Room on the Quai

The Quai de Pierre Scize in the historic Saint-Paul quartier of Lyon is an urban promenade along the River Saône, which slices through the historic core of the French city. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vieux Lyon abounds with old structures, many of which boast stunning views of the river and the La Crois-Roux hill on the opposite side. One apartment, located just off the Quai, was reimagined by French interior design firm Maison Hand to make the most of its handsome views.

A Barcelona Chair in the light-filled Quai de Pierre Scize apartment. Photograph by Felix Forest.

The airy home was the result of some creative spatial manipulation. The designers explained: "Our clients bought two apartments: one on the fifth floor and the attic above it, but there was no connection between them."

Seizing an apportunity, Maison Hand deftly combined the separate units by reducing the floor area in the attic to create a mezzanine that looked down into the apartment below. Conseqeuntly, the living and dining room on the lower floors benefit from double height ceilings and an abundance of daylight. "Our clients bought this house because of the view," the designers noted, "so our project had to emphasize this feeling of watching the outside from everywhere."

The interior palette is minimal, with white and wood surfaces reflecting as much light as possible. "We worked with transparencies and light colors," explained the designers. "The only wall which is not just white or grey has a beautiful wallpaper created by Pierre Frey, a famous French textile designer."

A Pair of Bertoia Side Chairs in the dining room. Photographs by Felix Forest.

As for the furniture, a mixture of vintage and new designs fill the open living spaces. A pair of heirloom Bertoia Side Chairs, previously owned by one of the clients' parents, sit against the patterned wall in the dining room. "These pieces are really vintage," noted Maison Hand. "It was important for [the client] to bring back something from this period of his life, so his parents offered him these chairs when he bought his first apartment."

Keeping the Knoll connection in mind, the living room includes a pair of Barcelona Chairs, designed by the famed German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Acquired in Lyon, the chairs are the latest in a series of cherished modern designs.

"We were very happy to mix these masterpieces with the rest of the furniture we chose altogether," the designers said. "The advantage of these pieces is that they perfectly match with any style of interior. They make the link between the past, the present and the future."

“These masterpieces... make the link between the past, the present and the future.”

—Maison Hand