Tory Burch's Paris Apartment: Old and New Objects, Each With a Story
VOGUE JAPAN
In this Vogue "Objects of Affection" episode, designer Tory Burch shows the Paris apartment they share with their husband, Pierre-Yves. Burch walks room by room through the paintings, furniture, ceramics, jewelry, and garden that matter most to them. One idea runs through the tour, and Burch borrows it from Hubert de Givenchy: a home in Paris should feel collected rather than decorated. Across the rooms, Burch keeps coming back to the same things they prize: mixing antique and contemporary work, objects tied to people they love, pieces where each example is different, and the question of how things last across generations.
An Apartment Chosen at First Sight
Burch says they have loved Paris since early childhood, when they visited with their parents. They are there now because they married a Frenchman. The apartment was the only one the couple ever looked at. Burch describes the decision as instantaneous: they and Pierre-Yves walked in, looked at each other, agreed it was beautiful, and saw what it could become.
The Man With the Pickaxe and Spade
The first object a visitor meets is a 17th-century painting of a gentleman holding a pickaxe and spade. It once belonged to Robert Kime, whom Burch calls someone they "really loved." The artist is unknown. What interests Burch is the contradiction inside the image: the man looks aristocratic but is also a laborer. Burch's reading is that he probably had a mysterious upbringing, perhaps without knowing who his father was, and was put to work. The sun rising behind him suggests a better future. Burch thinks it is an unexpected thing to see at the entrance, welcoming but a little eccentric, and says that is what makes it interesting.
Givenchy's Chairs and the "Collected, Not Decorated" Principle
For Burch, Hubert de Givenchy is the figure who most represents iconic chic style. They call him the chicest man who ever lived, "maybe aside from my father." When a pair of chairs from Givenchy's auction came up, Burch saw them as an ideal starting point for the Paris home, and was drawn to both their embroidery and their history. Burch quotes Givenchy's line that Paris should feel collected, not decorated, and says it sums up how they feel about interior design.
The Kitchen's Cow Creamers
The couple spends much of their time in the kitchen. There Burch shows a collection of cow creamers, which they put on every table they have. Burch explains that the form originated in the Netherlands and was later adopted by potters in Staffordshire, England. Each potter made their own version, and that individuality is what Burch loves. The creamers were decorative and practical at once, used to serve cream with tea and at breakfast.
Burch also points to the architectural work of Studio Peregalli throughout the apartment. They describe working with the studio as "another dream" and invite the camera in to look at the result.
Claude Lalanne's Apple
One of the most personal pieces is an apple by Claude Lalanne. Burch and their husband spent a day with Lalanne at her home outside Paris. At the time, Pierre-Yves was considering a move to New York, and Burch wanted to give him something special. An apple, symbol of New York, fit the occasion. Lalanne cast both of their lips inside the apple, and the couple watched how she made her pieces. Burch calls it a day they will never forget.
Romuald Hazoumé Beside an Elizabethan Portrait
Burch likes mixing contemporary work with the old, and names Romuald Hazoumé as one of their favorite artists. What Burch admires is how he draws on his own traditions while making something new, and how he builds beautiful work out of discarded objects. In the apartment, a Hazoumé piece hangs next to an old portrait of Elizabethans in lace collars, and Burch enjoys that pairing of old and new. Burch sees his work as social commentary too: a statement about consumerism, made by turning discarded things into something exceptional.
Books, and Thinking About Time
In a reading corner, Burch talks about how much they value books. Early in their relationship, Pierre-Yves gave Burch first editions of two favorites. One was One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, whom Burch calls their favorite author. The other was The Little Prince, which Burch says suits children and adults alike and which everyone should read for its message.
Burch connects the García Márquez novel to design. The book made them question how time is perceived, and in design Burch thinks about longevity and time: how something will last, and how it can become something handed down through generations.
Urs Fischer's Bird Lamp
A lamp by Urs Fischer came to Burch through a friend at Salon 94. Burch notes that Lalanne is known for a bird lamp, and sees Fischer's piece as a different, unexpected take on the same idea. The demonstration doesn't go to plan. Burch says, slightly embarrassed, that the lamp normally lights up with a gesture, but they forgot to charge it.
