Seeing as it’s Bastille Day, I thought I should post something French. (Remember, those of you who receive the email subscription are always a day behind.) One of my favorite things that I did on my recent trip to Paris was visit the Musée de Nissim de Camondo. It’s located next to the Parc Monceau in the 8th arrondissement.  My friend Carlos Huber of Arquiste was staying nearby so he met me for a tour of this amazing house museum.

The mansion and collection of 18th-century decorative arts was bequeathed to the state by Moïse de Camondo after his son Nissim was killed in combat on 5 September 1917. He forbid the lending of works and even moving of furniture and objects so it remains a completely preserved interior including upstairs and downstairs, where the servants worked.   

One of the things I love about foreign and specifically French attractions is that you can get close to everything and even walk into some rooms that have no ropes at all. This one in particular is open on Sundays which, as you know, is a rarity in Paris.  As my taxi drove past the huge line outside the Musée d’Orsay, I was pleasantly surprised to arrive at a very quiet Musée Nissim de Camondo.  Other than a handful of other tourists, we had the place to ourselves. If you love architecture and the decorative arts, I highly recommend making a visit on your next trip to Paris.   

Since I took so many photos, I’ve decided to split them up into a few posts.  This first post will highlight the lovely exterior architecture and courtyard facade that was inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles. Moïse de Camondo commissioned architect Rene Sergent in 1911 to create a place to house his collection of 18th-century artwork and his family.   It was completed in 1914 and remains to this day, a beautiful tribute to Nissim de Camondo. 

Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic.