For Karl Lagerfeld at the Hôtel de Crillon
The eagerly anticipated renovation of the Hôtel de Crillon – completed in 2017 – forged the talented Lebanese-Parisian architect Aline Asmar d’Amman’s reputation in France. In this remarkable project, Féau Boiseries provided the paneling for the Grand Apartments. By drawing on its enormous collection, the firm offered a precious source of inspiration for the project’s artistic development.
Retracing history through the wall paneling collection
Aline Asmar d’Amman, who was the project’s overall artistic director and was responsible for the redecoration of the luxury hotel’s historic suites and salons, invited the great designer Karl Lagerfeld to collaborate on the refurbishment of the Presidential Suite. Lagerfeld – an extremely knowledgeable aesthete – wanted to reveal the memory of this place so steeped in history, linked as it is to Louis XV’s reign: the Parisian palace overlooks the Place de la Concorde, designed at the King’s behest by the architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel.
Karl was very precise in his work. He had Chanel’s teams make up a maquette of the suite, at 1:10 scale – double the traditional height – with all the carved decoration. He also had in situ the antique panels from Crécy-Couvé brought to the site, along with the doors featuring the Radiant Apollo motif, to assess their effect in the suite’s spaces and lighting conditions, before we started to reproduce the model.
Subtly revisited decors
The style of decor typical of the mid-18th century taste for rocaille, which Lagerfeld so loved, was subtly adapted on his request. On the basis of an original boiserie scheme in the workshop, the Féau firm produced a pared-back model , by simplifying some of the bouquets of flowers in the carved ornamentation of the original pieces.
Inspiring antique panels
RÉGENCE
Boiseries from Crécy-Couvé
From among the boiserie schemes that Guillaume Féau and Aline Asmar d’Amman preselected and proposed to him, Karl Lagerfeld opted for these solid wood panels from Madame de Pompadour’s château at Crécy-Couvé, where the King and his favorite conducted their love affair.
NEOCLASSICAL STYLE
Radiant Apollo
This exceptional carved oak double door is attributed to the architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, or perhaps to his contemporary Victor Louis. It was originally designed in the late 18th century, probably as part of the scheme for the Grand Théâtre (royal opera house) in Bordeaux. It is one of the most important pieces in the Féau collection.
| Architect / designer Aline Asmar d’Amman https://www.instagram.com/alineasmardamman/ | Style Régence, Rococo, Neoclassical | Location Hôtel de Crillon, Paris, France | Pieces from the collection Panels from Madame de Pompadour’s château at Crécy-Couvé. Radiant Apollo by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux |
| Type of project Commercial | Rooms decorated 5 | Savoir-faire design, joinery/paneling, sculpture/ornamentation, plaster/resin, finishes, logictics, installation | Elements of the decor Boiseries, fireplaces, ceilings and cornices, doors, bookcases |
From the initial sketch to the decor’s installation, Féau’s teams work closely alongside interior designers, attentive to their vision.
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