The Garden and a 16th-Century Flora
The garden was restored with Madison Cox. Burch says it makes them feel as if they are in the countryside while still in Paris, and describes it as very zen and relaxing. Burch wanted an almost entirely green garden. They mention that Cox has remarked on how specific Burch is about color palettes, so color appears only in the pots. The couple kept existing trees such as Japanese maples, along with old vines. They added hydrangeas, which Burch says reference the American East Coast a little.
Burch identifies a figure of Flora, goddess of gardens, greenery, and fertility, as probably the oldest piece in the apartment. It dates to the 16th century and once stood in a fountain. Burch loves its age and says they would like to know what she has seen over her life.
Burch also notices that they reuse certain things again and again, including Napoleon III jardinières made of enamel and iron. Each one is different. What Burch loves most is that the older and more worn they get, the more beautiful they become.
The Dining Room: Boiserie, Bracquemond, and Flowers
The dining room was originally a "white box" with no closets or storage. The couple hired Féau Boiseries to panel it, curving the walls to create storage.
Burch collects plates by Félix Bracquemond, the French painter and printmaker. They note that he also worked with Japanese artists, and credit him with being the first to bring that kind of printmaking onto fine china so beautifully. As with the cow creamers, Burch likes that each plate is different. Looking at one with a rooster and many insects, Burch jokes that they must be "a bug person."
Flowers are another obsession, and Burch describes arranging them as part of how they relax. They work with a grower named Clemence, who has a farm two hours outside Paris. The couple chooses what they want, and he brings it to them.
Symmetry, Trompe-l'Oeil, and Indian Reverse-Glass Paintings
Burch says they think a lot about symmetry. In one room, a real closet with ample storage is mirrored by a matching door that looks like a second closet but actually opens onto the hallway, a small trompe-l'oeil.
The same symmetry carries into the powder room, which holds 18th-century Indian reverse-glass paintings. Burch explains that these date from a period when Europeans brought their techniques to India and local traditions merged with them. That kind of exchange has always fascinated Burch as an art history major. Reverse painting on glass produces very vivid color, which Burch admits they have not always liked, though they love it in these pieces. Each figure has a story. Burch points out that none of them looks directly at the viewer, which makes it feel as if you have caught them in a moment.
The Bedroom and Dressing Room: Inspired by an 18th-Century Vest
The bedroom was made with the Reese brothers, Nicholas and Sebastian, whom Burch calls masters at restoring or creating beautiful things based on existing models. The starting point was an 18th-century man's vest the couple found. From it, the brothers hand-embroidered and hand-painted the curtains and fabrics, which were then used on the chairs and at the windows. The same detailing continues into Burch's dressing room, on the walls and the couch. Burch is especially impressed by how exactly the colors were matched.
Family Talismans: The Boys' Nicknames and Their Father's Zippo
Burch shows some pieces of their own making. Taking the squares from one of their grandmother's bracelets as a model, they made pieces bearing their sons' nicknames: Pickle, Saucy, and Hanky. Burch calls themself very superstitious and says they cannot board a plane without them.
The other personal treasure is a charm necklace connected to Burch's parents. Burch's father had a gold Zippo lighter made, and Burch turned it into a pendant. As children, they were not allowed to touch it. Their father soldered many charms onto it, including a St. Christopher, a Tiffany tag, a German Shepherd (the family kept a kennel of them), a New York Stock Exchange tree, and references to the family's tennis and Burch's horseback riding. There is also his lucky number, 13. Burch says the piece shows exactly who their father was: a man of exceptional style who did things in his own, different way.
A Dress From Last Night and a Cabinet for Their Mother
The dressing room also displays a dress Burch wore the night before. Burch describes the hand embroidery as ombréd so that it seems to move, and likes it paired with something structured.
A cabinet from La Galerie Parisienne, one of Burch's favorite Paris shops, is one of their favorite pieces. Burch's mother always wanted them to have a Coromandel screen in one of their homes. Burch never wanted one, but this 1930s cabinet reminds them of such a screen, and they call it an homage to their mother.
The Bathroom: A Market Bag Remade by Artisans
The tour ends in the bathroom with a bag made with Burch's friend Nidhi Allen, who brings Indian artisanal craft to life. Burch went to many concerts growing up and calls it the "Grateful Dead bag" (the transcript also mentions the Rolling Stones). Burch used to carry market bags like it, and wondered how to reinterpret one with fine Indian craftsmanship. The result reminds them strongly of childhood. Burch describes it as the kind of thing that is almost impossible to find, and says mixing it into their fall collection on the runway was very interesting to them.
