Today's pretty Paris photo is of this reception room, Salon des Huet, on the second floor of my favorite Parisian house museum, Musee Nissim de Camondo. If you go to Paris, do not miss this museum. I can't wait to go back and take more photos of every inch of this house. I have shown the fabulous staircase in my digital magazines and product catalog -- totally fabulous!
My favorite French chairs are the four aqua silk ones with gilt frames. There is also a matching settee. I'll try to find a photo of it for you. These chairs were made by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sene between 1770 and 1780. The unique thing about these chairs is that they come apart. Yes, you read that right. The backs, seats, fronts and arm rests are unscrewed by the metal bolts a few of which you can see in a close up shot. This allowed them to switch out the fabric with the seasons or for particular parties, or just on a whim. How cool is that? The carving on the wood frames is 2Die4. This photo does not do them justice -- they are incredible in person. Jean Sene was a cabinetmaker to royalty, a supplier to the kings various palaces in France.
I encourage you to read the history of Camondo. It is named for the owner's son Nissim who died in September 1917 in WWI when his plane was shot down. The house was given to the city of Paris in 1936 when the owner died. I am so glad he didn't live to witness what happened to his family during WWII. When you are there you can't help but be in conflict between the beauty of this building and its furnishings vs. the tragedy of the Nazis who killed the family members including the grandchildren.
The house's owner was a Jewish multi-billionaire banker from Istanbul, Turkey. He could afford to collect the furnishings of the kings of France for this house, and he did. Every item was carefully selected and each piece is beyond fabulous.
Summer
Photo: Swede
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