Reconceptualizing the elegant and famed bookcase of Hôtel Lambert...

Many have said if there is any townhouse in Paris worthy of being called a palace, it is the Hôtel Lambert. It was built by Le Vau in 1632 at the tip of the Ile Saint-Loius for the financier Jean-Baptist Lambert. With most of the interior decorating done by Charles Le Brun, who was declared by Louis XIV as "the greatest French artist of all time," and Eustache Le Sueur.  These two great artists work made the house legendary, and a match in elegance and sophistication to the most splendrous palaces in Europe.

Original version of the Hôtel Lambert Bookcase

There were many things that distinguished the interiors of Hôtel Lambert. One that recognizably stood out for many was the bookcase in the library,  redesigned in 1948 by George Geffroys for Baron Alexis de Redé.  The bookcase had a faux–lapis lazuli stucco columns with Corinthian capitals.

George Geffroys' 1948 version of the Hôtel Lambert bookcase for Baron Alexis de Redé

I have always been a fan of elegant bookcases, and particularly the one at Hôtel Lambert, with it use of intriguingly contrasting materials and colors. 

So, when I had the opportunity in 2010 to redesign a large bookcase for a great room, the first place I looked for inspiration was Hôtel Lambert. I adapted from the original version by bringing back the semi-cicular top accented with a crest, leaving out the bronze art work in both the original and the George Geffroys' version.

To modernize, I added a motorized flat screen television, which is always out of sight and appears ready for viewing with a push of a button. Also, I expanded it from one end of the wall to the other using eight faux–lapis lazuli columns with Corinthian capitals as oppose to the four in both the original and the George Geffroys' version. My version is 21 feet in width by about 14 feet in height. I decided on the french polished mahogany look, a part of the project that was the most challenging.

Below are raw (untouched) photographies  of my version. Since these pictures were not taken professionally (no excuse), it really doesn't show the full and stunning elegance of this piece.

My 2010 version of the Hôtel Lambert bookcase in Completion Stage  

A day-time view of  my version of the Hôtel Lambert bookcase 

A night-time view of  my version of the Hôtel Lambert bookcase