As the co-founder of a chic Parisian art gallery, Olivia de Fayet was keen to create a home for herself, her partner and their daughter that would be an elegant backdrop to her beautiful artworks, as well as being a welcoming and relaxing space perfect for family life. With the help of interior designer Camille Lequatre, this is exactly what she has achieved.
After 10 intense years working in the modern art department at Christie’s auction house, Olivia stepped away to co-found Wilo & Grove. Championing a more accessible approach to collecting, the hybrid gallery and online platform offers a more affordable range of unique and limited-edition works.
Its Parisian outpost on Rue Montmartre in the Sentier district, all crisp white walls, clean lines and pared-back furnishings, is a subtle echo of Olivia’s own home, where art takes centre stage without dominating everyday life.
Tucked away above Place de Clichy in north-west Paris, the apartment occupies what was once a series of converted maids’ rooms beneath the eaves. While it benefited from generous light and, in certain areas, surprisingly lofty ceiling heights, the layout lacked cohesion.
‘It was so exciting to rethink the entire space and start from scratch,’ recalls Camille, who met Olivia while renovating another project in Paris. The brief was clear: a comfortable family home with an open, functional kitchen, space to entertain, a main bedroom suite, two children’s bedrooms and, crucially, plenty of wall space for art.
With only one load-bearing wall to remove, the renovation allowed the layout to be completely reimagined. Camille approached the project as an exercise in smart small-space design, where flow, storage and flexibility were key. At the entrance, custom stained-glass windows by glassmaker Caroline Prégermain lead into the apartment, their elegantly understated colour and geometric pattern setting the tone for the rooms beyond.
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In the main living space, a bespoke fireplace clad in teal and emerald tiles grounds the space. Furniture is carefully chosen rather than plentiful: a travertine coffee table, a 1950s American bench and a low-slung sofa create a comfortable seating area that easily adapts to family life. Art, of course, is woven throughout, with large-scale works on the walls, sculptures on sideboards and smaller pieces casually propped up rather than hung formally.
Despite the open-plan layout, the kitchen is defined by an innovative bespoke partition system designed by Camille. Wooden panels can be rotated to close the space off when needed or left open to display ceramics and everyday objects. Ikea cabinetry is paired with custom stainless steel cladding, while terracotta flooring and waxed concrete worktops add warmth and texture.
A built-in bench on the living room side of the unit provides extra seating and has storage within, with space for cookbooks at either end.
The bedrooms continue the same considered approach. In the main bedroom, a bespoke teak-veneered headboard incorporates lighting and storage, while wardrobe doors clad in natural fibre soften the look. In the bathroom, tactile finishes such as reclaimed terracotta tiles, a concrete shower and a custom teak-veneered cabinet balance the generous ceiling height, with vintage mirrors and ceramic wall lights adding character.
Despite its modest footprint, the flat feels generous and inviting. ‘We’re definitely homebodies,’ Olivia admits. ‘We love our apartment.’ Thanks to clever planning, they have even managed to include a cocoon-like snug, designed for watching films, reading and spending time together, offering what Olivia describes as a rare luxury in Paris: a space to slow down.
