David Jimenez

Very honored to be included among this year’s 1stDibs50 honorees and grateful to have been selected for a second year. A heartfelt thank you to @tony1stdibs , @nathalieqgcatillon , and the talented @1stdibs team. Interiors @davidjimenezstudio Photography Xavier Béjot #1stDibs50

These windows and the ceiling height drew me to this space. It felt like the right place to set up my studio, just steps from my apartment on Île Saint-Louis. When I started looking for a desk, I naturally stopped by AYN gallery just down the street, owned by my dear friend Yasmin. I found a metal Knoll desk with a large marble top and plenty of room for books, floor plans, and the things that make me happy. I tried it in a few spots before moving it in front of the windows. I love pausing there with French voices drifting up, music on, just taking it all in. Photograph by Xavier Béjot. . . . . . . . . . #davidjimenezstudio #parisiloveyou #seemyparis #ayngallery

Rue du Bac has a special place in my heart. It’s one of the streets I visited on my first trip to Paris. It has a quieter energy than busier streets nearby, a place to wander, with antique dealers, small galleries, and artisan shops that feel more about craft than trend. That’s where I found this screen. I’ve always been drawn to screens. They create separation without closing things off, add depth, and bring texture in a way that feels effortless. This one stopped me in my tracks. I spotted it through the large windows at R&Y Augousti on a late summer afternoon and brought it home. The screen is nearly nine feet tall, with narrow panels that give it a beautiful vertical rhythm. The proportions are what first caught my eye, elegant and slightly unexpected. Each panel is covered in parchment, applied by hand, and the natural variations in tone create a soft, luminous effect. It was inspired by the parchment screens of Jean-Michel Frank. I’ve always loved the restraint in his work, the simplicity, and the quiet confidence. He had a way of elevating humble materials like parchment, shagreen, and plaster into something timeless. Photograph by Xavier Béjot. Featured in AD Italy and Parisian by Design (Rizzoli). . . . . . . . . . #davidjimenezstudio #parisiloveyou #seemyparis #wheninparis🇫🇷#ryaugousti

When I first moved into my apartment on Avenue Marceau, there was a narrow, slightly tricky space at the back. The proportions were tight, and the sunlight was intense, with neighboring windows directly across, in full view. I started with what the space needed. Privacy, first. I installed large cotton sheers to soften the light, then had striped curtains made in classic French pleats, using an outdoor fabric that holds up beautifully in strong sun. The stripes are 10 cm wide, like those on iconic Parisian café awnings. I’ve always loved stripes, and gathered into loose pleats, they fall like a sketched charcoal line across a window, like something you see in a Jeremiah Goodwin drawing. I had a wrought iron and marble console custom made to fit the space, and added a camel leather chair I scored at the Paris flea market. Over time, I layered in a sofa and a bookshelf, and the garden just beyond became an extension of the room, with a small table and chairs. On Saturday mornings, I’d pick up fresh flowers, croissants, and pain au chocolat at Marché Président Wilson. Morning coffee, a quiet afternoon with a book, cocktails with friends in the evening. It became my favorite spot. All images by Xavier Béjot, and originally featured in “Parisian by Design” published by Rizzoli . . . . . . . . . #davidjimenezstudio #parisiloveyou #seemyparis #wheninparis🇫🇷

A dear friend gave me Pierre Le-Tan’s book Paris de ma Jeunesse, and it felt like a portal into his artistic and sensitive world. I read it over a weekend in the French countryside. It’s a personal story of everyday Paris, told through small moments and observations. He writes almost like he draws, with pencil sketches woven throughout. When I finished it, I wanted to understand him more. I started looking into Pierre’s work. He began very young at The New Yorker as a teenager, and moved across illustration, writing, books, even interiors, always with the same eye. And then I found his home. It feels just like his work. Colorful, layered, a little bohemian, with classic French pieces mixed in naturally. Nothing feels styled. There’s warmth, ease, and a real sense of personality. You can feel how much meaning he found in the objects around him, and how personal everything was. In 2021, Sotheby’s had a sale of his collection, where I was lucky enough to acquire his white tub chair for a design project. It’s the one you see in the second photo of his home. Seeing images of his apartment, I thought about how soulful a space feels when it’s spontaneous and truly reflects the person who lives there. Photos from Sotheby’s, French Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, NY Times, Tristan Hoare   . . . . . . . . . #davidjimenezstudio #pierreletan #sothebysparis

