The psychiatrist's office of Yves Saint Laurent becomes a designer apartment in Paris.

Designer Franck Genser reveals his new home: the psychiatrist’s house frequented by Yves Saint Laurent.

«I met Yves Saint Laurent at the end of his life. I like its sense of detail and timeless elegance. I do exactly like him. I create a perfectly new work of art according to my mentality”, says Franck Genser, a designer who was definitely destined to inhabit these rooms, the house/office of Yves Saint Laurent ‘s psychiatrist himself . Genser, engineer, entrepreneur and – further connection – also Gestalt therapist, founded his design laboratory in Paris in 2015 with a multidisciplinary team of engineers and craftsmen and, in 2021, purchased this vast and evocative building on Boulevard Saint-Germain apartment «imbued with Yves Saint Laurent ‘s old conversations with his psychiatrist at the time», he says.

«I was looking for a new place to establish my work and my family. I have visited several places in central Paris and have always had a preference for St Germain-des-Près , in particular. At the same time, my sister was looking for a new home for her family and she made me aware of this off-market opportunity. When I visited it for the first time, I immediately knew that it would be the right one: its location, its space, its arched window like a half moon and its history were still present! All the rooms and furniture have been frozen in time for 40 years, serving as a psychoanalytic cabinet. I also found some postcards from Yves Saint Laurent himself and, above all, the spirit of an always creative mind”, says the designer. «Each room was defined in rich colors, painted by a patient of the doctor who took two years to create this impressive work. The painter’s neurosis is perceived. The apartment was like a journey into his mind. All classical decorative frames on the ceiling and walls were intact from Haussmann’s time. I liked it, I hesitated for a while to keep it that way, until my youngest son – there are four of us in this house – told me that he didn’t want to live in a Munch painting! Hence the decision to renovate the apartment and, starting to think about it, to renovate it entirely .” One year and some renovations later, this one-of-a-kind place has become a place to live and to display Franck Genser’s collections.

Within these walls that have listened to the most intimate secrets and thoughts of the famous couturier Yves Saint Laurent , Genser moves with respect but a firm hand. on a total surface area of ​​205 m2 with 7 rooms, it modifies the original layout. «We discovered a beautiful limestone wall and decided to keep it. The rest is completely new. The first idea was to create perspectives. We worked in particular on the entrance with a semicircular room inspired by Pierre Chareau ‘s Bureau-bibliothèque de l’Ambassade française . We have revised all the circulation in connection with the windows and created new ones. The concept, and the new name, of this space is FOG, Flat Office Gallery. These three functions have their own spaces and share some parts. Favorite area? « The main crescent window on the corner of Bd St Germain and rue de Seine is a strong and original element . Makes this apartment a unique place in Paris. Natural light, a sweet seasonal presence of the sun. Circulation corridors running from the entrance to the main rooms, with mirror effects. But the room I love and frequent most is the kitchen / dining room /discussion room, where I always work, organize my meetings and have dinner with family and friends.”

Creativity and beauty in the encounter with others are intrinsic passions of Genser, who found the ideal refuge in this house “inhabited” by the energy of the words of Yves Saint Laurent and his psychotherapist . Fascinated by the essence of objects and their impact on individuals, Franck Genser focuses on the constant interaction between man and his environment, and is very passionate about materials , worked with skill and technology. He sees form as primary function and finds inspiration beyond practical use. «When I started my activity as a designer I was inspired by Jean-Michel Frank and Jacques Emile Ruhlmann . They lived in their time. And I try to do it. Our time is a time of technology and as an engineer I am not afraid of complexity. I take the best of each era to create new pieces”, explains the designer. And he adds: «In this house, the passion for materials, craftsmanship and technology is evident. The perfect fusion of traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology is present in every detail, creating a space that is timeless, yet forward-looking. Technology and craftsmanship are tools. They disappear instantly as soon as they serve the design.”

On the occasion of the Maison&Objet fair, Genser opens the doors and reveals his house/gallery but also the charm of a place with such a special history that few know, that of Yves Saint Laurent and his pricotherapist friend. «On that occasion I will present various novelties, including two new chandeliers: Météore and Infinie Cascade , an extraordinary shelf lamp in lunar alabaster and two new pieces from the Pool Coffee Table collection . I always try my new pieces in these rooms, emotion is a fundamental element for every new concept. Living with your creations before selling them, to be sure of the quality we send to customers, is a real daily pleasure! Life is movement; I’m always moving things around, creating and imagining new pieces. Sometimes I create in the apartment, like my latest rug in the living room, painted on a 1:1 scale sheet in the center of the main room. And therefore presenting new pieces at FOG is always an opportunity to improve their storytelling”, continues the host.

Can we define this house as his manifesto ? «If I may dare: let’s say that I prefer not to declare any manifesto. What is “manifest” is the questioning, the renewal of sensations every time people discover pieces. When you enter my house, I certainly consider how you react, what your emotions are. But I don’t mean to create any default feeling. But what a beauty to realize how people feel when they are surprised, they breathe differently! I searched, sometimes found, and I hope I can maintain this energy for the next decades.” Any anecdotes about this house? «A fascinating anecdote concerns the discovery of the Happy New Year cards that I found, dedicated by Yves Saint Laurent to his doctor and friend Di him. Every year she found new words to express his love and gratitude.”

AD ITALIA _ Valentina Raggi _ Janvier 2024