Home is Where the Heart is
Romain Chancel
“I grew up in a seigniorial estate in the middle of wheat and rapeseed fields. My room was tucked under the roof in a tower where all the walls were covered with 17th century hand-engraved drawings and inscriptions. Even today, the only way for me to fall asleep is to imagine and dream of all the work that I will one day be able to do to restoring it to its original appearance.” — Romain Chancel
Raised in the French countryside, the son of a renowned inventor, Paris based architect and photographer Romain Chancel grew up with an inherent appreciation of architecture and gardens in part, thanks to his family, who share similar aesthetic inclinations. Having first attending theatre school, Chancel went on to study interior architecture, scenography and set design at the Ecole supérieur d’art et technique, Paris. He worked first for AD100 interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon, and then for French fashion house Hermès, before established his eponymous studio in 2017. Chancel’s sophisticated, laid back sense of style is informed by classical architecture and antiquity, “I like to reinterpret these details in a contemporary way in my architectural projects”. Yet with an eye for clean, minimalist shapes and sinuous lines, his interiors remain unmistakably contemporary. This considered approach can be seen in Chancel’s own apartment, which he’s been renovating for the past four years. With an almost monastic simplicity, the pared back interiors are a mixture of mid-century classics and contemporary art, all carefully chosen so as not to distract from sweeping views over the rooftops of Paris, Sacré-Cœur and the Eiffel tower. Chancel’s fascination for architecture and, in particular, ruins, means he spends much of the year travelling around Europe, photographing abandoned buildings, châteaux and castles, which continue to prove an endless source of inspiration.
The architect Romain Chancel in his Paris home, an ongoing project, which he has been renovating for the past four years
The home of Romain Chancel, Paris, in the sitting room a pair of brutalist chairs attributed to French designer André Sornay and a classical bust
What was it that drew you to a career in architecture?
I definitely think it’s the family houses where I spent my childhood. I grew up in a seigniorial estate in the middle of wheat and rapeseed fields. My room was tucked under the roof in a tower where all the walls were covered with 17th century hand-engraved drawings and inscriptions. Even today, the only way for me to fall asleep is to imagine and dream of all the work that I will one day be able to do to restoring it to its original appearance. My Grandmothers were both passionate about antiques. My maternal grandmother lived for part of the year in an immense nineteenth century hôtel particulier and for the other part in a 1930s villa in the south of France, whereas my paternal grandmother lived in a bourgeois house near Giverny. All these places have deeply fueled my passion for architecture and gardens.
Who’s the person that most inspires you?
I’m particularly sensitive to the world of architect Pierre Yovanovitch. I’m fascinated by the simplicity with which he manages to make the smallest place he imagines extraordinary and poetic. His essentialiste aesthetic and attraction to nature are for me a great inspiration.
Where’s the most unforgettable place you’ve travelled?
For several years I have traveled a lot across Europe with several friends with whom we leave for several days exclusively to visit abandoned places. I am very fond of Italy, which is full of extraordinary ruins. Nevertheless I love France. I have a very beautiful memory of a visit to an abandoned park in the south of France where an enthusiast had created in the 18th century a garden built of many follies: a 12th century Roman cloister in marble, thirty antique bas-reliefs, an orangery full of Anduse pots weathered by time, a Moorish Chapel and an ancient colonnade in the middle of a lake. It’s unreal!
Where would you like to go next?
To Namibia, I dream of visiting the ghost town devoured by the desert!
What’s the best souvenir you’ve bought home?
Some wrought iron garden furniture inspired by Emilio Terry, the back of which form playing card suits. I love 19th century wrought iron garden furniture. I can buy hundreds of chairs and benches until I no longer know where to put them.
Tell us about a recent “find” ?
I recently had the privilege of visiting ceramist Valentine Schlegel at her house in Paris. Poetic and magical! Valentine is 95 years old, she no longer speaks and spends her days sitting with her cat in front of the window of her workshop watching people go by. There is always a Madeleine placed on the windowsill.
Her little house is incredible, entirely carved in plaster. I was amazed by the beauty and the many details and objects shaped by her hand; from leather-lined doors, covered in random geometric shapes, with an ingenious wooden latch system, to the kitchen utensils embedded in plaster niches of the same shape. A wonder that I hope will remain as it is forever.