Pick any street in Le Marais and you’ll end up somewhere inspiring. Stylish locals walking by, small coffee shops that feel effortlessly chic, bars you want to come back to later, window displays that actually make you stop. Even the cafés spilling onto the sidewalks feel like part of the rhythm of the neighborhood. The proportions of the buildings, the hidden courtyards, the mix of old and lived-in energy, it all just works. It’s one of those places that reminds you to slow down and take it in. Over the holidays, I fell into a small ritual I’m not quite ready to give up. I’d get up a little earlier to enjoy fresh panettone, slightly warm, sliced thin enough to fit in my toaster, with a strong cup of coffee. Simple, but it changed my mornings. Growing up in New York, panettone was always around, but I never loved it. Too sweet, with those bright pieces of fruit that never felt quite real. It wasn’t something I craved. A few weeks ago, I read about a pâtissier in the Marais specializing in fresh panettone and knew I had to go. I stepped out of my apartment on Ile Saint-Louis, put on a vintage salsa track by Willie Colón and Ismael Miranda, crossed the Seine over Pont Louis-Philippe, and made my way down rue Vieille du Temple, a little extra rhythm in my step, already thinking about that first bite. Enter Christophe Louie. Striped awnings, beautiful packaging, and that immediate feeling that everything has been done with care. They offered a tasting, which only made choosing harder. I left with a slice of vanilla flan that reminded me of my abuelita’s, a piece of fleur d’oranger panettone, and a bag of citrus madeleines still warm from the oven, plus a chocolate panettone for myself and two classics for my neighbors in the French countryside. It reminded me how little it takes. Something simple, made with care, can shift the entire tone of your day. Sharing a few favorite spots in the Marais. Use it as a starting point, and see where it takes you. All images by David Jimenez, with the exception of the Officine Universelle Buly interior and Christophe Louie holding a panettone. . . . . . . . . . #davidjimenezstudio #christophelouie

I’m often asked, especially by young designers starting out, how to get their work published. One of the most important things you can do is document your projects beautifully. Invest in a photographer you believe in. Someone who understands natural light, but also knows how to shape it when the sky turns gray. That ability makes all the difference. And here’s what matters just as much. Stay consistent with your team. Over time, you build a rhythm and a true partnership. They understand your work and your process, and you gain their guidance, perspective, and creative instinct. That shows in the final image.  For me, that person has been the talented French photographer Xavier Béjot. We met six years ago when I hired him to shoot my apartment on Avenue Marceau. He arrived in aviator glasses and a leather bomber, as if he had just landed a plane outside. It turns out, he actually could have. He’s a pilot, and that same precision and instinct show up in the way he sees a space. I gave him a quick tour and, in my most “hands-on” way, mentioned I’d love to review each frame before he shot. I turned around to adjust a stack of books, and by the time I looked back, he was already deep into the shoot, completely in his flow.   One of those images became the cover of my book Parisian by Design, the very first image I’m sharing here.  Xavier went on to photograph my projects in France for the book, alongside other talented photographers who captured my work in the US. Through Xavier, I also met Claude Webber, a master of retouching and a talented photographer, who would often arrive at early morning shoots with freshly baked madeleines or canelés de Bordeaux. And Noémie Barré, a stylist with an incredible eye and unmistakably French touch. Great images come from preparation, but also from knowing when to trust the process. Grateful for the talent and the journey. All images by photographer Xavier Béjot, originally featured in “Parisian by Design,” published by Rizzoli. . . . . . . . #xbejotphotographer #claudewebberphotographe #noemiemimimimi #davidjimenezstudio #parisiloveyou

