At Home With Meg

Meg is the Denverite behind De quelle planete es-tu?, where she blogs about Paris life, café culture and beer (lots of it). After completing her master’s degree at the French business school, INSEEC she landed the job of Digital Content Editor at Dior. I met her a few months ago in her apartment, when she invited a few of us over for drinks and nibbles. Her vintage style and memorabilia instantly caught my eye, and I thought her colourful cosy apartment in the 16eme filled with knick knacks, photos, books and vinyls would be a good place to start my new series.

So last Saturday I snooped around her apartment, which was obviously just a poor excuse to spend some quality cat time with her seriously cute three month old kitten, Jefferson. I don’t like to boast, but I think he liked me – just look at him posing for photos.

Scroll down to read the full interview!

Note: The questions are a work in progress, so the format will probably morph and change, but hope you like it!

What brought you to Paris?
I moved to Paris in 2008 for university. Having previously spent my Junior year of high school abroad in a French high school in Normandy (where I learned French), I was itching to get back to complete my studies in France. I obviously fell in love with the city and over the years it has become my home.

How long have you lived in your apartment?

A little over 2 ½ years.

How would you describe your interior style?

Flea market and retro goodness, with pops of color and memories all over the walls.

Favourite piece of furniture?

My 1950s formica red cabinet with drawers that I found at the Centre des Objets Perdus near Canal Saint Martin. It is perfect in every way.

Go-to shops/places to buy for your home?

By far I prefer to find my treasures at flea markets or brocante shops (I’ve got favorites in both Paris and in Denver)… I also love finding things from my parents’ house that they don’t use anymore.

While traveling I also love finding things… not too long ago on a trip to Istanbul I found the most beautiful rug.

Interiors/style that have inspired you?

Mostly retro, minimalist décor with lots of crowded table tops and shelves where I can put little knick knacks. I love wooden furniture and random bursts of color. My main inspiration is when I see homes (or photos of homes, ha) that really reflect the person that lives there… you see the apartment and you think to yourself, “this is so that person”.

I was raised in a house that really reflected my mom’s taste and everything that she liked: our home was filled with trinkets and pieces of furniture from travels in the Middle East, with also a Native American flare given her Arizona roots and love for Santa Fe. Our walls were covered with her artwork and that of her mother or other artists, mixed with photographs and other hanging things like rugs and baskets. She was so good at mixing together different styles, modern and ethnic, colourful and shades of browns and tans…

All of this inspired me so much growing up, and made me realise that I want my apartment/home to reflect who I am and be filled with all of the things that I like - and that of my chéri. It also has to be filled with memories.

If your flat was on fire (touch wood), what three things would you take with you?

I would immediately grab my vintage green metal toolbox that is filled with everything I deem awesome and close to my heart, my cigar box filled with favorite photos old and new, and my kitten, Jefferson. But if Louis grabs the cat, I’d probably also grab my metal filing box filled with all my important files (being a foreigner in France helps to build up quite the collection of important and irreplaceable documents!).

Sources for inspiration?

I just love Pinterest and Instagram for drooling over interior design and decoration ideas. I usually get a bit jealous when I see big open spaces as most places in Paris are quite small, but I must say that I love discovering how to arrange random things and maximise space with things like shelving or hooks on walls, for example. It’s pure eye candy for me, I just  love it, it gives me so many decoration ideas. The other main inspiration of mine are my in-laws. I just love the way they have decorated their countryside house (and everywhere they have lived).

Top three instagrammers?

I’m going to go with @westelm +West Elm @ohladycakes and @ohhappyday

Online reading material?

Note to Self +Note to Self , SF Girl by Bay, Hello Sandwich. Although I must say I am always so thrilled when I find new lovely blogs to follow.

Last good book you read?

Bossy Pants by TinaFey.

What's on your magazine pile?

Vanity Fair, Vogue… whatever catches my eye at a random magazine shop or museum.

Breakfast or dinner?

Breakfast, à l’américaine, savoury all the way. 

Wine or beer?

Beer forever and ever… IPAs and stouts, preferably. I like wine though, too. 

Tea or coffee?

Oh, this is a toughy. I do like both…. I like my espressos with sugar and tea with heaps of honey. Coffee vs. tea depends on the time of day, where I am and the mood! 

Bedside table essentials?

Little containers for random things, a ring stand, hooks for necklaces, my jewellery box, a big glass of water, phone charger and chapstick.

And finally your favourite Paris places!
Pain & Chocolat +Pain Et Chocolat for breakfast, Le Trois 8 +Les Trois 8 for a craft beer, Cafe Loustic for coffee, and I love wandering around Belleville and Montmartre. Oh and my favourite sweet treats are chouquettes.