Restoration of a Historic Paris Apartment

A historic building, part of the gorgeous Palais Royal in Paris’ 1st Arrondissement, that dates back to the times of Cardinal Richelieu in 1629, was recently renovated by New Yorker Amanda Sykes.  After convincing the French bank who has owned the building for years and years that she could rent the apartment and oversee the renovations, Sykes put her design skills to work.

Credit: Ed Alcock for the International Herald Tribune

Putting her knowledge of French decorative arts to use, she and a team who included some of  the bank’s officials, the architect Aldo Zoli, and the interior designers Michael Chambers and Edward Church, worked to preserve many of the building’s original features, while changing internal structural elements.

Credit: Ed Alcock for the International Herald Tribune

Sykes also imported gorgeous furniture from New York, which gives her new home a great dichotomy between modern design and classic French architecture.