The arbiters of design in the La Barra/Jose Ignacio region have been Aaron Hojman with his vintage architectural interiors at Trading Post and Francis Mallmann who, though a famous chef, could just as readily have been a celebrated interior designer should he have have wished to pursue that road.
We now have Pablo Chiappori’s designs and wonderfully individual and stylish they are. Paul French Gallery is the shop in Buenos Aires and Paul Beach House, on the main drag of La Barra, is the new outpost that speaks to just about every need that anyone who owns a house here could have. A wonderfully large space, you wander from room to room as in a private house – living room, bathroom, kitchen and garden, each showcasing that particular decor. For a New Yorker, there are familiar items like the rough French linen pillow cases one finds in places like John Derian, but there is a great outdoor furniture design, Drift Wood, which is treated to remain beautiful in the fierce weather we can have in this part of the world. There are also charming chandeliers, good plates and glassware, leather armchairs and comfortable sofas.
Located on the ground floor of the glorious Payne Whitney mansion that houses the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, the Albertine is a gem of a bookshop and reading room. The only French language bookstore in New York, it offers two floors of eclectic material in both French and English as well as a small offering of rare editions. The childrens' books on the second floor take flight under a ceiling painted as a cloudless night sky studded with stars and the zodiac's signs, all the brainchild of Jacques Garcia who oversaw the Albertine's meticulous design. The deep sofas and amber lighting lure one into a lingering frame of mind. We are definitely in Europe here - we could as well be in a cafe or bistro - far away from the raucous noise and hard edges of Manhattan. A rare moment of bliss.
http://www.albertine.com/"
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