When in Paris…Our Retail Crush

Have you ever walked into a space and felt immediately at peace, as if the surroundings encapsulate everything you’ve ever imagined of your dream home? We hope this affinity hits you when you visit Twenty Two Home—as it did for us when we discovered Démodé in Paris (we may have even let out an audible peal of pleasure, don’t judge).

Everything about the boutique spoke to our “live, beautifully” aesthetic: jewel-toned velvet pillows precariously stacked like pancakes in the store window; glassware of all shapes and sizes standing sentinel on bookshelves; voluminous handwoven baskets slumped along the baseboard; a slender farmhouse table, draped in natural linen, set with pomegranates and porcelain, each plate an homage to a flower.

This passion-infused assortment reflects the impeccable style of its curator: recently profiled by the New York Times, Marie-France Cohen traveled the world with her late husband, Bernard, and together they channeled their adventures into two trailblazing ventures: their first, Bonpoint (launched in 1975), redefined children’s clothes as capable of fine French craftsmanship and style; and their second, Merci (2009), redefined the lifestyle concept store as a philanthropic vehicle, with revenue benefiting children in Madagascar.

The year-old Démodé represents Marie-France’s resiliency following Bernard’s passing in 2010. Instead of launching new collections, she has conjured a complete ethos encompassing all aspects of a loved life. Transforming her Seventh Arrondissement home into a small design and décor showroom, she also launched a companion pop-up shop on the Rue de Grenelle and ecommerce site, the latter of which we visited on our recent trip to Paris. In all locations, Marie-France creates an ethos of hospitable luxury, where place settings are meant for lively meals and no surface goes ignored or unadorned. Her world is one where beautiful objects exist in graceful symbiosis with fascinating people.

We never wanted to leave…