For New York-based interior designer Judy Dunne, Paris has long served as a favorite destination where she and her husband explore galleries, museums, and markets and find pieces for clients. To enable those visits, they have rented a two-bedroom, 1,600 square-foot apartment on the Île de la Cité for the better part of the last fifteen years.
«All of our homes are a little bit of like a love letter to people we’ve met,» Dunne says. «We’re able to display things we found or commemorate places we’ve been. It’s kind of nice to also have a very different surrounding in Europe than we have in New York. New York is definitely much more contemporary, and so this gives me a whole different vibe.”
The living room accent wall features artwork by Santa Gaia Pilens.
In the living room, an antique Louis XV chest is flanked with chairs by Niels Otto Møller.
Working with artisans and makers has always been core to Dunne’s work. From 2004 to 2007, she owned and ran the retail store Butter and Eggs (now the name of her design firm) in Tribeca.
«I love the fact that, a lot of times, whether it’s for my apartment or a client, we will work with makers who we know personally,» she says.
It’s with this mentality that Dunne set about designing her Paris pied-à-terre. For the living room, where the front windows face Place Dauphine (the back windows overlook the Seine), Dunne tried nearly 10 different colors for an accent wall before landing on Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball. The same wall serves as the focal point to a tapestry artwork by Santa Gaia Pilens, a multi-media artist whom Dunne met in Vienna. The bust, shaped out of linen, is by Sergio Roger.
In the primary bedroom, the custom headboard is wrapped in a three-dimensional Élitis linen.
“I think that creators and makers, at the very heart of it, are the same everywhere,” Dunne says. “It’s just finding the shared excitement. I’ve been just lucky enough to land with people who are as excited and into what they do.”
Dunne took a cue from the previously updated contemporary style of the apartment and combined furniture from multiple periods. “I love the opportunity to mix old and new,” she says. The vintage French inlaid dining table is surrounded with Danish chairs by Niels Otto Møller that Dunne found at the Paris Flea Market. She sourced the Louis XV chest, along with the 1970s vintage sofa and cocktail table in the living area, from galleries around Paris.
Take A Look Inside Judy Dunne’s Paris Apartment
In the dining area, a painting by Farah Atassi takes center stage. Years before designing her apartment, Dunne saw an exhibit by Atassi at the Picasso Museum and knew she had to have a piece in the new place. The custom bookshelves hold Dunne’s collection of ceramic vases and objets, including pieces from Gallery Sana Moreau, which represents Ukrainian artists and makers.
“I feel like no trip is complete if I haven’t met a new maker, discovered a new gallery, or had some wonderful, unexpected design experience,” Dunne says.
Visit Judy Dunne’s Go-To Paris Galleries:
“This cozy gallery in the Marais shows the work of an impressive range of designers.”
“Nestled along the Rue des Beaux Arts, this gallery represents some well known makers such as Nada Debs and Isabel Stanislas, but also promotes the work of many lesser known talents such as Francesco Mascarello whose ‘paintings’ in fabric are not to be missed.”
“This jewel box of a gallery is housed in what was a chic fashion boutique in the 1920s. The founder has an incredible eye for talent and works with creators who produce pieces at the highest level with workshops in France.”
“A beautifully curated gallery in the 7th arrondissement. They offer works from a range of artists and artisans and there is always something new and interesting to see.”
“This beautiful gallery is on a quiet street just behind City Hall. They boast an enviable roster of artists and designers and the owner, Antonin, has a deep knowledge of their individual stories.”
