Interior designer Sarah Lavoine, a Paris resident for 21 years, wrote a book on living like a Parisienne (Chez Moi, available in English), and her lifestyle is enviable indeed. A lovely blonde with an infectious smile, she was born into good taste: Her father, Jean-Stanislas Poniatowski, was editor of French Vogue for 14 years and a descendant of the last king of Poland. Her mother, Sabine Marchal, is a decorator who taught her to mix styles and “be daring.” Lavoine, 44, is married to French singer Marc Lavoine; they have three children. She launched her design business in 2002. Now she’s debuted Maison Sarah Lavoine, a two-story flagship store on Place des Victoires. She owns two other boutiques in Paris but says she coveted “enough space to express a whole universe.” Like a home, it’s organized into rooms—a kitchen with a café, living room, bedroom, and library. More than half the products for sale are her creations, such as a velvet-trimmed bed ($3,500, also at the hotel Le Roch, which she decorated) and her new clothing line. The rest are things she loves: wallpaper by Le Monde Sauvage, photography by Lola James Harper, and Panamanian shaman masks. Like Lavoine herself, the space is chic yet accessible. Customers recognize her and say hello, the café server offers a crepe, a dog wanders in. When asked if this store resembles her home, she nods and glances at the bar: “I’d love to have a kitchen like this one, though.”
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This story was published before Summer 2021, when we launched our new digital experience.
Sarah Lavoine's World
Our favorite new decor resource in Paris is one designer’s take on everything you need to build a colorful, worldly, French-inspired home.
