31 Rue Cambon

Today I continue to write about my fascination of other people's apartments. Mademoiselle Chanel is today's focus.

While in 31 Rue Cambon Mademoiselle Chanel puts the finishing touches on one of her new designs in 1959.

(Archive Photos/Getty Images)

(Chanel/Photo O.S)

Coco Chanel's lavishly decorated apartment was above her Paris boutique, at 31 Rue Cambon, but it didn't have a bedroom — every night, Chanel retired to her private suite at the Ritz. Every evening, Chanel left her apartment, walked five minutes across Rue Cambon to the Place Vendome, and entered the Ritz through the rear door to retire for the night. Each morning, she crossed back to No. 31. She'd phone first, so they could spray the salon with Chanel No. 5. Then, in a mist of expensive perfume, Coco Chanel got back to work (http://www.npr.org/).

The apartment sits atop the Chanel boutique and couture salon, where models used showed collections to prospective buyers. Today, the apartment is used for press interviews and fashion shoots and for haute couture clients (http://www.npr.org/).

                                                 

To enter Chanel's universe, you climb a curved staircase, up steps carpeted in beige, with white trim. When new collections were presented, Chanel watched them being modeled from these stairs. During the show, she would sit perched on the fifth step down from her apartment, in front of a wall of mirrors. Looking down, she could see the models and the audience reaction to the clothes — without anyone seeing her (http://www.npr.org/).



Chanel's Ornamental gold birdcage with diamonds, emeralds and turquoise and two pearl and sapphire love birds

Among Coco Chanel's liaisons were a Nazi intelligence officer during World War II, and the Duke of Westminster — the richest man in England. Some of the duke's lavish gifts, such as three cigarette boxes, that sit on a table in Chanel's apartment. The elongated octagon-shaped cigarette boxes are engraved with the duke's coat of arms. The boxes are silver on the outside and gold, the more precious metal, on the inside — a luxury hidden from view (http://www.npr.org/).