Sometimes we dream of truly artistic interiors, but we are afraid of turning it into soulless art galleries. Other times we just lack the ‘artistic eye’ to choose and balance beautiful pieces to create a harmonious and enjoyable modern apartment. In that case, it’s better to ask the professional to do it. Maybe it was also the case for a Lebanon family in Beirut.
Claude Missir, the head designer of their beautiful penthouse overlooking the Mediterranean sea, was left with all the decisions about the design. “It was complicated, they gave me their complete trust, but I knew nothing about their private life, their habits and tastes”. But as it turns out, they made the best possible choice, as Missir created a wonderful art-filled modern apartment.
But the difficulty, which the designer is talking about is understandable. Most people perceive interiors as the environments in which they live, but for Claude, interiors are a way of life. While creating a project, Missir is always trying to treat every area of habitat equally. After all, people use the space equally on a daily basis. “The purpose is not to change the soul of the space that I’m working on – I merely attempt to preserve and enhance the outstanding spirit of timeless architecture and interiors” – says Claude.
The spacious, 9,100-square-foot modern apartment spreads over three floors. All of the floors have big windows overlooking the beautiful Pigeon Rock landmark, which is a famous spot in Beirut for watching the sunset. Missir decided to divide the project into the reception rooms on the middle level, the master suite above and the children’s rooms below.
It may sound amazing to every interior designer, to just design the space accordingly to his liking, but for Claude Missir it was a tough nut to crack. So he needed to ask the husband for some images of interiors he liked. As it turned out, the owner of the house was a fan of French-style interiors. After a few months, the designer finally met the wife, with who he wanted to share his color and fabric choices.
While creating the reception floor, Missir was aiming for balance, which would provide the space with a relaxing and calm atmosphere. He also decided to move the dining room to the front of the apartment, because as he says “Contrary to life elsewhere, dining rooms are still used a lot for family meals in Lebanon, and I wanted the clients to be able to take advantage of the views”.
The whole apartment is furnished with style and joy. Although there is a lot of pieces, that are very extravagant, thanks to space they don’t look overwhelming. Instead, they have a very strong visual impact and bring good energy to the house. That is certainly the case with the sitting room’s Yoko mirror, a blue-anodized aluminum design by Hervé Van der Straeten, and the blown-glass Lindsey Adelman chandelier that hangs jewel-like over the dining room table.
Claude is also not afraid of playing with bold colors and patterns. He decided to go with the grey-white palette of wall and floor panels, that are accompanied with bold blue and gold accents. Those colors make a very good match with the views of the sea. This composition makes this modern apartment a truly artistic and well-balanced space.
