the Nancy art school, for example.

Who is your favourite designer?

Caroline Gayral

Pierre Paulin and Charlotte Perriand… As for lesser-known, more contemporary designers, I would say Lindsay Adelman for her fantastic lights.

What’s your current craze?

Caroline Gayral

A bit of everything:
– The beautiful film “Saint Laurent” by Bertrand Bonello
– A set of artisanal, ceramic tablewear painted Aegean blue and green almond that evokes the Cyclades islands that I discovered this summer. I would love to introduce them to Paris.

– The hand-painted wallpaper from Gournay. It is extremely elegant.

– The exquisite Detox salad from Nest – rue Villedo

What education did you receive about the home and the respect of places?

Caroline Gayral

My mother studied to be an interior designer, and certainly passed on her interest for it! But she is far more bohemian than me!
Here’s an anecdote to prove it: in the early 90s she wanted to change the colour of the walls in the living room, so she stripped them. Time went on, the Celadon/Wedgwood blue debate was never concluded, and we spent months with plastered walls, tagged and covered in philosophical quotes and drawings from Gotlib left by our school friends.

Which cheap piece are you most proud of?

Caroline Gayral

The plaster cast of Esther’s hand, an imprint of the bronze sculpture I gave to Julien, which he now uses as a paperweight at the office.
Esther was two months old, and I was already dizzy with how fast time was going. I wanted a palpable souvenir of this marvellous, fleeting age.

What is the piece of your wildest dreams?

Caroline Gayral

Princesse Aga Kahn’s dressing table, by René Herbst, exhibited in the Museum of Decorative Arts. It’s a feminine object “par excellence”, but depicted with extreme simplicity in chrome-plated steel, mirror and metal. It’s the anti-Barbie dressing table. Unflinchingly modern.

Can family life and beautiful décor go together?

Caroline Gayral

We decorate the apartment without really taking it into account. If things break it’s not the end of the world. There are no museum pieces! When Esther started walking, she held onto our lampadaire Stilnovo, it fell over and one of the opaline gemstones smashed. I regularly look on boncoin.fr, I’m still hoping to find a new one that fits. But if I don’t, I love the story behind it. The piece missing is the result of Esther’s first steps.

Which restaurant would you recommend?

Caroline Gayral

Villalys, 30, rue Montpensier 75001 Paris, where we got married. They serve couscous and tagines in the most beautiful gardens in Paris. L’Arnsbourg in Baerenthal-en-Moselle. A beautiful wedding present and an extraordinary gastronomic experience in a restaurant in the forest.

Find Caroline Gayral’s Berber carpets here.

Photos : Constance Gennari@thesocialitefamily.com