When interior magician Bambi Sloan was given carte blanche to turn a neo-classic château in Paris, originally constructed in 1892, into a dreamy playground of colours and textures, the result, in the words of photographer Jimmy Cohrssen, ’can only be described as magical.’ We agree. Cohrssen has spent more than three years bringing the magic alive in an 80-page hardcover photo book that tells the story of about a dozen of the rooms in the hotel.
The Bertrand Family, who also runs the Relais Christine hotel in Saint Germain, acquired the then Saint James Club (now Saint James Paris) in 1991 and turned it into a small boutique hotel. Sloan was brought in to redecorate in 2008 and spent three years hand-picking every item for the 42 suites and rooms (all different in size, layout and interior) and the restaurant and public spaces. Cohrssen was captivated by the uniqueness and level of detail when he first visited the hotel for a photo assignment in 2012 and quickly came up with the idea for the book.
Sloan’s clever use of carpeting resembling herringbone parquet flooring or leopard skin, petite ballerina shoes on the front legs of a set of antique chairs and custom-made hot air balloon wallpaper for one of the hotel’s main staircases are just some of the details that make the space extraordinary according to Cohrssen.
Skilfully choreographed models (both naked and in kimonos) further enhance the allure of the interiors. The house cat, Pilou, also makes a few guest appearances. The strict symmetrical framing of the photos gives a certain order to the rather flamboyant and highly decorative interiors. Hard-to-capture details are brought into view using a technique that blends several layers of the same scene in one image to capture both bright and dark areas.
’Saint James Paris’ will be available for purchase at the hotel, Colette Paris and via Cohrssen’s website later this month. Pictures from the book will also be showcased at the Gyre Gallery in Tokyo from 2-10 May.
The photographs revolve around the hotel's eclectic interior, designed by Bambi Sloan
When Cohrsson first visited, he was captivated by the Sloan's extraordinary designs, particularly her clever use of carpeting. The book uses models - both nude and clothed - to enhance the allure of the interiors
Of particular note is Sloan's hot air balloon wallpaper, custom-made for one of the hotel's main staircases
The strict symmetrical framing of the photos gives a certain order to the rather flamboyant and highly decorative interiors
Pictures from the book will be on show at the Gyre Gallery in Tokyo in May
ADDRESS
Saint James Paris
43 Avenue Bugeaud
75116 Paris
-
Pharrell Williams’ latest Louis Vuitton show celebrates a ‘friendship for life’ with streetwear legend NigoLouis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams looked towards his long friendship with BAPE founder Nigo to create a collaborative A/W 2025 menswear collection shown in Paris this evening (21 January 2025)
-
Think small, think electric, as Hyundai attempts to revolutionise the classic Indian three-wheelerHyundai’s Micro Mobility strategy, in collaboration with Indian manufacturer TVS, has revealed two conceptual takes on small electric urban transport in a bid to cut the country’s crushing pollution issue
-
‘Just beneath the surface there’s another world’: How David Lynch used hair and make-up to create his singular universeFrom Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive to Twin Peaks, David Lynch used hair and make-up in his films as a narrative device, writes Laura Havlin
-
Carsten Höller’s new Book of Games: 336 playful pastimes for the bold and the boredArtist Carsten Höller invites readers to step out of their comfort zone with a series of subversive games
-
Distracting decadence: how Silvio Berlusconi’s legacy shaped Italian TVStefano De Luigi's monograph Televisiva examines how Berlusconi’s empire reshaped Italian TV, and subsequently infiltrated the premiership
-
How a sprawling new book honours the legacy of cult photographer Larry Fink‘Larry Fink: Hands On / A Passionate Life of Looking’ pays homage to an American master. ‘He had this ability to connect,’ says publisher Daniel Power
-
New Jay-Z coffee-table book dives into the Brooklyn rapper's archives'Book of HOV: A Tribute to Jay-Z' is a hefty tome for a hefty talent
-
Architecture, sculpture and materials: female Lithuanian artists are celebrated in NîmesThe Carré d'Art in Nîmes, France, spotlights the work of Aleksandra Kasuba and Marija Olšauskaitė, as part of a nationwide celebration of Lithuanian culture
-
Discover Eve Arnold’s intimate unseen images of Marilyn Monroe‘Marilyn Monroe by Eve Arnold’, published by ACC Art Books, is a personal portrayal of an icon
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this weekInvesting in quality knitwear, scouting a very special pair of earrings and dining with strangers are just some of the things keeping the Wallpaper* team occupied this week
-
10 books culture editor Hannah Silver recommends this winterLacking inspiration over what to read next? Wallpaper* culture editor, Hannah Silver, shares her favourite books
