Touring Coco Chanel’s Parisian apartment at 31 Rue Cambon was quite possibly the best part of my trip to Paris. Attending the show was up there, but this was surreal. My friend Helene received an invitation and thankfully took me along and for that, I’m forever grateful. Read on to see images from her space and learn some incredibly fun facts about her apartment and Mademoiselle Chanel herself.
{And then there was the chair}
Coco Chanel’s Apartment in Paris
We learned so much from this Coco Chanel apartment tour. Here are a few of the facts that truly stood out to me:
- Mademoiselle Chanel did not sleep at this apartment, in fact there are no beds! She used this space for hosting and entertaining only and actually slept at the Ritz Carlton across the street
- She was a Leo (like me!) and had lions all around her apartment from frames to small statues
- Wheat was a recurrent theme in her apartment as she thought it brought her luck. You can actually see wheat spread across some of the accessories at Chanel
- She loved Camellia’s as they represented purity, which you can see through out the gorgeous chandeliers in her apartment. She also loved them because when wearing the flower, the lack of scent would not disrupt the scent of her most famous perfume, NO. 5. Camellia’s pop-up in every Chanel collection
- Lastly and my most favorite fact, when entertaining in her dining space she would block the doors with her stunning, hand carved panels as she did not like to see the door – it would remind her of guests having to eventually leave
It was unbelievable to learn about the history of the apartment while literally standing in the space and seeing the decor she received as gifts from the likes of Dali first-hand is something I’ll never forget. Most importantly, learning about the small details truly helped to make the connection between Chanel’s collections and Mademoiselle Chanel herself.
