Claves Architecture’s vision for Iconic House’s Parisian creation

You designed Iconic House’s latest gem, Villa Junot, a private mansion located in Paris’s 18th arrondissement. How did the transformation of the property unfold?

Soizic: The founders didn’t have a fully defined vision at the start. There was an initial brief, but it evolved as the project progressed. What Thibaud and Robin were really after were homes with a story—that’s something we deeply relate to. Our process always begins with what’s already there: the narrative, the context, the soul of the place. From there, we follow those threads to imagine how it could transform. They wanted a concept that was clear, bold, spatially coherent, and easy to convey to future guests. So we focused on shaping and sharpening that vision.

Soizic: The original inspirations combined music and surrealism. To create coherence between those themes and the building itself, we started with the essence of the house. It was built during the interwar period for an operetta composer, which naturally led us to a concept where music, surrealism, and the Art Deco spirit of the 1930s could intersect. The architecture already offered rich visual cues: wrought ironwork with a motif that echoes a treble clef, a monumental fireplace with a striking bas-relief in the living room, and an original mosaic bathroom. All of that inspired us to design a space with a strong, distinctive identity. From the outside, the house looks like a petite château, with windows that are all different. The interior, far from being rigidly structured, is very organic, shaped by the geometry of the plot. One of the most exciting parts was rethinking the flow and layout to create volumes that feel harmonious and intuitive—spaces where you naturally feel at ease.

A hôtel particulier usually evokes classical, even Haussmannian architecture. How did you find the balance between Art Deco and Surrealism, while avoiding the “museum house” effect and incorporating the luxury expected in such a property?

Laure: At Villa Junot, we were able to take the decor and design intentions much further than usual, simply because it’s not a home that’s lived in every day by the same people. Guests come for short or extended stays, so there’s less risk of anyone growing tired of the interior design. That gave us the freedom to create rooms with bold, distinctive identities. One example is the stairwell, adorned with a trompe-l’œil drapery painted by artist Mauro Ferreira—a motif often found in the surrealist world. The same drapery appears in the master bedroom, alongside a large plaster fireplace crafted by Southway Studio, and again in the media room, where real curtains wrap the space and can be fully closed to create a cozy, intimate vibe. These elements might not typically belong in a private residence, but a hôtel particulier offers the perfect creative playground. Unlike hotels, where rooms are often standardized, here each space can have its own character while still aligning with a cohesive concept. It’s a chance to be bold and expressive, without ever compromising on comfort or function.

Villa Junot was designed with great attention to detail: how does this manifest in practice?

Laure: There was a strong curatorial dimension to the project, both in the selection of artworks and objects. Every detail in the villa—even the books casually placed throughout—echoes the themes of Surrealism, music, and Art Deco. The goal was to create richly layered, intentionally “lived-in” spaces where guests instantly feel at home.

Soizic:Surrealism can be polarizing. Take Dali, for instance—not everyone connects with his work. Some surrealist pieces can feel unsettling, distorted, or too fluid, which isn’t always ideal for interior design. That’s why we kept the surrealist influence mostly within the art selection. We focused on lithographs—often small and finely detailed—making them more approachable visually. We also incorporated contemporary works inspired by that universe. As for the Art Deco influence, it comes through in subtle ways: soft color palettes like reddish brown and ochre yellow, and refined nods in the materials and forms. All of these elements work together to create a cohesive and harmonious identity.

Could you say a few words about the choices of materials and patterns—especially the tiles and mosaics—and how they help tell the story of Villa Junot?

Laure: There’s a particularly beautiful bathroom where we had the original mosaics carefully restored. To complement this heritage, we introduced more contemporary elements, like the double travertine bathtub, which balances the richness of the historic patterns. In the other bathrooms, we interpreted these references with a cleaner approach, using plenty of ceramics and terracotta tiles.

Soizic: Except for that historic bathroom, we designed all the other mosaic patterns in the house ourselves. We also worked extensively with terrazzo, a hallmark material of the 1920s: on the ground floor, we poured terrazzo with a sun-shaped inlay in the hexagonal entrance. We also used staff to create arches that didn’t originally exist. This craft—very common in the 19th century for vaults, cornices, and decorative elements—allowed us to design entirely new shapes made by a skilled plasterer. These interventions recreate axes and perspectives, giving the illusion of symmetry in rooms that are actually asymmetrical.

Laure: Finally, another recurring thread in the house’s aesthetic is this glossy reddish-brown lacquer. In the bedrooms, you’ll find wood paneling and baseboards made of Bubinga, a precious African hardwood. We also incorporated decorative paintings by Mauro Ferreira: the drapery in the stairwell, the starry decoration in the deep blue bar gilded with gold leaf, and the poetic decor in the children’s room.