de Gournay’s Left Bank Sanctuary Reimagined for Art Basel Paris
The storied wallpaper house transforms its showroom apartment through the visionary lens of New York designer Augusta Hoffman, creating an interior that seamlessly marries artistic vision with handcrafted heritage.
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The de Gournay Left Bank showroom has been thoughtfully reconceived as an exhibition space of remarkable refinement, a private sanctuary that speaks to the enduring dialogue between fine art and interior excellence. Working in close collaboration with Augusta Hoffman, the celebrated New York designer whose work is distinguished by an extraordinary grasp of restrained elegance and considered composition, the apartment has been transformed into a carefully orchestrated interior that feels both deeply intentional and effortlessly timeless.
At the heart of this reimagining lies a considered curation of new paintings by artist Dominique Knowles, presented in conversation with an environment conceived as a lived interior rather than a conventional gallery space. This thoughtful approach to display allows the artworks to breathe within an intimate domestic setting, inviting visitors to experience them as one might discover treasures within a cultivated private collection. The conceptual partnership between Hoffman and her sister Hannah Hoffman, a gallerist whose discerning eye has shaped artistic conversations across Los Angeles and New York, has elevated the presentation into something altogether more resonant and layered.
Two hand painted Chinoiserie wallpapers from de Gournay’s incomparable collection form the chromatic and textural foundation of the scheme, their intricate artistry rendered in the house’s signature technique of meticulous hand painting. The Askew pattern, set upon a restful Olive Green ground, creates a richly layered backdrop that anchors the interior with a sense of permanence and belonging, as though these walls had been graced by such beauty for generations. This masterful choice of de Gournay’s decorative papers demonstrates the profound way in which bespoke wallpaper can elevate an entire room, infusing it with narrative depth and visual sophistication.
Hoffman’s carefully curated selection of furnishings, lighting and accessories has been assembled with an architect’s precision and a collector’s sensibility, each element chosen to enhance the layered narrative of the space. The result is an interior of considerable refinement, where every detail speaks to a philosophy of considered luxury and enduring style.
The reimagined apartment will be open to visitors throughout October at the showroom’s Left Bank location, accessible Monday through Friday from 9am until 5:30pm, and Saturday from midday until 6pm. This is an opportunity to experience de Gournay’s uncompromising approach to hand painted excellence within a contemporary context of artistic vision and curatorial sophistication.
Imagery courtesy of de Gournay (@degournay).
