Nestled at the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in the Left Bank, the Hotel Verneuil has metamorphosed into a highly prized Parisian paradise. Hotel owner Nicolas Nonon embarked on a visionary project to design and bring to life a more personal and ambitious new concept, a truly atmospheric yet state-of-the-art Parisian location appealing to a French and international clientele in search of their own “pied à terre“, enmeshed in the cultural fabric of the neighborhood and the city.
The hotel was entirely redesigned and renovated to create a vibrant home within the city. In the City of Light, the redesigned Hotel Verneuil embodies the Parisian Zeitgeist. It personifies the characteristic lively, active, cultural and joyous Parisian life. The Hotel Verneuil is located opposite Serge Gainsbourg’s iconic house and was formerly the residence of acclaimed author James Baldwin, whose novel “If Beale Street Could Talk” was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 2019. The hotel has welcomed numerous artists and authors, and draws inspiration from these symbols of freedom, creativity, music and a chic bohemian lifestyle.
The 26-room “Maison” Verneuil provides a unique space that artfully combines historic and contemporary Parisian features, from exceptional views across the rooftops of Paris to tasteful room décor, from a spacious lounge to the stunning vaulted stone cellar. The new Verneuil plays with the history and original architecture of this historic Parisian mansion; the new layout is simultaneously respectful of the building’s heritage and wholeheartedly contemporary. It combines design with contemporary art to achieve a truly Parisian “art de vivre“.
As with all extraordinary stories, the Hotel Verneuil is the result of a human encounter: for the metamorphosis, Nicolas Nonon, the hotel owner, worked closely with Isabelle Stanislas, an internationally renowned French architect and designer with a truly unique style. For the Hôtel Verneuil, Nicolas Nonon’s vision was to rethink the layout of the rooms and the lounge in order to open up this 17th century home. The aim was to create an environment that would be both warm and practical yet simultaneously more spacious and bright; to reinvigorate the building’s core energy.
The hotel targets French and international guests who stay 2 to 3 days to experience Paris. Nicolas entrusted the project to Isabelle Stanislas. Isabelle Stanislas loves Paris, and loves a challenge. For this intrepid traveller, Paris remains her point of reference.
Isabelle often walks for hours through Paris, and while meandering she drinks in the city’s unique light and extraordinary architecture. Her objective is to preserve and protect this exceptional heritage while simultaneously enriching it with her vision. Isabelle links the past with the present and future using a language that she invents as she develops her projects.
“I approached Le Verneuil as though it embodied a house, a neighborhood, a discovery, a site that opens itself to Paris,” says Isabelle Stanislas.
For Isabelle, architecture and design are one and the same. She has been inspired by Renzo Piano in her intellectual approach, Tadeo Ando in her architecture of light, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in her vision of volumes. “These three geniuses helped me to create my own artistic alphabet. I invented a new vocabulary that enabled me to preserve a grammar of happiness and beauty,” explains Isabelle Stanislas.
In redesigning the Hotel Verneuil’s rooms and lounge, Isabelle Stanislas worked both as an architect and a creative re-inventor of proportions. The lounge lies at the heart of the home, with its fireplace, large wrap-around couch, and bookcases that line the light-colored walls. It was designed as an inviting space for guests to read, write, work, have a drink, meet with friends, and so on. The bookcases house vintage objects as well as books on architecture, Paris, contemporary art and artists who exhibit work in nearby and familiar galleries.
“In my inspiration for the Verneuil, I pursued a quest to find exactly the right proportions, just like when I design a piece of furniture,” continues Isabelle Stanislas.
Rooms were designed to enable guests to settle in and feel at home in under 30 seconds: to hang up everyday items of clothing, to place books and devices on the desk, to steal a quick glance in the mirror before heading off to explore Paris or pursue an array of cultural and professional rendez-vous.
The layout artfully interweaves a minimalist approach with warmth by using objects long considered obsolete, such as a clothes valet with integrated mirrors, a desk- table, soft natural lighting and vintage objects.
Although each room is different, they all reflect the same inspiration. Each preserves the building’s architectural history, including exposed beams, stone vaulted ceilings, and double-casing windows that open onto the peaceful Rue de Verneuil. From luxury rooms to adjoining rooms that can form a family suite to mini rooms (small is beautiful), all have been designed to accommodate everyone from loving couples to nomadic singletons out to explore the city.