Beyond the Eiffel Tower
5 Spectacular Houses That Will Make You Say 'Ooh La La!', off the beaten path
Ah, Paris! The City of Light, where baguettes are a food group, and people-watching is an Olympic sport. Sure, you could spend your days queuing for the Eiffel Tower or elbowing your way through the Louvre. But why not dive into the city's lesser-known architectural treasures? Pack your most fashionable walking shoes (this is Paris, after all) as we explore five spectacular houses that will make your Instagram followers green with envy and your history buff friends say, "Sacrebleu! How did I not know about these?"
Maison de Verre: The House of Glass (and Stubbornness)
Address: 31 Rue Saint-Guillaume, 75007 Paris, France
Hours: By appointment only through guided tours
Imagine building your dream home around a tenant who refuses to move out. That's exactly what happened with Maison de Verre, or "House of Glass." In the late 1920s, Dr. Jean Dalsace and his wife Annie wanted to build a modern masterpiece, but there was just one tiny problem: a stubborn old lady living on the top floor of the existing building who said, "Non, merci" to their offers to relocate.
Undeterred, the Dalsaces hired architect Pierre Chareau, who said, "Challenge accepted!" and created a revolutionary design that wrapped around the tenant's apartment. The result? A stunning three-story structure with a facade made entirely of glass blocks. It's like a giant Rubik's Cube, but chicer and with better lighting.
Inside, you'll find an industrial-chic paradise that would make any steampunk enthusiast weep with joy. Exposed pipes, moving partitions, and perforated metal screens create a space that's part home, part machine. Dr. Dalsace's gynecology practice on the ground floor even featured a secret entrance for discreet patient visits. Talk about work-from-home goals!
Pro tip: Maison de Verre is privately owned, so visits are limited. Book a tour well in advance through the Cite de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine. And remember, if you see an old lady peering down from the top floor, give her a wave – her stubbornness is the reason for this architectural marvel!
Hôtel de Soubise: Where Rococo Meets Romeo
Address: 60 Rue des Francs Bourgeois, 75003 Paris, France
Hours: Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Step into the Hôtel de Soubise, and you might feel the urge to powder your wig and practice your curtsy. This 18th-century mansion is a rococo wonderland that screams, "More is more, darling!"
Built for the Prince and Princess de Soubise, this palace-like residence was the ultimate "keeping up with the Joneses" project of its time. The Prince, François de Rohan-Soubise, was known for two things: his impeccable taste in interior design and his, ahem, "active" social life. Legend has it that he had so many mistresses, he needed a palace just to keep track of them all!
The real showstopper here is the Oval Salon, a room so opulent it makes Versailles look like a minimalist loft. Golden cherubs frolic on the ceiling, pastel-hued allegorical paintings adorn the walls, and enough gilding to make Midas jealous covers every surface. It's like Marie Antoinette's cake, but in room form.
Don't miss the Prince's Apartment, where the bedroom and study are connected by a secret passageway. Was it for late-night document signing or midnight rendezvous? We'll let you decide.
Visiting tip: The Hôtel de Soubise now houses the National Archives Museum. History buffs, rejoice! You can ogle at original documents from the French Revolution while surrounded by rococo splendor. Talk about a textbook-meets-fairy tale moment!
Villa Savoye: Le Corbusier's Concrete Confection
Address: 82 Rue de Villiers, 78300 Poissy, France
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Closed Mondays)
Nestled in the Parisian suburbs like a geometric UFO, Villa Savoye is the pinnacle of modernist architecture. Designed by Le Corbusier in the late 1920s, this house looks like it could've been built yesterday – or possibly tomorrow.
Le Corbusier, the pioneer of modernism (and questionable eyewear choices), created Villa Savoye based on his "Five Points of Architecture." These include pilotis (supporting columns), a free facade, open floor plan, ribbon windows, and a roof garden. It's like he was playing architectural bingo and decided to tick all the boxes at once.
