2019-06-01 Homes and Gardens

On6 November1997,I wasinvitedtostayat

SueTownsend’shouse.I hadsomeideafromher

personalityandfriendsthatit wouldbeexciting,

butI wasoverwhelmed.Itwasthefirsttime

I hadseensucha collectionoffineartarranged

soeffectively,theunforcedcomplexityseemingly

effortless.Everypieceoffurniture,objectand

paintingwassignificant,yetthiswasnota

celebrationofimportancebutofbeauty.Thescale,

layeringandtexturesgaveit charm,romance,a

senseofhistoryandplace.Thishomebecamemy

pointofreference.RobertKime,GeoffreyStead,

ChristopherGibbsandEdwardHurstallhadtheir

part to play in this idyll, but Sue made it a home.

MAX ROLLITT

Anantiquesdealerwithaninfallibleeye

forproportionwhotakesoninteriordesign

commissions using bespoke pieces.

WhenI movedtoParisaged 18 tostudyfashion

designandfineart,theCafédeFlorewaswhere

I metfriends.Ithaditsmomentatthecentreof

FrenchintellectuallifewhenSimonedeBeauvoir

tookherbreakfastthere.Shesatwritingallday,

willingtotalktoanyone.Inthosedaysit wasnot

chic;youcouldsitthereforhourswitha singlecup

ofcoffee.Forme,thisroomcarriesthememoryof

friendshipandgoodconversation.TheclassicArt

Decointerioris littlechangedsincetheForties:

redleatherseating,mirrorsonallthewallsand

mahoganyfurniture.Thewaiterswearthesame

blackwaistcoatsandlongwhiteaprons.Itis stillmy

favourite place in Paris to be with people I love.→

N IC OL E FA R H I

KnownfirstforherFrenchConnection(and

NicoleFarhi)stores,Nicoleisnowa sculptor

represented by the Beaux Arts gallery.

PhotogrAPhs

(Olga

pOlizzi)

Will

pryce;

(christOpher

hOWe)

christOpher hOWe;

(max rOllitt) tim BeddOW; (nicOle farhi) JOhner images/alamy

100

yeaRs