Burch closes by thanking Vogue for visiting, saying they love being here and hope viewers enjoyed seeing their objects of affection.
Hi Vogue, I'm Tory Burch. Welcome to our place in Paris and we're going to talk about some of my objects of affection.
I've always loved Paris even since I was very very little. I used to come with my parents but I married a Frenchman, that's why I'm here. And I have to say the minute that we walked in to this beautiful apartment we knew we wanted it immediately. It was the only apartment we ever saw and I think it was instantaneous. We looked at each other, Pierre-Yves and I, and we said this is so beautiful and we saw what it could be.
This is the gentleman with the pickax and spade, 17th century. I love this because it belonged to someone I really loved, Robert Kime. It's such an interesting painting because we don't know who painted it but I love the stark contradiction of a man that looks like he's aristocracy but he's also a worker. And so he definitely had a mysterious upbringing, didn't know maybe who his father was so he was put to work but also has the sun coming up so it means there's a better future for him. I think it's a bit unexpected to see it as you first walk in and it's kind of a welcoming and it's a little eccentric and I think that's what makes it interesting.
When I think of someone that represents iconic chic style, it's Hubert de Givenchy. And so when I saw these chairs in his auction, I thought this would be an incredible starting point for our Paris place and I loved the embroidery, I loved the history and certainly think he is the chicest man that maybe aside from my father that ever existed. One of my favorite quotes by Hubert de Givenchy is that Paris should feel collected, not decorated. And I think that kind of sums up how I feel about interior design.
So, here is our kitchen. Place where we spend a lot of our time. We're here a lot. And I wanted to show you these cow creamers because wherever I have a table, I put them on. And they originated in the Netherlands and then Staffordshire, England sort of adopted them and took them over. I love how individual they are. Each potter had its own kind of cow creamer. And they were decorative used for tables, for cream, and served with tea, and also during breakfast.
I had to show you this because working with Studio Peregalli was another dream. It was amazing. And the way they worked on this apartment and the architecture, look at this. Come on in.
So, here is our Claude Lalanne apple. I was lucky enough with my husband to spend the day with Claude Lalanne in her beautiful home outside of Paris. And it's when Pierre was thinking about moving to New York. So, I wanted to get him something special. And of course, an apple represents New York. And so, Claude Lalanne actually cast both of our lips inside. And we spent the day with her looking at how she made them. And it was pretty extraordinary. It's a day we'll never forget.
I love the idea of mixing contemporary with old and antiques. And Romuald Hazoumé is one of my favorite artists. I love the way he takes part of his traditions, but also then makes them super interesting and new. And takes old objects that were discarded and create something beautiful. I love the way it's set against this old portrait of the Elizabethan with their lace scarves, but I like the old and the new. His work is so intriguing because it's about social commentary as well. I mean, he's definitely making a statement on consumerism and taking things that were discarded as I mentioned and making something new and exceptional out of it.
This is the perfect place to read and books are something that I think a lot about, I value. So, when I first was with Pierre-Yves, he bought me two of my favorite books and he bought me first editions. One is 100 Years of Solitude by my favorite author, Gabriel García Márquez, and then of course, The Little Prince, which is a book that is great for children and adults. Everyone needs to read this book. The message is superb. I think 100 Years of Solitude just made me question time perception and I think that is interesting about design. I think about longevity and time and what that means and how something will last and how can we make it be something that's given down throughout generations.
Here is a lamp by Urs Fischer. My friend Jeanne Rohatyn showed this to me. She's at Salon 94 and I loved it. I also was thinking it's kind of interesting cuz I've always known Lalanne to have a bird lamp. And I thought that this was kind of a different take on a bird lamp and I just think that it's a bit unexpected and interesting. I'm a little embarrassed to say you usually do this and it turns on, but I forgot to charge it. So, you have to charge it. That would have been good.
This is our garden in Paris and we were lucky enough to work with Madison Cox. They restored everything and they created a space that makes you feel like we're in the country in Paris and it's just very zen and relaxing. So, I wanted it to be almost a green garden and then certain flowers he said I'm very specific actually when working with me about the color palette. So, the color comes in the pots and the rest is pretty green. We had some beautiful trees like these Japanese maples and just vines that we saved and everything and then of course we had to have some hydrangea which also references the East Coast a bit.