The villa was commissioned by the Savoye family as a country retreat. However, in a twist worthy of a sitcom, they found the house a bit... challenging to live in. Leaky roofs, drafty windows, and a heating system with a mind of its own led Madame Savoye to quip, "Les tomates du jardin sont les seules choses qui poussent ici" (The tomatoes in the garden are the only things that grow here). Ouch, Le Corbusier. Ouch.
Despite its practical shortcomings, Villa Savoye is a masterpiece of form and function. The spiral staircase looks like it's straight out of a 1960s spy movie, and the rooftop solarium will have you reaching for your yoga mat and green smoothie.
Visiting advice: Wear comfortable shoes and prepare for stairs. Also, resist the urge to slide down the curved ramp – no matter how tempting it looks!
Maison La Roche: When Art Collector Meets Architect
Address: 10 Square du Docteur Blanche, 75016 Paris, France
Hours: Monday: 1:30 PM - 6:00 PM, Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Closed Sundays)
If Villa Savoye is Le Corbusier's magnum opus, Maison La Roche is his quirky indie film. Designed for Swiss banker and art aficionado Raoul La Roche, this house is what happens when a modernist architect and an art collector play architectural Twister.
The result is a delightful mash-up of gallery and living space. The three-story entrance hall will make you feel like you're in a Cubist painting come to life. And the color scheme? Let's just say Le Corbusier wasn't afraid of a little chromatic adventure. Think walls in salmon pink, light blue, and a particularly daring shade of mustard yellow. It's like a Mondrian painting exploded in the best possible way.
One of the coolest features is the elevated walkway that cuts through the main gallery space. It's perfect for those "I'm in a museum after hours" fantasies we all totally have, right?
Instagram alert: The curved exterior wall and ribbon windows make for a killer selfie backdrop. Just be prepared for your followers to ask, "Where IS that?" and "Can I live there?"
Visiting tip: Maison La Roche is now part of the Le Corbusier Foundation. They offer guided tours, but if you're feeling adventurous, try the self-guided option. It's like a modernist treasure hunt!
Musée Jacquemart-André: Where Love, Art, and Scandal Collide
Address: 158 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris, France
Hours: Daily: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Late opening until 8:30 PM on Mondays during exhibitions)
Last but certainly not least, we have the Musée Jacquemart-André, a 19th-century mansion that's part love story, part art gallery, and all Parisian glamour.
Picture this: Édouard André, a banking heir with more money than he knew what to do with, meets Nélie Jacquemart, a talented artist hired to paint his portrait. Cue the romantic music! They fall in love, get married, and embark on a lifelong journey of art collecting and home decorating. It's like "The Bachelor" meets "Antiques Roadshow," but with better outfits.
The result of their passion is this stunning mansion, filled to the brim with Italian Renaissance masterpieces, 18th-century French furniture, and enough tapestries to carpet the Champs-Élysées. But the real pièce de résistance is the grand staircase. Legend has it that during a particularly lavish party, a guest's dress caught fire on one of the candelabras. In the ensuing chaos, someone shouted, "The staircase is on fire!" And thus, the "Staircase Affair" became the talk of Parisian society for months. Who needs reality TV when you have 19th-century gossip?
Don't miss the Winter Garden, a light-filled atrium that would make any plant parent weep with envy. And if all this art-gazing makes you peckish, the museum's café, located in the former dining room, serves a mean quiche and some seriously Instagram-worthy pastries.
Visiting advice: Go for the art, stay for the café. And keep an eye out for any suspiciously placed candelabras – you never know when history might repeat itself!
Final Thoughts:
There you have it, folks – five spectacular Parisian houses that prove there's more to this city than croissants and the Mona Lisa (though both are pretty great too). From modernist marvels to rococo extravaganzas, these hidden gems offer a unique glimpse into the architectural heart of Paris.
So the next time you find yourself in the City of Light, venture beyond the usual tourist traps. Who knows? You might discover your inner architecture buff, pick up some décor ideas for your own château (or studio apartment), or at the very least, have some great stories to share over your next glass of vin.
Remember, in Paris, every building has a story – some are just a little more spectacular than others. Now go forth and explore, mes amis! And if you happen to run into any ghosts of stubborn tenants or amorous princes, tell them I said "Bonjour!"