The couple says they fell in love with the building’s majestic entrance and beautiful courtyard, which was originally built as stables. The home is filled with natural sunlight, thanks to large windows and balconies facing both the street and the courtyard. Inside, the five-metre-high ceilings, the expansive rooms, and original bas-relief wood panels “really seduced us”, remembers Zerbib.

They asked Daniel Fintzi, of Hong Kong- and Shanghai-based Daniel Fintzi Design Intervention, to carry out a revamp of the home. Fintzi had designed many of the couple’s previous properties, including a Shanghai pied-à-terre when they lived in Beijing and what was originally a fisherman’s house in Brittany.

“What struck me the most was the volume [of the home], and other things that caught my eye were all details on the ceilings, walls and cabinets,” says the designer of the Paris home. The pictures simply “don’t do the space justice”, he adds, somewhat ironically given that he never stepped foot into the home during the project—he was forced to work on it remotely thanks to pandemic-related restrictions.

What Fintzi describes as “a three-way ping-pong” of discussions between him in Hong Kong, the owners in Shanghai and the contractors in Paris then took place virtually through the 20-month redesign process. Zerbib and Wang wanted to create an eclectic atmosphere in their new home—one that would also represent their mix of cultures and experiences. “It has to be a place to live, but also a constant joy for the eyes, and to reflect who we are,” adds Zerbib. But it also had to be “in deep accordance with the spirit of the place”, says Wang.

New, contemporary designer furniture the couple brought with them from mainland China and a collection of 18th- and 19th-century pieces that belonged to Zerbib’s mother now populate the home. The entrance hall features a Tatlin sofa: positioned as the centrepiece of the space, the velvet piece is in a deep shade of red—described by Fintzi as something that adds “an extra Paris flavour”. It is complemented by an asymmetrical crystal chandelier, which features taxidermy Parisian birds, by Sebastian Errazuriz Studio. The pieces offer “a snapshot of what this home is all about, and maybe also what Paris is about—a mix of classic and modern-eclectic,” says Fintzi. 

To the left of the entrance hall is a dining room, where the original walls, painted almond green, are retained. Almond green just so happens to be one of Zerbib’s favourite colours, and the shade makes the space “as appetising as a macaron”, she says. Two Murano glass chandeliers in purple, which match the shade of the curtains, hang from the ceiling. The soft pastel colours and intricate carvings on the walls create a Marie Antoinette-inspired look and feel, says Fintzi—the aesthetics are closely associated with the last queen of France. The room is next to the kitchen, which is painted a darker shade of green and features brass highlights.

On the other side of the foyer are two living spaces. Inspired by the height of the rooms, and to “pull one’s gaze up and appreciate the volume”, vertical pieces are positioned here.

One of the spaces features Davide Groppi outdoor floor lamps, which are designed to look like bamboo canes swaying in the wind; a 3.5-metre fig tree; and freestanding vertical bookshelves by Ptolomeo, which create the illusion of stacked books. The other living space, which also functions as a study, features a floor-to-ceiling library wall given a fresh lick of blue paint.

The master bedroom has a new soft wall that conceals a wardrobe within. It is clad in soft pink velvet, which adds a sense of intimacy, while also working to reduce echo in the room, says Fintzi. It also has his-and-hers en suite bathrooms; the owners requested a second one be added. Zerbib’s has pink curtains and cabinets, while Wang’s features dark wood.

Tremendous efforts were made to preserve the historic details of the home—so much so that “you hardly notice that the apartment has been deeply renovated”, says Zerbib. The flooring, walls, decorations on the ceilings, wood panelling and cabinet doors were restored by specialist craftsmen, with the owners and designer providing directions on colour tones and finishes. To protect the structure of the home, there are few lights on the ceilings; a variety of freestanding light sources are positioned throughout the space. Because the apartment’s original design is a reflection of the times it was built in, the desire to retain original features also presented challenges in installing modern conveniences, like air conditioning “that works seamlessly and invisibly”—the units are hidden from sight—and WiFi throughout the home.

It has paid off, however. Fintzi found it particularly memorable to be able to “bring the owners’ characters into the spaces, while maintaining the home’s original elements”. And despite the difficulties associated with all three being overseas during the project, for the owners, it only made the reveal all the more special. “You take a plane from China, land in Paris, go to your flat—and it is a big surprise,” says Zerbib. “Doing it all by video was a special experience—[the reveal] made it even more special.”

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