Okay, this is probably the oldest piece in our apartment. It's 16th century and it's Flora goddess of gardens and greenery and it's about fertility and it used to be in a fountain. I love the age and probably would love to know what she's seen in her life.
So, one thing I'm starting to realize is that I do use things over and over again and these jardinières are one of them. I love them because each of them are so different. They're in Napoleon III, they're enamel and iron and the thing I love most is that the older they get and the more worn I think the more beautiful they are.
This is our dining room and we had to hire Féau Boiseries to do this. It was a white box and so we didn't have any closets or anything or storage so we curved it and created the space.
Félix Bracquemond is the French painter and printmaker and he also worked with Japanese artists as well and I love his plates and I collect them and what I love about them is they're also each different. And he took this incredible printmaking and really was the first to put it in such beautiful pottery in china. This is pretty exceptional when you look at it. The rooster and a lot of bugs. I guess I'm a bug person. I like bugs.
Another one of my obsessions is flowers and it's I don't know, a bit of like me and how I relax. I work with this incredible man named Clemence who has a farm 2 hours outside of Paris and he grows the most magnificent things and we pick what we want and he comes and look how beautiful. It's pretty extraordinary what he does.
One thing I think a lot about is symmetry and this is kind of a bit trompe l'oeil because you have the closet here that we did with plenty of storage. And then over here we have a matching door which looks like it might be but it's actually goes into the hallway.
Okay, and here's the symmetry going into the powder room with these Indian reverse glass pictures that I found which I love because they're 18th century and it's when Europe brought some of their techniques to India and they melted their traditions with some European techniques and that was something I've always been intrigued by as an art history major. If you come in here there's more in here. You look at them some of the colors are so vibrant and that's one thing that happens when you do reverse painting on glass. It's funny because I've not always loved that but with these I love it. They all have a story and I think that's what's so interesting. They're all looking away not directly at you. It's almost as if you caught them in a moment.
This is our bedroom and we worked with the Reese brothers with Nicholas and Sebastian and they're masters at restoring or creating beautiful things based on something else and we found this 18th century men's vest and that was the beginning of the inspiration for this room and they hand embroidered and painted the curtains and the fabrics. The attention to detail is just so incredibly beautiful. We upholstered chairs with it, and then on the windows as well.
We brought the same detail into my dressing room, and again, we did it on the walls and on the couch. I think it's just pretty exceptional the way they got the colors exact. And then a couple pieces we made I made these. They were off of one of my grandmother's bracelets, these squares that I put my boys' nicknames, Pickle, Saucy, and Hanky. And I'm very superstitious, so anytime I go on a trip, I have to take them with me, or else I can't get on the airplane.
And then the only other thing that I have is a charm necklace of my parents. My father had this gold Zippo made, and I turned it into a pendant, but I remember growing up we weren't allowed to touch it. And he soldered all of these incredible charms onto this gold Zippo, and everything from, I don't know, St. Christopher to a Tiffany tag. We had a kennel of German Shepherds, so he has a German Shepherd here. The tree of New York Stock Exchange. We were tennis players. I rode horses. His lucky number 13. This shows exactly who my father was. He had the most exceptional style and just did things in a very interesting different way.
I wore this last night, so I had to put it up here because I love designing beautiful things, and this I thought was just so pretty. Some of the embroidery that we did is all hand done and ombréed to look like it's moving. And wearing it with something structured, I think is quite beautiful.
This is actually one of my favorite pieces. I found at one of my favorite shops in Paris, La Galerie Parisienne. It's a cabinet and the reason I love it so much is that my mother always wanted me to get a Coromandel screen in one of my homes and I didn't want that, but I actually love this and it reminds me of that. So, this is really an homage to my mother. It's from the 1930s and I just think it's absolutely beautiful.
Okay. Welcome to my bathroom. Let's start with my friend Nidhi Allen who brings these beautiful artisanal things to life and growing up I always went to a lot of concerts and so I call this the Grateful Dead bag because the Rolling Stone bag. I used to take market bags like this and I thought how do we bring this to life with beautiful Indian artisanship and that's what Nidhi does with us. I love the craft of it and this reminds me so much of my childhood that I couldn't you know, I think about things that are impossibly hard to find and that's this. So, to mix this in with our fall collection with it I thought was very interesting on the runway.
Bye Vogue. Thank you so much for coming and looking at our apartment and seeing some of my objects of affection. I love it here and I hope you loved it. Au revoir. À bientôt.
Article published · Updated