If you didn’t live in Paris, where would you live?
In a ruined château in Normandy. One of my first visits to an abandoned castle was Le Château des Singes (or Château la Folie). It’s an incredible classic 18th century château in the middle of the countryside with splendid interior features. I could dedicate my whole life to its restoration. I come from Normandy, near the village of Giverny where I worked when I was studying as a gardener. I can only recommend visiting Claude Monet’s house and gardens, the perfect picture of a dream life in the 19th century. Stop for a drink at Hôtel Baudy, under the lime trees on its terrace which have seen all the greatest impressionist painters and finally visit the authentic artist’s studio located in its garden. Nearby, the Château de la Roche Guyon and its village on the banks of the Seine are splendid. A few kilometers away, still in Normandy, the castle of the Château de Champ de Bataille and its gardens created by Jacques Garcia. Restaurant Baudy (Ancien Hôtel Baudy), Upper Normandy, 81 Rue Claude Monet, 27620 (+33 2 32 21 10 03; www.restaurantbaudy.com)
The home of Romain Chancel, in the bedroom a “Paperclip” wall light by J.J.M. Hoogervost, the crittall screen separates a corridor, which accommodates a collection of more than 10,000 CD’s
The site that most inspires you?
Mainly the nature that frames my projects. For me, it’s impossible to imagine a place without a very strong relationship with the outdoors. I also find a large part of my inspiration in abandoned places. It’s magical every time. It allows me to go to towns and villages that I would never otherwise have visited. Coupling the architecture and culture of a country with visits to extraordinary abandoned houses or castles, where nature has sometimes taken back its rights, can be incredibly inspiring. I often take pictures of architectural details or furniture, a kind of inventory of everything I find interesting. I like to reinterpret these details in a contemporary way in my architectural projects. For me architecture is what makes beautiful ruins so what could be better than being inspired by them to dream and create new things.
If you had to limit your shopping to one neighbourhood, in one city, which would you choose?
It’s very hard to limit myself to a single neighborhood or even a city. In Paris, I like to stroll around the Saint-Ouen flea markets and admire the selection of Arthur Bruet and Aurélien Gendras. I also love Galerie Breheret Desprez for its selection of furniture and art and Debeaulieu for flowers. For dinner I have my habits at the Bonhomie restaurant near Strasbourg Saint-Denis. Then in Avignon, every month, there’s an extraordinary meeting which is the big unpacking. It's a gathering of thousands of antique dealers where you can pick up an incredible selection of all styles. The atmosphere there is fantastic. Marche aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, 124 rue des rosiers, 93400 (+33 (0)1 55 876 750; www.marcheauxpuces-saintouen.com); Arthur Bruet, Marché Paul Bert, Alley 3 et 7 Stand 155bis et 403 (+33 (0)6 13 23 74 17); Bonhomie, 22 Rue d'Enghien, 75010 ( +33 9 83 88 82 51; www.bonhomie.paris); Aurélien Gendras, 110 Rue des Rosiers, 93400 Saint-Ouen ( +33 6 71 56 53 04; www.aureliengendras.com); Galerie Breheret Desprez, 30 Rue Croix des Petits Champs, 75001 (+33 6 20 98 66 45; www.benjamin-desprez.fr); Debeaulieu, 30 Rue Henry Monnier, 75009 ( +33 1 45 26 78 68; www.debeaulieu-paris.com)
Which artist would you collect if you could?
A painting by Hubert Robert (1733-1808), who’s famous for his romantic representations of Roman ruins.
What’s the first important piece of art you ever owned?
Schnappviecher (2010) by artist Charles Fréger (b. 1975) from his Wilder Mann series. It’s a photograph of three people in traditional costume depicting giant monsters, half-man, half-beast, parading noisily, clapping their giant teeth during a carnival in a village in Italy.
An object you would never part with?
A model of the first artificial heart invented by my father. The object often appeals to my visitors who always wonder what it can be. He dedicated his whole life to research. I have a great admiration for my father who is a kind of professor Calculus in Tintin who never lets go.
What was the last thing you bought and loved?
Two alpine-inspired chairs purchased on eBay and attributed to French designer André Sornay (1902-2000); though unfortunately, I’ve never found any documentation to prove it. I like that they’re brutalist whilst also being comfortable.
