When Mathieu Paris moved to London six years ago to take up the role of senior director at White Cube, he wanted a home that could provide a quiet backdrop to his busy life in the art world. At first, he rented a flat with his partner in Marylebone, before the couple bought this flat in Pimlico four years ago. Overlooking a pretty square in an area known as the Pimlico Grid, it’s spread across the top two and a half floors of a stucco-fronted building that was built in 1825 by master builder Thomas Cubitt. Here, Mathieu talks us through his sensitive year-long renovation of the flat and why the space is a testimony to one of the most influential architectural movements of the 20th century.

Mathieu: “We weren’t really considering Pimlico when we started looking to buy a flat, but we quickly realised that it was both central and beautiful. It’s extremely calm and peaceful – it sort of feels like a small village in the middle of London. The skyline is low and it’s close to the river, as well as Hyde Park and Battersea Park.

“We loved this flat as soon as we saw it, as the light is absolutely incredible. It’s a bit higher than the other buildings, so you get this amazing view of the trees in St George’s Square and the rooftops beyond, especially from the terrace. We were incredibly charmed by the view – it felt like this was quintessential London. It’s a bit like if you were moving to Paris, you’d want the classic view of a church and beautiful Parisian buildings.

“The flat had been done up in the 1970s or ’80s and they’d pulled down lots of the walls to create an open-plan space, along with architectural details such as the cornices. There was nothing particularly charming about it, but it had a lot of potential.

“We had a vision as soon as we visited and our idea was to create a functional, intelligent, yet elegant space. Over about a year, we completely reconfigured the layout and had the walls reinstated to create distinct rooms. It was a balance of keeping the space open and full of light, but also compartmentalising rooms to create dedicated spaces for each part of the day.

“The kitchen is on a half level, and then the living room, dining room and bathroom are on one floor, with our bedroom on the top floor, along with an en suite, walk-in wardrobe and small guest room. There’s something very peaceful about how the rooms work together – when the two double doors are open between the dining room and living room, you get this idea of an enfilade. It was so important for us to have a proper dining room.

“We wanted to bring back a kind of classical feeling to the space, so we added cornices, mouldings and proper joinery. Our only liberty was the floors, which we replaced with a herringbone parquet as a nod to typical Parisian apartments. We felt it would add more character to the space than linear wood.

“The walls are white, because we wanted a feeling of serenity and quietness even if the space is full of art. Before the pandemic, I travelled a lot for work to see exhibitions, so I wanted to live in an environment that would bring me peace.

“The furniture represents 15 years of collecting from auction houses, flea markets and Parisian galleries. I started my career in the design world, focussing on 1950s architect-designed furniture, and it’s something that’s reflected throughout the flat with pieces by Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand. All of these designers were complete visionaries in the 1950s – as engineers and architects, they were thinking about a new way to live. There is such beauty and intelligence to their designs. Our flat is testimony to this – one of the best architecture movements of the 20th century.

“The Pierre Jeanneret Easy Chair in the living room is an original from when he conceived the entire city of Chandigarh in India. He designed the furniture for various public buildings and created this chair by himself on site.

“One of my favourite pieces is the cream Jean Prouvé chair in the living room – it’s very rare and I bought it in a gallery in Paris. Prouvé built furniture in the same way that he was constructing his buildings, and I take so much pleasure in looking at the complexity of this chair alongside Charlotte Perriand’s very simple wooden stools.

“There are also pieces – including a candlestick, plywood cube and concrete floor lamp – by Rick Owens, a contemporary fashion and furniture designer whose first exhibition I organised in 2007. I’m a big fan of his work.

“Like the furniture, the art throughout the flat reflects my journey in art. I remember as a kid going to museums all the time, and I made a career from my passion. Many of the works on our walls are memories of a show I curated or enjoyed. Some are gifts from artists who I’ve worked with or who are my friends.

“The process of hanging paintings feels instinctive to me – it’s what I do every day, whether in the gallery or in the homes of collectors. There is no one recipe to showcase art, but the way you place art in your own house says a lot about your personality. I guess I match artworks to the architecture of the space.

“The piece above the sofa is by Jannis Kounellis, a Greek-Italian artist, who was a major figure of the arte povera movement. The piece featured in one of the first shows I curated at the White Cube Gallery in 2016. I have a particular affection for my little Anthony Gormley sculpture, which sits on a pile of books on the bookshelves, alongside two tiny paintings from the nineties by Damien Hirst and a birdcage by Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum, who had a show at the Tate Modern in 2016.

“Kettle’s Yard has taught me a lot about how to live with art and design. When I first went there four years ago, it was one of the great moments I’ve had in the UK and we’ve collaborated with them a few times at The White Cube now. Like at Kettle’s Yard, many of the artists I’ve worked with don’t believe in the hierarchy of presentation. There’s beauty in everything.

“My favourite spot in the flat is next to the fire in the living room, although I have developed a real relationship with my sofa over the past year. When you’re forced to stay at home, you experience a space in such a different way. Living in a light-filled space, which changes throughout the day, has been life-changing for me. I’ve taken great comfort from our flat.”

Mathieu, what do you think it means to live in a modern way?

“For me, it’s about living in a classical, well-thought-out building from the 18th or 19th century where you can actually bring in all the elements you need for contemporary life. Intelligence in architecture is the most important thing. When you look at Thomas Cubitt’s buildings or George-Eugène Haussmann’s in Paris, you realise their philosophy still feels so right for today.”

Is there a house on The Modern House website that caught your eye?

“I have a real interest in brutalist architecture, so I love Andrewes House in the Barbican. It reminds me of Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation in Marseille and his beautiful philosophy of living together. In French we say vivre-ensemble. I also like Camberwell Grove, as I love the way the renovation has been done. It’s extremely subtle and preserves every aspect of the original house.”