Classical Composure: A Place Dauphine Apartment Reimagined by After Bach Studio

In a 17th-century listed building overlooking the Seine on Place Dauphine’s historic triangle, designer Francesco Balzano of After Bach has composed an apartment interior both Parisian in palette and Roman in spirit. Conceived for a collector, the renovation balances grandeur with simplicity—green lacquer, ivory lime plaster, bronze, and beige stone. Drawing from Cy Twombly’s Roman studio and the chiaroscuro of Balthus, Balzano translates the poetry of art into lived space.

Trained at École Penninghen and Joseph Dirand Architecture before founding his Paris studio in 2020, Balzano sees design as a way of poetically inhabiting the world. Here, that philosophy is rendered through precision and noble materials: designs by Paolo Buffa, Floris Wubben, and Frédéric Imbert act as counterpoint to the apartment’s measured composition. Join us for a tour.

Photography by Vincent Leroux for After Bach.

Above: The main entrance is designed with custom sconces, a vintage silk ceiling lamp, and a Gordon Martz table lamp.

The apartment is comprised of two bedrooms and two bathrooms across 180 square meters. Only small structural modifications were made to the existing layout while a new oak parquet, lime plaster, and wood lacquer was applied by After Bach.

Above: A view from the hallway into the main bedroom highlights the Finn Juhl Pelican Chair and a Floris Wubben Pressed Stool. Above: Windows flank a 1960s Gordon & Jane Martz Floor Lamp. Above: After Bach worked with Beige Fine Stone to cut a new sculptural mantle on which sits a work by Lucas Arruda and a Gordon Martz table lamp. Above: A look into the ensuite bathroom with a custom vanity paired with a Waterworks Henry Wall-Mounted Faucet. At left is a Terence Harold Robsjohn-Gibbings Stool acting as bedside table. Above: Both the bath and minimalist shower are cut from the same Beige Fine Stone as the bathroom flooring. At center is a George Nakashima Grass-Seated Chair. Above: The kitchen is designed with custom wooden cabinetry finished in green lacquer and a Beige Fine Stone countertop. A small dining area is made up of a custom velvet seat and a table and stool by Floris Wubben. Above: The dining room features another Beige Fine Stone mantel and custom sconces. The dining table is fitted with more George Nakashima Grass-Seated Chairs. Above: A series of thoughtfully-integrated mirrors create echoing corridors throughout the apartment. Above: The living room is anchored with a Codimat wool rug, vintage Paolo Buffa Armchairs, a Floris Wubben Coffee Table, and a built-in storage cabinet. Above: Another view of the living room reveals a Rick Owens Stag T Stool. Above: A sitting room designed with a single Pierre Jeanneret Advocate Chair. Above: Another small space acts as guest room fitted with a Jacques Adnet circa 1950 Banquette and colorful velvet pillows from Frette. The walls are designed with Holland & Sherry fabric.

For more Parisian apartments see our posts:

• A Poetic Echo: A Restored Apartment in Le Corbusier’s Molitor Building in Paris from RREEL
• A Paris Apartment with Artful, Architectural Interventions from Corpus Studio
• Multiplying Light and Space: A Compact Paris Apartment with a Vintage Quality
• The Modern Attic Apartment: An Inventive Remodel in Paris, Tiny Ikea Hack Kitchen Included