Something you have your eye on?
A few weeks ago I spotted a demi château enclosed by walls by the river in a gigantic park in Normandy. It’s 19th century, incredibly charming but only a small piece remains; along with outbuildings, greenhouses and follies. During my research I found old postcards where you can see the English garden and the château in its original configuration. I don’t really know its history but it seems that half of it burned down and nothing has happened there since. I’m looking for the owner and dreaming of everything I can do there.
In front of a stripped Holandese chair, upholstered in a Pierre Frey boucle, a ladder leads up to the roof where Chancel likes to drink his coffee overlooking the Sacré-Cœur and Eiffel tower
What’s the best gift you’ve been given?
My father’s Leica M6 film camera that I share with my brother. A real jewel with which my father immortalized all our visits and childhood memories.
Which architect or designer do you think has had the biggest impact on your sense of style?
I like the architecture of Vincent van Duysen (b. 1962) and Axel Vervoordt (b. 1947). They focus on the essentials, their relationship with nature and materials; the complex simplicity of their works is for me a great inspiration.
What’s your favourite room in your apartment?
I bought several old maid’s rooms which I connected to my apartment to make an office and guest bedroom. The countryside under the roofs of Paris! The walls are limewashed with terracotta tomette floors and roof lights that bring incredible light at daybreak. A ladder allows me to access the roof of the building where I drink my coffee in the morning with an incredible view of the Sacré-Cœur and the Eiffel tower.
What’s your biggest indulgence?
A day at the Eden Rock pool in Cap d’Antibes with my family. I spent a great deal of my childhood there and these are my happiest memories. Just playing on a swing over the sea is the coolest thing in the world. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, 167-165 Boulevard J. F. Kennedy, 06160 Antibes (+33 4 93 61 39 01; www.oetkercollection.com)
What’s the best book you’ve read in the past year?
I’m not a great bookworm, I find it difficult to sit still and read; I continually need to be in action and do a few things with my hands. The last book I read is La casa di Mollino (2015) co-written by Fluvio Ferrari. Some time ago I had the opportunity to spend almost three hours listening to Ferrari in Turin at Casa Mollino. The genius of architect Carlo Mollino (1905-1973) is something surreal. His legendary dexterity allowed him to draw with both hands at the same time — sometimes sketching two entirely different projects simultaneously. In the absence of any financial constraints, he could practically do without clients and focus only on his many passions. The book tells and describes the mystery of Casa Mollino. It was imagined as his own sanctuary, a sort of a modern-day Egyptian Book of the Dead where he would present the overview of his life in order to access eternal life. He never slept there and his relatives never even knew of its existence. The smallest object, the smallest detail, from the design of the dining table inspired by an Egyptian tomb and its eight fiberglass tulip chairs to the cutlery, which is gilded, making it entirely unusable, is described and justified.
What would you do if you weren’t an architect?
Definitely a profession with a strong connection to nature. I think I would enjoy working as a gardener. Since childhood I’ve been passionate about landscaping. In the morning when at 8 o’clock I heard the noise of the gardeners mowing the lawn I would jump from my bed to go and observe them and help out. I created my first flower beds around the age of eight around the cabin that my brothers had built for me at the far end of the garden in which I lived from spring to autumn. When my parents moved into this house 45 years ago there was not a tree. Since then, I’ve planted dozens of trees, created many more beds and I spend a lot of my free time maintaining and developing it.
What’s next?
I’ve been working on a house in the middle of the forest near Paris, this is my first big project with a fantastic client. We just kept the structure and I started designing furniture, working with craftsmen and quality materials, it’s a real education for me. In Paris I have just handed over a project in a former artist’s studio in building designed by the architect Michel Roux Spitz (1888-1957), which is classified as an historic monument, as well as a Haussmannian apartment and a few others that will start shaping up in the coming months.
Ben Weaver
Photography by Alix Vossieg
The home of Romain Chancel, in the kitchen a pair of oak and rush chairs by French architect Charlotte Perriand
The home of Romain Chancel, an “etcetera” chair and stool by Jan Ekselius and in the background a photograph by Charles Freger and Charlotte Perriand wall lights