The spirit of the 18th century blows through the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés…which now boasts its own intimate, refined address: Hôtel de Buci.
Entrusted to the interior design firm Love Editions, its renovation is in keeping with the great tradition of the Arts de Vivre cultivated in the Age of Enlightenment.
Bringing the delightful invention of the boudoir up to date, this showcase of 24 rooms and suites offers the incomparable experience of a journey through history…
The cozy world of period motifs and decorative tones, specially re-edited for this bonbonnière, with four-poster beds, bergères and engravings, and small salons inviting you to daydream, harmonizes elegantly with all the high-tech equipment of our time.
Ideally located in the heart of a typical, perpetually lively district, where literary cafés, prestigious publishing houses and art galleries rub shoulders with the great names in fashion and luxury, just a stone’s throw from the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre, Hôtel de Buci is the address where Paris of yesterday and today comes alive.
The Hôtel de Buci invites you on a journey…
The antechamber
As soon as you cross the threshold of the Hôtel de Buci, time seems to stand still, and the city offers a haven of peace and timeless elegance.
The nobility of the bleached oak floors, the delicacy of the drapes and the softness of the palette all contribute to the cosy atmosphere of the lobby.
A veritable “antechamber” with intimate lounges and a library, the lobby is also the setting for a refined tea bar.
Selected for the Hôtel de Buci by the famous century-old Betjeman & Barton House, the range of excellent teas presented invites you to travel…
Evocative of the history of successive maritime routes, China, India, Ceylon, full-bodied, light, smoked and fragrant teas are prepared according to the rules of the art in a superb samovar at every hour of the day and night.
The traveler immediately feels like a guest in a noble Parisian residence celebrating the quintessence of contemporary comfort and the Arts de vivre brought to their apogee during the reign of Louis XVI.
Boudoirs
An invitation to travel through the Age of Enlightenment, Hôtel de Buci offers the refinement and intimacy of that delightful 18th-century invention, the boudoir, in perfect harmony with the high-end comforts of our time:
Bedspreads with gilded moldings, delicate fabrics, stylish furnishings and period engravings harmonize with Bang & Olufsen telephones, IPhone speakers and audio players, LCD screens, high-speed wifi internet access, air conditioning and Queen Size beds.
Like a delicate jewel box, the rooms are decorated with original editions of fabrics by Brunshwig & Fils, a century-old house of international renown that was founded in Aubusson in 1900.
The shades and decorative themes popular at the time are surprisingly modern.
The Japanese-inspired motif is a tribute to the period’s taste for the exotic. Linked to the development of sea routes and the successive “India Companies”, this trend influenced the interiors of European elites and changed lifestyles.
The fascinating “Bleu Céleste”, a turquoise shade of porcelain from the prestigious Manufacture Royale de Sèvres, was a resounding success when it was perfected in 1752. It fascinated Catherine II of Russia, among others.
Contrary to popular belief, 17th-century Europeans liked their interiors to be vibrantly colored. Brunshwig & Fils created a special bath of this celestial blue for the Hôtel de Buci.
The nature motif, a theme dear to the philosophers of the Enlightenment, blends into warm, enveloping autumnal undergrowth colors. A tribute to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a regular visitor to the area.
The windows are clad in plush silk velvet. On the floor, deep carpeting in plum, taupe and chocolate tones harmonizes with wainscoting and delicate fabrics.
The furniture includes authentic Louis XVI bergères and banquettes with footboards, as well as one-off pieces such as the sumptuous marquetry desk in room 41, either from the owners’ private collection or second-hand.
The lighting is particularly elaborate, highlighting the remarkable original period engravings.
Switches with their old-fashioned “come and go”, door handles and individual bells in aged brass all contribute to making each room the private apartment of its residents.
Eternal Paris
Offering a true “cavalier” view of Paris in 1734, the landings on each floor are covered with a sumptuous fabric reproduction of Turgot’s famous Plan de Turgot.
Accentuating the elegant engraving effect of this unusual motif, a sepia background has been added to the original document. This original commission from Hôtel de Buci was carried out by La Maison familiale Charles Burger, which has specialized in the publication and reproduction of antique fabrics since 1860.
The fascinatingly precise Plan de Turgot has the value of a historical document: to produce it, the surveyors were authorized to enter every house, courtyard and garden in Paris at the time.
We’ll appreciate the finesse of its printing on fabric, carried out using the “frame” technique, i.e., one section at a time, as well as the perfection of the connections and installation, which follow every nook and cranny of the building. A mastery of work that equals the precision of eighteenth-century lifters!
If you look carefully, you’ll see the Rue de Buci… not far from the Rue Ste-Marguerite, Rue Taranne, leading to the Abbaye de St-Germain-des-Prés, Saint-Dominique… streets that were absorbed when the Boulevard Saint-Germain was built in 1866…
Hôtel de Buci 22, rue de Buci – 75006 Paris – Tél : + 33 (0)1 55 42 74 74
[email protected] – www.buci-hotel.com
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
