The Second Residence

Two years ago, Merci found the perfect setting to bring to life its vision of everyday lifestyle. It was captured in the Pied-à-terre, a typical Parisian flat entirely refurbished to reflect the store’s style, spirit and values.

This year, Merci is revisiting the experience with the Second Residence, set to debut in October, which will once again bear witness to the brand’s expertise.
Since its inception in 2009, Merci has been a champion of a distinctive lifestyle advocating eclecticism and a melange of influences — pairing antiques with contemporary designs, mixing two antagonistic aesthetics, combining a mass-produced object with artisanal pieces...

These are just some of the possibilities manifesting this singular vision.

The living room, a pivotal space at the centre of the flat’s symmetric layout

The Second Residence is no exception to that rule.

Just a stone’s throw from the Île Saint-Louis and the Institut du Monde Arabe, on the second floor of a late 18th-century Neoclassical townhouse, Merci took possession of a 120-sqm flat overlooking the Seine and the crowns of plane trees belows.


An abode filled with history that Merci has upgraded to suit contemporary tastes. In charge of interior design was Jules Mesny-Deschamps, the project’s architect, who chose to apply to the space a modern approach informed by current living trends. In an effort to unite existing heritage and living heritage, Jules Mesny-Deschamps resolved to match the distinctive charm of this home with a contemporary vision of its occupation. Among his creative choices came the decision to entirely redefine the layout of the space to accommodate contemporary living.


Epitomising the project’s warm and casual soul, the front door opens directly onto the kitchen: a new way of living and entertaining no longer governed by etiquette, in a deliberate break from the traditional kitchen entrance for the help.

The kitchen, the front door opens directly onto the kitchen
The bathroom, featuring second-hand bricks and furnishings
The Shaker room, a tribute to the rigorous style of the New England community

an effort to unite existing heritage and living heritage.

After a meticulous review of everything that could be preserved, restored and enhanced, Merci removed all of the decayed fittings and mismatched remnants of previous renovations.


The Second Residence exemplifies this connection between existing heritage and living heritage, deliberately materialised by the contrast between old and new. The result is an eclectic space incorporating different times, cultures and aesthetics, a place where styles coexist, and speak to its history. For Merci, this was also achieved by bringing in artists, designers and artisans, and asking them to add their own personal touch to the Second Residence.

Kitchen floor

Marion Graux

The Paris-based ceramicist Marion Graux reinvented the kitchen floor with tiles forming a pattern inspired by the flat’s geometry, laid alongside the 18th-century hardwood flooring.
Gustavian-style mouldings

Sophie Glasser

Sophie Glasser reinterpreted Gustavian-style mouldings on linen wall coverings, above which she painted symbols evoking elements of the Second Residence’s surroundings, like water and plants.
Trompe l’oeil

Margaux Derhy

The Shaker inspiration, relying essentially on the use of plain wood trim, was revisited in the yellow office, where a high peg rail is supplied to hang furniture, accessories, frames or trompe l’oeil paintings by the artist Margaux Derhy.
The 1570 tiles

Sophie Loncq

In the bathroom, the painter Sophie Loncq enhanced the tiles on the walls with blue polka dots which appear identical until you step closer.
Stoneware lights

Zuzana Hlivarova

Raw and imperfect lights by artist Zuzana Hlivarova contrast sharply with more sophisticated pieces, lending an artisanal feel to the space.
The Phoenix fireplace

Flavien Delbergue

Where once gaped a fireplace walled up during a previous renovation, the designer Flavien Delbergue placed a contemporary, minimal fireplace of his design.
minimal and ethereal pendants

Mark Eden Schooley

Hanging delicately from the ceiling of the bedroom and living room, minimal and ethereal pendants were created exclusively for Merci by American designer Mark Eden Schooley.

As for the furniture, The Second Residence follows the principles of upcycling and showcases a curated selection of near-unique pieces, the kind that instantly elevate an interior.

Accordingly, the apartment features many vintage objects and recycled pieces, including shelves, a table and a desk made entirely from recycled plastic, designed in collaboration with Le Pavé Minimum.

The Second Residence is also home to a mix of works selected by Merci and loaned by Galerie Kamel Mennour, Olivier Castaing’s School Gallery and Wilo&Grove, proof living environments should not be rigid, but rather evolve with the passage of time.

The Second Residence

Partners

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC - ELECTRICAL FITTINGS

BRIQUETERIE DEWULF - BRICKWORK

SAMMODE - LIGHTS AND GUARICHE REISSUES

LE PAVÉ, SAS MINIMUM - RECYCLED PLASTIC

LA SCHOOL GALLERY - WALL ART

WILO & GROVE - WALL ART AND SCULPTURES

KAMEL MENNOUR - ART BY TADASHI KAWAMATA

JEROME GALLAND - CYANOTYPES

Merci

The Second Residence

Entirely dedicated to expressing the Merci taste, the Second Residence was designed to be a place of sharing where visitors may seek the wisdom of interior designers and lifestyle professionals
make an appointment
photo credit: Jérôme Galland