In the library that designer and prominent postwar-Paris society figure Georges Geffroy created in 1948 for Baron Alexis de Redé in the Hôtel Lambert, the legendary destination built circa 1640 in the heart of Paris (see Architectural Digest, January 2000), dozens of well-polished leather-bound books occupy the shelves in a meticulously arranged order. Whether or not they were selected for purposes of reading is a matter that some might suggest is debatable. What’s certain about the books, however, is that in the hands of Geffroy, a designer who was known for never accepting more than one job at a time, each volume becomes a prop in an extravagantly detailed stage set. The scene may not be entirely authentic (the faux-lapis lazuli columns are made of stucco, for example), and why should it have to be? It bursts with dramatic effect, which is just what its designer intended. The library’s furnishings further the air of drama and include a Directoire tub chair and a pair of early-Louis XIV silver-leafed, velvet-covered armchairs. Geffroy began his professional life as a fashion designer, a fact that helps to explain his thrilling uses of color in the room.
Photo: Marina Faust