Bold New World

Interior designer Laura Gonzalez creates a virtuosic New York home for iconic Paris department store Printemps

Above Image: The magnificent Red Room, originally created by artist Hildreth Meière in 1931, was respectfully revitalized by interior designer Laura Gonzalez.

By Aliette Boshier

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Photography by Gieves Anderson

Émile Zola’s novel Au Bonheur des Dames vividly conveys the sensory exhilaration of a belle epoque department store. Emerging from wintry Parisian streets into an eternal spring, shoppers float past bright festoons of Japanese parasols, tumbling rivers of Nile-green silk, and rugs steeped in the sun-warmed scent of distant lands. A soaring “cathedral of commerce” forged in iron and glass, the original Printemps on Boulevard Haussmann has enchanted customers for 160 years—and is now making its debut in New York.

The original Printemps on Rue due Havre, founded in 1865 by Jules Jaluzot. Images courtesy of Groupe Printemps.

The iconic retailer was “meticulous” in its choice of French design luminary Laura Gonzalez—whose recent portfolio includes the Cartier Mansion on Fifth Avenue—to transform the first two floors of Ralph Walker’s Art Deco masterpiece and its 1960s extension at One Wall Street into a temple of style and savoir faire.

Interior designer Laura Gonzalez at Printemps New York. Photo by Antoine Wagner.

“It takes someone with vision to turn challenges into new opportunities, and Laura excels in this. She masterfully combines modern sensibility while beautifully bridging time and place into a singular identity,” reflects Groupe Printemps CEO Jean-Marc Bellaiche.

Laid out as ten distinct yet interconnected settings, the space unfolds as an oneiric realm of color, texture, and light—adventurous in scope, yet intimate in tone. An alchemical feat of bold pattern play and visual theater, it deftly blends classical luxury, cutting-edge technology, and organic sculptural forms. Featuring pink moiré wall coverings and LED-lit ceilings alongside art-nouveau-inspired tiles and custom botanical murals by Atelier Roma, each twist and turn reveals a cache of rare delights.

The artful Champagne Bar crafted by ceramicist William Coggin.

Clients can pull up a stool at Brooklyn ceramic artist William Coggin’s coralline Champagne Bar or browse beneath Murano chandeliers that bob like flapper dresses. From ornamentalist Pierre Marie’s vibrant stained-glass window in the brasserie to the seamless integration of recycled materials throughout, craftsmanship and sustainability shape a shopping experience that hovers between fantasy and functionality.

The monumental spectacle of Hildreth Meière’s Red Room, ablaze with millions of oxblood, orange, and gold tesserae, joyously affirms Gonzalez’s success in translating the sacred grandeur of Paris’s grands magasins into New York’s boundless, anything-is-possible spirit. Here she plants a freestanding “flower forest” in ecological resin and metal that complements the sweeping scale of the hall.

Rooted in two great cities of art and expression, Printemps’ latest incarnation is a transportive design concept that pulses with life, its inimitable magic poised to unfurl and evolve over time.

Designing across such diverse functions within one immersive world is a rare creative privilege. How did you shape a cohesive spatial narrative while preserving the unique purpose and personality of each setting?

It was both a tremendous challenge and an immense joy. Designing spaces that serve so many uses—shopping, dining, relaxing—demands sensitivity to function without compromising emotion. My goal was to give each zone its own identity, but always within a harmonious visual and material language. I approached the department store like a grand apartment: each “room” has a distinct character, but the transitions are soft, almost cinematic. Color, materiality, and light were my guiding tools—velvets and woods for warmth, mosaics and mirrors for a sense of enchantment. Flow was everything.

The sculptural portal to the sneaker salon.

What was your approach to integrating the essence of both cities into your design? And if you could lose yourself in just one “room,” which would it be?

The idea of the Parisian apartment was my narrative thread, but infused with the rhythm and boldness of New York. Paris brings sensuality, detail, a sense of art de vivre. New York brings scale, energy, and unexpected juxtapositions. I played with that duality: antique finishes next to sharp silhouettes, classic patterns alongside contemporary artworks. If I could linger in just one room, it would probably be the boudoir-inspired lounge. It’s quiet, layered, a bit mysterious—the kind of space where you want to sit with a book and a glass of wine and forget what time it is.

How did you go about selecting the extensive range of collections and materials that bring this vision to life?

I wanted to tell a story that was both deeply rooted in French decorative arts and open to transatlantic dialogue. Beyond our studio’s custom pieces, I collaborated with heritage houses like Schumacher, whose wallpapers and fabrics added a romantic, textural depth to many of the spaces. Their timeless motifs worked beautifully within the framework of a Parisian apartment, reinterpreted for New York. Some of these pieces—such as Clarence House’s Pienza for the barstools in the Salon Vert or Pierre Frey’s Radiostar toile de tours in the Maison Passerelle restaurant—are available through the showrooms at the San Francisco Design Center, which is a wonderful bridge between European craftsmanship and American accessibility. We also integrated ceramics, sculptural lighting, and bespoke furniture—each selected or commissioned to evoke intimacy, elegance, and a bit of surprise.

“I wanted to tell a story that was both deeply rooted in French decorative arts and open to transatlantic dialogue. Beyond our studio’s custom pieces, I collaborated with heritage houses like Schumacher, whose wallpapers and fabrics added a romantic, textural depth to many of the spaces.”

An architectural installation showcasing Assouline books and footwear.

Creative responsibility is woven into the very fabric of this project. How do you see your role in designing elegant environments with sustainable innovation in mind?

Sustainability should never be an afterthought; it must be embedded from the very first sketch. At Printemps, I saw a beautiful opportunity to make that philosophy visible. From Christian Pellizzari’s installation to the use of upcycled textiles, each element celebrates rebirth and resilience. As a designer, I see my role as both a creator and a curator of values. It’s about making thoughtful choices—working with artisans, reducing waste, giving new life to vintage or existing elements. But it’s also about creating spaces that spark conversations, that gently remind people that beauty and responsibility can coexist, and in fact elevate one another.

The landmark Red Room, with its Hildreth Meière mosaics concealed from public view since 2001, strikes a beautiful balance between preservation and reinvention. What was it like to resurrect such a historic space while making it relevant for the present day?

The Red Room was an emotional journey. Discovering Meière’s mosaics—silent and hidden for decades—felt like uncovering a secret treasure. There was a sacredness to that space, and I approached it with reverence. But I also knew it had to feel alive again. The challenge was to honor its history while making it resonate with today’s audience. I brought in tactile fabrics, softened the lighting, and introduced furnishings that echo the glamour of the past without being nostalgic. The result, I hope, is a room that feels timeless—grounded, but not frozen in time.

No interior—whether public or private—remains static. It’s part of an evolving discourse that extends far beyond the designer’s initial intervention. How do you embrace that sense of openness and adaptability in your work?

Interiors are like living poems—they breathe, shift, and grow. I never think of a space as finished. My job is to set a foundation of beauty and coherence, but then it must evolve with the people who use it. I design with layers: textures, patterns, stories. Over time, people add their own chapters—flowers, music, conversations. That openness is vital. I want my work to invite participation, not impose perfection. I always say: Elegance should never be intimidating. It should feel like an invitation.

Tiered Murano chandeliers adorn a shopping salon.

Bold New World

By Aliette Boshier

Photography by Gieves Anderson

“I wanted to tell a story that was both deeply rooted in French decorative arts and open to transatlantic dialogue. Beyond our studio’s custom pieces, I collaborated with heritage houses like Schumacher, whose wallpapers and fabrics added a romantic, textural depth to many of the spaces.”

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