“What always surprises me about living in Paris is how free I feel,” says the opera singer. Sophie Allamalives with her husband Felix and two daughters Zoe and Pia. “It’s something like this my Place — where you can dance, etc. Let’s sing anywhere in the city. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. ”Here, Sophie shows us around her family’s apartment…
living room
sofa: blue. Lug: color therapy.
Regarding creating an exhibition-like environment: I like to keep a magazine open or a meaningful book on the table. When people come into your home, you want them to feel safe picking things up, stretching out on the rug, and walking around. I don’t want people to feel trapped on the couch, caught up in the formalities of being a guest.
Sofa: “An old IKEA sofa that was reupholstered.” color therapy”
About finding an apartment: The day we first saw this apartment, there was a massive public transport strike across the city. Our two daughters were young at the time, but we decided to overcome the chaos and go on a journey. In the end, we were the only ones who came to the open house! Deputies said that was intended.
Chair: Bauman resemble.
If you’re hosting a friend: When guests come over, I like to spread out the buffet on the table and prepare it. I make various salads and sweet potato chips. I usually serve a cheese board with smoked salmon, bread, focaccia, roasted vegetables, and crudités. For drinks, in addition to the wine we have on hand, we also have gin and tonics available. For my friends who don’t drink alcohol, I like to serve them in cocktail glasses with sparkling water or lemonade, garnished with lemon slices and raspberries.
dining room
Dining table: “kara” portobello decorationLe Marais furniture store. ” Dining Chair: Savings levon coin.
For birthday celebrations: For my children’s birthdays, I like to hang handmade wreaths and lay out large pieces of colored paper and felt-tip pens on the floor. For my daughter’s 2nd birthday, I got a little carried away and planned a bingo game for the kids. That was a little crazy considering babies can’t read.
Egg candle: Merci.
If the family hangs up: We tend to spend most of our family time at this table. One of our favorite things to do is have long breakfasts together. You can spend an hour here even on school days. We eat a simple breakfast of cereal or baguette with butter and fruit. On the weekends, I walk to my local bakery for croissants and pain au chocolat.
About family heirlooms: I started piano lessons at the age of 15. This piano originally belonged to my brother, and he took piano lessons before I did. Lately, I’ve been using it mostly for playing scales and warming up my voice.
On finding your passion: When we were kids, our neighbors taught us classical songs. My brother and I often heard singing coming from his apartment. When I was a teenager, my parents signed me up for lessons, and my teacher introduced me to another student, a dramatic soprano named Marjorie Muray. She has a big, wonderful voice and listening to her sing opened up a whole world to me. At that exact moment, I knew singing was what I wanted to do with my life.
kitchen
About the unknown parts of the job: Opera singing is a very physical profession. We need to be disciplined and shape up like athletes. We also constantly worry about how we will treat our voices and be considerate of our neighbors during our practice.
For party playlists: When I host a dinner party, I often turn on the playlist I created for running. The song types change dramatically, with one track being an operatic aria and then turning into rap. This results in slightly awkward transitions in some cases. But I love how this mix brings an unexpected, slightly surreal feel to the room.
girl’s bedroom
Bunk bed: La Redoute. Lug: color therapy.
About the children’s shop: The girls’ bedroom is my favorite room in our apartment. When it comes to decorations and clothing, my favorite Parisian children’s shops are: Bonton, Le Petit Soukand Merci.
About the sisters’ personalities: My eldest daughter is thoughtful, sensitive, and observant. One day, while I was framing a poster, I wanted to give it a little texture, so I crumpled it up. A few days later, my daughter came to me with a deliberately crumpled picture and said: “Mommy, I know you like things crumpled up, so I crumpled them up for you.” My second daughter also has an expressive and artistic personality, but she is more outgoing and seems to be dancing all the time.
About every worthwhile party decoration: I don’t remember where I found this swan piñata, but I do remember that it was expensive. Still, I liked it so much that I bought it for a birthday party. During the party, I placed it on the floor so the kids could eat the candy inside. Since then, I’ve been using it as decoration throughout my apartment. It turned out to be a good investment.
Desk: Vintage. Mirror: Used item.
About Paris activities with kids: I’ve been taking my daughters to museums since they were babies. The museum is great for kids as it’s very peaceful and quiet with plenty of space for them to roam around. Some people worry that their children are too noisy to go to museums, but I think museums need to be lively. I like to take my daughters to modern things. Lafayette’s expectations and Bourse de Commerce Pinault Collection.
master bedroom
About the actual bedtime routine: I often work in bed at night after the girls are asleep. I know it’s uncool, but at this stage in my life, I don’t have much time for hobbies. But when I don’t have to catch up on work, Felix and I relax in the living room and watch a movie on the projector.
On finding beauty in everyday life: One day my daughter drew me a picture, saying that I had drawn it “artistically” to make it look ugly. So I would love it. And she was right! As my daughters move to build a home, I want them to always look for beauty in ordinary things, even if it’s something as simple as a fork. Life has many challenges, but it can also be beautiful. We just need to look for those beautiful moments.
Thank you very much, sophie!
PS Check out more beautiful home tours, including a secluded oasis of empty nesting and a colorful 430-square-foot Stockholm apartment.
(Photo provided by: leela sid. )
Source: Cup of Jo – cupofjo.com
