House of beauty

Paris

lieu :: paris
date :: 2026
type :: medical office

Dr Marchac's aesthetic clinic

This private mansion in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, dating from the early 20th century, has lived several lives — first an embassy, then a private residence. By the time we arrived, the last complete renovation, carried out some twenty years earlier, had erased most of the traces of its history. The spaces, neutralised, no longer revealed the building's original architectural qualities or its identity.

The project therefore set out to restore a coherent reading of the place, drawing on its period of construction and proposing a contemporary intervention — restrained and respectful of its character. For its new life, this private mansion has become a cosmetic surgery clinic: a house devoted to facial beauty and ageing well.

Cut-stone facade with wrought-iron balconies and lit windows at dusk – medical office in Paris, by Cotrel Studio, interior designer

Entrance with black ironwork gate, yellow glazed door and brass plaque – medical office in Paris

Wrought-iron front door detail with yellow glass and vintage lantern – medical office in Paris

Waiting room with carved stone relief, blue armchair and glass side table – medical office in Paris

Navy armchair detail with blue glass side table and carved stone wall – medical office in Paris

Detail of custom black wood bookcase with rounded corners – medical office in Paris

Black bronze sculpture on dark oak sideboard with brass knobs – medical office in Paris

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An interior designed like a home

The project's central challenge was to break with the institutional, impersonal image so often associated with medical consultation spaces. The interior architecture was therefore conceived as a living place, inspired by the domestic world, where visitors are welcomed as if into a home rather than a medical facility.

The main waiting lounge was designed as a warm reception space, arranged around a vast bookcase, generous sofas and a decorative fireplace.

The consultation rooms carry this intention further: far from any clinical aesthetic, they take the form of private studies — hushed and intimate — fostering a relationship of trust and serenity. Every space contributes to this sense of belonging, as if one were stepping into the surgeon's own home.

The ground floor and first floor are devoted to welcoming patients and to Doctor Marchac's practice. The second floor houses his associates, specialists in aesthetic medicine. Finally, the top floor is home to My Face Care, a skincare centre.

Waiting room with navy armchairs, black bookcase and sheer curtains – medical office in Paris

Consultation office with black oak desk, blue chairs and round floor lamp – medical office in Paris

Treatment room with black medical chair, beige cabinets and dark wood niches – medical office in Paris

Oval black oak desk with blue chair, white pendant light and sheer curtains – medical office in Paris

Desk detail by a sheer-curtained window with white globe pendant – medical office in Paris

Treatment room seen through an arched doorway, white counter, black shelves – medical office in Paris

Waiting room with carved plaster wall and beige bouclé armchairs – medical office in Paris

Blue armchair detail with bubbled glass lamp and beige lacquered console – medical office in Paris

Powder room with porcelain sink, wavy mirror and leaf-pattern wallpaper – medical office in Paris

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Noble, timeless materials

The project gives pride of place to the selection and craftsmanship of materials. Wood emerges as the guiding thread of the design: end-grain cladding and parquet floors, built-in bookcases and other bespoke joinery, and carefully chosen furniture all contribute to a coherent, enveloping reading of the volumes.

Travertine introduces a mineral note, at once soft and timeless. Used sparingly, it converses with the wood and balances the composition through its texture and restraint.

The colour palette, along with the choice of paints and finishes, was the subject of meticulous work to avoid any sense of a sterile environment. The deliberately nuanced, luminous tones help create a soothing atmosphere, conducive to wellbeing.

Amber Art Deco stained glass by the staircase, blue velvet armchair – medical office in Paris

Arched doorway opening onto Art Deco stained glass and a blue armchair – medical office in Paris

Blue abstract painting detail facing an Art Deco stained-glass screen – medical office in Paris

Detail of end-grain wood block flooring laid in a fan pattern – medical office in Paris

Travertine sink detail with chrome faucet and plaster bust – medical office in Paris

Art Deco molded glass sconce detail on a travertine wall – medical office in Paris

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A contemporary reinterpretation of Art Deco

Built in the early 20th century, the building has a strong architectural identity, notably through its façade and original staircase, both marked by Art Deco references. Rather than erasing them, the project draws on these heritage elements to nourish the interior design.

Art Deco is thus reinterpreted in a contemporary key, through elegant curves, structured lines and refined decorative details, integrated with precision throughout the spaces. This architectural language unfolds in the design of the arches, the doors and the bookcases.

The project is enriched by the work of artists — notably stained-glass artist Caroline Pregermain (Atelier Saint Didier) and ceramic sculptor Laurent Dufour — whose pieces bring a sensitive, singular dimension. These artistic interventions punctuate the spaces and reinforce the unique character of the place, while blending harmoniously into the overall architectural language.

Research was carried out with the clients to unearth pieces of traditional French glassware from the 1920s, created by Leleu, Degué and the Muller brothers.

White spiked ceramic figure sculpture in front of a garden hedge – medical office in Paris

Art Deco frosted glass chandelier detail beneath a ceiling rosette – medical office in Paris

Carved stone relief detail with sculpted face and leaf motifs – medical office in Paris

Wrought-iron scrolled stair railing detail with wood handrail – medical office in Paris

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Entry hall with curved wrought-iron staircase, arches and fan-pattern floor – medical office in Paris