Discover The Design Genius Behind The Madame Drouot Hotel In Paris

Fashion stylist turned interior designer and gallery owner Stéphanie Coutas has a new project up her sleeve. Carole Annett visits her latest creation – the stunning interiors of the new Madame Drouot Hotel in Paris – to discover how she has created an expert dialogue between curios and shifting textures.

Stéphanie Coutas On The Aesthetic Vision Behind The Madame Drouot Hotel

‘I want to create a place where people are happy to come back,’ says Stéphanie Coutas, interior designer of the Madame Drouot hotel in Paris, a project which has just reached completion after four years. Located a few steps from Drouot, a famous auction house dating from 1852, and a short walk from L’Opéra, the hotel sits in the 9th arrondissement, the effervescent heart of Paris. ‘The proximity to Drouot is a very inspiring starting point for me,’ explains Coutas, who has a love of collecting. ‘It is such a unique location.’

Coutas spent 15 years as a fashion stylist before embarking on a career in interiors. She also owns an art gallery. The influence of her fashion background and passion for texture are all evident as soon as you arrive at Madame Drouot hotel.

An elegant blend of wood, cream and chocolate with carefully chosen curiosities, the entrance hall sets the tone for the 33 rooms, spa and café. ‘I wanted to visit different eras with the decor,’ says Coutas. Entering from the narrow streets, the reception area has a welcoming, cosy ambience with architecture that plays with curves and height. A Coutas-designed brushed oak fireplace catches the attention, drawing guests in. Displayed on top, a selection of statues and sculptures with no obvious connection. A similarly eclectic choice, a marble bust of an 18th-century noblewoman bought at auction a while ago, gazes down with authority.

‘I like objects that don’t automatically look like they go together,’ explains the designer. The same could be said for the combination of textures – brushed oak, nubby bouclé, embroidered lampshades and stone. A salt-crystal art piece nicknamed ‘the Doughnut’ on the wall above the fire subtly catches light with its angular facets. ‘It brings good energy,’ says Coutas.

The African-inspired wallpaper behind the fireplace is by Arte. ‘I love this pattern. It has a Brutalist aspect and yet it’s completely soft. It’s all about contradiction,’ she says. ‘It has no connection with the heritage of the building but I wanted to choose something that brought a peaceful vibe that also plays with the balance of heights. This wallpaper design is perfect for this.’

Alongside the reception area is the busy all-day Café Monsieur. ‘We are in the heart of the narrow streets of Paris, and we are lucky enough to have a corner, so we put the café here to allow maximum light.’ Here Coutas continues the earthy palette, introducing terracotta and bringing touches of green on the ceramic tabletops, ‘I was inspired by the art of Japanese Raku,’ she says. A mix of banquettes and tables, it’s an iconic Parisian-style bistro.

Other Coutas touches include a leather-clad lift sweeping up to four varying room types offering impressively high ceilings, views of iconic Hausmann architecture and a range of colour harmonies ranging from calm cream and pale grey to vibrant orange and blue. ‘Working on hotels as opposed to houses is complex,’ says Coutas. ‘You have to mix the useful and the beautiful. The useful takes priority, of course, but I always try to design in ways that hide things like luggage storage and the practical side.’ Once that is finalised, the fun parts can begin. ‘I decide what I want the eye to catch. We allow ourselves to play with what you are actually seeing without noticing what has to be there.’ And it’s brilliantly executed at Madame Drouot hotel.

Find out more at madamedrouot.com