The apartment of Alexandra Fain Sur and her husband, Pierre-Olivier, has been in the family for quite some time. His parents acquired the 2,000 sqft space on the Left Bank of Paris in the 1950s. Initially, it wasn’t just a home; it also housed the law offices of his father, who insisted on being on a low-level floor. He said that when you’re a lawyer, you can miss out on clients if you’re any higher,” explains Pierre-Olivier. From what I hear, it was always a very lively place with lots of activity.”

Growing up, Alexandra was surrounded by art. My parents, especially my father, had a real eye for contemporary painting, which was not so much in fashion back then as it is today,” she recalls. Hanging on the walls were works by the likes of Donald Judd and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Alexandra appears to have inherited her parents’ passion for the arts – her latest venture promotes the work of emerging Asian artists. In Asia, there’s an energy – a vitality – that’s extremely exciting,” she says. I was slightly frustrated not to see enough of it in Europe.”

As for the apartment, it was in need of something else – a makeover. It had previously been rented out, but maintained its original 19th-century style and layout. Its renovation, however, posed something of a conundrum. My husband idealised his childhood there,” says Alexandra. So, the question was: how to change everything and make a home for our new family in a space that had a past history without getting rid of everything?”

The couple called upon Italian-born architect Federico Masotto to help with the transformation. The first decision was to invert the locations of the bathroom and kitchen. The latter had been gloomy, with the only natural light source coming from an internal courtyard. Back when the apartment was built, only the staff used the kitchens, whereas nowadays, they’re places for the whole family to hang out,” he recounts. The ideal solution was to transfer it to the most luminous part of the flat.” Another major decision was to demolish the wall between the study and dining room, replacing it with a partition using one of Italian designer Franco Albini’s iconic Infinito bookcases. We love books and thought it would be great to host parties surrounded by them. It’s so very convivial,”enthuses Alexandra.

To read more, pick up a copy of our November issue! 

The post New Beginning appeared first on Home Journal.