With eclecticism at their core, and a united belief that shopping should be fun, Gabriel & Guillaume have ‘popped up’ in Paris. For the next month, the duo have taken over the upstairs rooms of Christofle’s headquarters to curate three mises-en-scène where 18th century mirrors sit next to 1970s bamboo lighting and rare art nouveau finds.
Nancy Gabriel hails from Beirut and first met Guillaume Excoffier in 2011 when he was running a design store in the Marais. Although neither are trained designers (she worked in advertising, he has a business background) they did up an apartment together and share a keen eye for things that ‘whatever period they’re from have a modern source’, explains Excoffier. As an example, he points to an Italian daybed – it’s from 1820, but could have been made yesterday.
More than 180 pieces fill the space and move seamlessly from big ticket, signed works such as a pair of brass coffee tables from 1970s Italian legend Gabriella Crespi to ceramics by the late Hungarian artist Livia Gorka and unsigned lamps and accessories.
The pair held their first pop up in Beirut in 2013 and for this show have incorporated contemporary design into the mix. Six works from Jean-Louis Deniot, Stéphane Parmentier, Fabrice Ausset and Marguerite Rivet appear next to vintage greats from Galerie Mitterrand, with whom they have collaborated (think Niki de Saint Phalle, Claude Lalanne, Ettore Sottsass and Robsjohn-Gibbings).
Next spring, they’re holding another pop up in Beirut, but neither wants a permanent space. ‘We don’t want to be like a gallery, with five pieces by one designer,’ says Excoffier. 'We travel all the time and we’re totally eclectic.’
On display for the next month, vintage day beds appear alongside contemporary lamps and tables to create a truly eclectic feel
The duo have traversed continents and centuries to curate a pop-up with fun and humour at its heart
Among the 180 pieces filling the space are a pair of signed 1970s brass coffee tables from Gabriella Crespi and ceramics by the late Hungarian artist Livia Gorka
INFORMATION
’Gabriel & Guillaume’ is on view until 21 November
ADDRESS
Salons Christofle
9, rue Royale
75008 Paris
-
The artistry of Japanese wineFine wine from Japan may not yet register highly on the radars of most oenophiles, but for those who know, it's a hugely rewarding and rich tapestry of flavour. Drinks expert, Neil Ridley visits London's Luna Omakase for the launch of a new dedicated Japanese wine pairing menu
-
In Los Angeles, Darling doesn’t want to be your average dinner spotVinyl, live-fire cooking, and California’s finest ingredients come together in this immersive new concept from a celebrated Southern chef
-
'There is no way light and darkness are not in exchange with each other': step inside Christelle Oyiri’s sonic world in BerlinIn an explosion of light and sound, Christelle Oyiri explores celebrity, mythology and religion inside CANK, a former brutalist shopping centre in Berlin’s Neukölln
-
‘Reimagining the medical facility as a sanctuary of restoration’: welcome to Zoī Vendôme, ParisYoung Mexico-based architecture practice Sala Hars injects a healthy dose of drama into Zoī Vendôme, a minimalist health centre in Paris
-
Most people know Vipp for its pedal bin. The brand has just opened a guest house in FranceA 14th-century home is outfitted in Vipp’s signature Scandi style – and you can stay there
-
Vestre’s neo-brutalist furniture will bring ‘a little madness’ to Paris Fashion WeekBound for Paris Men’s Fashion Week this month, Norwegian furniture brand Vestre reveals a sculptural bench and mirror created with designer Vincent Laine and fashion creative Willy Cartier – the latest outcome of its risk-taking ‘a little madness’ initiative
-
Maison et Objet: Wallpaper's 15 highlights from France's leading homes and interiors fairThe design year has officially begun with the launch of Maison et Objet. Our on-the-ground correspondent reports on its standout moments
-
Ozone and Dominique Perrault Architecture create a series of monumental aluminium lampsOzone worked with Dominique Perrault and his partner Gaëlle Lauriot-Prévost to present the ‘Furtiv’ collection, featuring a series of aluminium lamps inspired by the architect's Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand in the 1990s
-
Is this the most beautiful office in the world?Parisian creative agency Art Recherche Industrie’s new HQ translates a 19th-century landmark into a chic open-plan office worth leaving home for
-
Mono Editions launches furniture in cork and paper pulpLaunched with a pop-up in Paris (23-27 March 2022), Mono Edition presents modular designs by architects, crafted from sustainable single materials
-
Odile Mir’s granddaughter is reissuing her 1970s French furnitureParisian designer Léonie Alma Mason launches LOMM Editions – a new brand presenting 1970s furniture designs created by her grandmother, nonagenarian artist Odile Mir
