Saint-Paul, the other Marais

The small Saint-Paul neighborhood is separated from the rest of the Marais by Rue Saint-Antoine, which you cross to immerse yourself in the small, intimate streets scattered with unique galleries. The little Saint-Paul passageway is the headquarters for Disderot, heir to one of the most talented lighting producers since World War II. Disderot re-issues styles from the 1950s-70s, designed by Alain Richard or René-Jean Caillette, among others. Here, you’ll be able to see the Série 10 (10 Series) by Michel Mortier (1972) and the 3080 hanging lamp by Pierre Paulin. Disderot is making its showroom available to its peers at Manufactures de Lux, a label founded by several lighting producers to highlight their expert skill: artisanal manufacture using the finest materials, in numbered editions. You’ll be able to discover new products from Editions Serge Mouille, Fosfens, and Magic Circus. A few meters distant, you definitely won’t miss the shopfront of Bien Fait, at the entrance to the Marché Saint-Paul, because its exterior is covered in wallpaper from this producer on the rise. For Paris Design Week, its façade will be covered in stripes by Margaux Keller, who will be the guest designer in September. Cécile Figuette, their founder, has invited this Marseille-based designer to take over the showroom with her poetic furniture and objects. They’ll be revealing their collab, two striped wallpapers, glazed with Margaux Keller’s signature motif. Bien Fait will also present the work of Alix Waline, a mural artist who creates Pointillist frescos. On Rue des Jardins Saint-Paul, Basia Embiricos  is in the habit of commissioning from design luminaries a series of objects relevant to the mood of the times (and much more, too).

Last year, amid the energy crisis, they created candle holders for the gallery. This time, it’s the egocentricity of social media that decided the theme: mirrors. Michael Anastassiades and Elizabeth de Portzamparc have had their say on this subject. And lastly, on Rue Lesdiguières, the Boon Room is an impressive gallery spread over a 700 square meter space. It presented contemporary talents from all over the world who are rarely on show in Paris. Seventy percents of the items presented are one-of-a-kind, and the rest are limited editions. The 160 talents on display here, both emerging and established names, have total creative freedom. In September, the new Canadian lighting firms A-N-D Lights and Atelier 001 will be on show, along with hand-painted furniture from Ahu Studio in London and Istanbul, the work of Frenchman François Lévy, British designer Cal Summers, the Italians from Dalmoto, and more…In addition to the collections produced by Boon, with the Franco-Indonesians at Pendhapa or New York denizen Tom Hancocks. You’ll find something totally unique everywhere you turn!