By ELLE Decoration
Since opening her eponymous interior design studio in Paris nearly 10 years ago, Sandra Benhamou has enjoyed designing stylish homes for her clients, but when she began designing the interiors of her own lavish Haussmann-style apartment, she was thrilled to embrace the creative freedom and sense of independence.
“I wanted,” she says, “to make it a joyful place.”
The house, which she shares with her husband Michael and their three children – Mia, 19, Sasha, 17, and Nathaniel, 13 – was originally an office building and is located just a few minutes’ walk from the French capital’s National Assembly. When she bought it, it was in poor condition and all the electrics and plumbing needed to be replaced. But the shine of this diamond was not hidden.
Sandra immediately noticed the original wood floors and ornate moldings. While she liked those features, she didn’t want to be limited by them. “I wanted to avoid that bourgeois feel,” she says. “My husband and I have a beautiful art and design collection, but I really didn’t want my home to feel pretentious or like a gallery.”
The best way to break through any potential pomposity was an injection of colour, and the walls of this home are a mix of pinks, pale blues and greens. Inspiration for the scheme came from Le Corbusier’s famous ‘Les Couleurs’ palette. In particular, Jung’s light switch collection, which comes in the Swiss architect and designer’s chosen hues.
“I decided to use a different switch for each room and choose tones that balance each space,” explains Sandra. In the dining room, a red switch is combined with light blue walls, while in the bedroom, terracotta switches next to the bed match the mix of blue and pistachio green.
Le Corbusier isn’t the only design heavyweight who influenced the look of this home. Sandra had Italian architect Carlo Scarpa in particular in mind when she designed the bespoke handles for the kitchen cabinets and her walk-in closet. Their incised shapes recall the geometric nature of his work. “I really am a perfectionist,” Sandra admits. “I pay attention to the things that you might not see at first glance, but that really make the difference.”
This attention to detail is also evident in her first furniture collection, released last year. Named “Ginger,” after Sharon Stone’s role in the Martin Scorsese classic “Casino,” it celebrates the excesses of 1970s America with elegant precision. The films are a natural reference point for Sandra, who began her training in film rather than interior design and moved to New York to work at Miramax before having her children.
She has also lived in London and was impressed by the freedom of expression she experienced in both cities. “There are fewer stereotypes and people trying to follow trends,” she says. In her own home, the expected is cleverly avoided and individuality and positive energy are emphasized. Because, as Sandra concludes, “the most important thing in a house is a good atmosphere.” sandrabenhamou.com
This article first appeared In ELLE Decoration February 2020
Did you like this article? Sign up for our newsletter to get more articles like this straight to your inbox.
SIGN UP
Stay optimistic and subscribe to ELLE Decoration here to receive our magazine delivered straight to your home.
