Atelier Varenne

Atelier Varenne We're a boutique Interior Architecture & Design studio specialized in transformative renovations

For many of us in Paris this week has been just brutal. From the temperatures in our homes, to the desperate and despair...
26/06/2026

For many of us in Paris this week has been just brutal. From the temperatures in our homes, to the desperate and despairing communications from our children's schools, to heatstroke in the metro to the radiating furnace of the streets.

If you live here, are thinking of living here, may know someone thinking of living here, or have just read the headlines - you know that this heatwave is not an anomaly. This is what our summers will look like from now on. You may also know how badly adapted Paris buildings in particular, are for this new normal.

I wrote about managing those buildings - and our homes within them - a bit better, to adapt to this intense, prolonged period of heat. From how to manage your shutters today (close them, like mine!) to the types of air-conditioning that are feasible tomorrow, to renovating more intelligently in the long-term, not just for winter warmth but for much greater summer comfort.

Full article on substack, link in bio

The 2016 nostalgia has been contagious lately, and I've succumbed. It's been 10 years since I moved to Paris.It took us ...
26/01/2026

The 2016 nostalgia has been contagious lately, and I've succumbed. It's been 10 years since I moved to Paris.

It took us years to stop the constant comparison with our previous life in Shanghai. It took us years to make Paris slowly, steadily, our home. Somewhere between school gates, shared meals, projects with clients, and years of simply showing up, we built something that didn’t exist here for us back then: a village.

Mid-way through, antagonised by world events (lockdowns, social isolation, aggravated loneliness), there were many moments when I was miserable. Now, taking stock again five years on, when I talk about my life in France, I complain from a place of love (really!)

Read more about it on my latest article (link in bio)

And if you're admiring our intricately beautiful family portrait, it's the magic of Stephanie Violo that graces our entrance, mingling & melding French, Chinese & Pakistani architecture into an altogether new cityscape, unique to us.

Sometimes the most welcoming homes are simply the most lived-in, adaptable, and sincere. They make guests feel “at home”...
20/01/2026

Sometimes the most welcoming homes are simply the most lived-in, adaptable, and sincere.

They make guests feel “at home” because they reveal all the evidence of the daily lives lived within, instead of a staged moment. Designing spaces that easily accommodate the possibility of being opened up to guests don’t need a perfect setting.

It’s about creating spaces that support real interactions, imperfect moments, and shared rituals. The creation of memories.

Popping up often on my radar these days is the idea of the non-curated. As a contrast to the ubiquitous perfection of AI...
17/01/2026

Popping up often on my radar these days is the idea of the non-curated.

As a contrast to the ubiquitous perfection of AI-generated everything, brands striving for authenticity are being messier in their product shots, influencers are turning from the perfect “shelfie” to clutter and disarray. In a world of artificially curated perfection, to be - and to display - imperfection, is to be more real, more human.

I’ve had conversations with innumerable clients about designing their homes to manage clutter, to quickly hide away the mess when needed. These conversations often coincide with the perceived need to have homes designed on the one hand for themselves and their families, and on the other for visitors and guests.

But here’s the thing - To “receive” — recevoir — is to open your home to others. It’s an act of generosity, intimacy, and trust. What guests will think, how things will look, how the home will be perceived - in other words the exterior gaze - shouldn’t define how you live. A home designed primarily for others rarely works well for the people who live in it every day. Interiors that easily support gatherings don’t actually begin with the guests. They begin with you — your daily life, your family rituals, and the way you naturally come together and yes, entertain.

Though the holiday season might be behind us, it's never not the right moment to host a dinner party, gather over food or common interests or just invite a neighbor in for coffee - one of my aims for this year is to host more, and I want it to be as stress free as possible. I put down some of my thoughts on how to achieve that in my blog (linked in my bio), and I'd love to hear yours !

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