Sophie Dries Mixes Elements for a Paris Apartment in a 17th-Century Building

History can loom large, especially in Paris. But you can’t live in the past. For architect Sophie Dries, the renovation of actress and filmmaker Zoë Le Ber’s apartment in a hôtel particulier meant respecting the 17th-century space while adding contemporary touches. Original oak beams and terra-cotta floor tiles were preserved and restored. To complement them, Dries mixed in vintage items, custom furniture, and unique objects from the client’s trips to Madagascar, Morocco, and Afghanistan. Dries inserted a long birch-plywood bookshelf and bench, inspired by Donald Judd’s furniture. Sol LeWitt drawings rest atop it. Nearby, vintage Scandinavian chairs pull up to a 1960’s French table. Since the client crisscrosses the globe working on projects, it is appropriate that different interests and periods converge in her home.