The Home of Fashion Icon Coco Chanel
Have you ever wondered how did Coco Chanel's house look like? It is as mysterious and intriguing as the enigmatic woman who inhabited it.
The Coveteur was the first to publish images from inside the house where Gabrielle Coco Chanel, the famous designer who revolutionized the fashion industry, found her inspiration and innovative ideas, an apartment in Paris, the French capital.
According to the Daily Mail, the apartment situated on 31 Rue Cambon remained as it was when Coco Chanel lived, faithfully reflecting the fashion icons' passion for the Orient and her spiritual beliefs.
It's no wonder her house is so fascinating if we think about the personality and character of the mysterious "Mademoiselle".
The mystical allure of Coco Chanel’s home
Ornate lacquered Chinese screens, antique vessels, sculptures of deities, and all sorts of objects full of deeper meaning can be admired everywhere.
Coco Chanel was a deeply superstitious person, so you can also lucky symbols such as a frog holding a crystal in its open mouth (symbolizing love, health, money, luck) with its mouth open, pairs of Japanese deer, and wheat motifs (a sign of prosperity).
Coco Chanel also believed in the healing power of crystals, hence the chandeliers in every room. Her zodiac sign, the lion, can be admired on many of the shelves in the house in various forms.
The apartment houses many keepsakes that reflect Chanel's spirituality. Sculptures of Asian deities, including a Buddha statue, line the bookcases.
The intense Asian flavor of the house
We can also observe some of the valuable gifts received by Coco Chanel, such as gold boxes donated by the Duke of Westminster, an ancient Russian icon from Igor Stravinsky, a hand sculpture signed by Alberto Giacometti, but also a painting by Salvador Dali.
Interestingly, there is no bedroom in the fashion creator's house. Why? Because the apartment was used as a workshop, but also as a guest reception, while Coco Chanel used to sleep at the nearby Ritz hotel.
The doors in Coco Chanel's house are unusual. According to Odile Babin, a Chanel archivist who was fascinated by her life and personality, this is due to the fact that the designer hated doors. Coco Chanel believed that by obscuring them with Chinese screens, thus making them invisible, guests would forget to leave.
The ornate Chinese screens and wall panels feature coromandel birds and camelia flowers, which came to be a signature for the House of Chanel. The symbolic legacy continues to this day.
Most of the furniture in the house was custom-made according to the designer's wishes. Chanel herself designed the living room sofa.
The mirrors have an unusual, octagonal shape, and so was the shape of the stopper for the iconic Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle.
The spiral stairway of the house is covered with cream carpet, while the walls are lined with Art Deco panels of mirrors.
Although traditional, as a whole, the apartment is studded with Asian-inspired objects, many of which are associated with love, luck, prosperity, and spirituality.
No doubt about it, Coco Chanel is one of the most acclaimed fashion designers of the last century, a name that later became synonymous with luxury. She was the subject of books and movies countless times, and still remains a mystery to this day.
