Life in the 18th century

People would rush there, to meet others and discuss literature and science. Parisian salons drew the most influential aristocrats and the most renowned artists. A salon’s reputation depended on the quality of its discussions and on the hosting qualities of the lady of the house. How could you host people in the best possible conditions and make a name for yourself in the high society of 18th-century Paris? Madame Thierry de Ville-d'Avray, the wife of the Intendant of the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne, invites us into the reception rooms of her luxury apartment on Place de la Concorde.

From Versailles parquet flooring and marble fireplaces to sculpted decorative panels and wallpaper, what were the fashions in fitting out and decorating an 18th-century aristocratic apartment?Here we visit a show home: the apartments of the Intendant of the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne