His goal here was to update the interior by adding a twist to the traditional Parisian framework. “The style of my intervention is quite austere and not particularly French,” he notes. “It’s closer to 1930s Italy and the Villa Necchi.” To anchor the sitting room, he imagined a voluminous fireplace made from tiles and geometrically arranged blocks of marble. “I wanted something solid that would contrast with the finesse of the sculpted wood panelling,” he explains.