Sometimes you just have to follow your curiosity and it leads you somewhere unforgettable. That’s what happened when I found my way to Atelier de Ricou in Paris. A dear friend knew I was looking for someone to develop large custom mirrors and eglomisé panels for an important commission, and after reaching out I had the chance to meet Stéphanie de Ricou in person. Stepping out of the taxi and walking through the picturesque courtyard of her eighteenth century hôtel particulier was transportive. Its worn stone and soft light gave me the feeling something magical was about to happen. Before visiting the atelier, an intimate workspace she created in one of the rooms just off the courtyard, she warmly invited me to walk through the main residence. The rooms have been carefully restored and reflect the work she creates with her talented husband, Cyril de Ricou. Together with their passionate team of painters, gilders, and plaster artisans, they keep traditional decorative techniques beautifully alive. The house, formerly the Hôtel de Guines, began as a small maison de plaisance on the outskirts of Paris. It was originally decorated with Louis XVI–era stucco panels by sculptor Jean-Baptiste Boison for the Duc de Guines—a flutist, soldier, diplomat, and courtier of Queen Marie-Antoinette. Today, it has been magnificently renewed by de Ricou. It was one of those moments that stays with you. A quiet reminder to stay curious, follow your instincts, and trust that the right people and opportunities have a way of appearing at the right time. See my Stories for additional photos.  All images by talented photographer, Xavier Béjot, and originally featured in “Parisian by Design” published by Rizzoli . . . . . . . #atelierdericou #davidjimenezstudio #parisianbydesign #rizzolibooks

Before booking flights to Marrakech, the first thing I did was make a reservation at Dar Yacout. The dining experience had been so intoxicatingly magical on my last visit that I wanted to ensure I could enjoy it again. When you arrive, your taxi door is opened for you, and you are greeted by name before being whisked through a hidden doorway into a series of lush hallways painted in rich tadelakt hues, with soft lighting and ethereal music in the background. You ascend to the rooftop for cocktails before being led into the heart of the restaurant, where waiters in traditional attire guide you through a leisurely paced, unforgettable series of courses. The space was originally designed by Bill Willis, the American architect and designer who fell in love with Marrakech and shaped interiors for Yves Saint Laurent and others. Every detail, from the zellige tiles to carved plaster and candlelit courtyards, is layered, and unforgettable. At night, the city outside glows like a storybook—lanterns flicker on ancient walls, riads shine under the stars, and the scent of orange blossom drifts through the air. Experiencing Marrakech through its cuisine, architecture and design invites you to slow down, notice and be inspired. See my Story for photos of Royal Mansour. Photos: David Jimenez . . . . . . . #marrakech #riad #morocco #daryacoutrestaurant

A weekend in Marrakech, my second visit. Just three hours from Paris, it still feels like stepping into another world. Staying at La Sultana, in the heart of the city, the magic is in the small details: sunlight spilling into quiet courtyards, bubbling fountains filled with roses, carved plaster and intricate tiles that tell centuries of history, the rhythm of the Medina just beyond the doors.    One evening at dinner, I asked a waiter about the fragrance he was wearing, a mix of spicy amber and soft floral notes. He told me the name, but I forgot it before I could write it down. As dinner was ending, he returned with a small bottle of the scent and, with so much warmth, insisted I take it. That simple gesture stayed with me far longer than the food or the architecture. A moving reminder that the kindness and generosity of strangers is often what makes a place truly unforgettable.  See my Story for photos of Majorelle Gardens. Photos: David Jimenez . . . . . . #marrakech #riadmarrakech #lasultanamarrakech #bachacoffeemarrakech

It’s been a minute since I last posted, but a beautiful question drew me back. What gives a room that French sense of soul? I remembered a mirror I carried home from a San Francisco estate sale simply because it felt alive. It already carried a life, and once it met the architecture in my Paris apartment, the whole room softened. Sometimes design is just letting stories find where they belong. That’s the magic, when pieces arrive with stories and feel instantly at home, they speak to one another and create warmth you can almost feel. Paris continues to inspire me. Thank you to jesscherner for the inspiring House Beautiful feature (see my stories). Photographer: Xavier Béjot . . . . . . . . . . . #housebeautiful #parisiandesign #parisapartment #davidjimenezstudio

Astier de Vilatte captures the essence of Parisian craftsmanship. The artisanal ceramics workshop produces pieces that strike a beautiful balance between tradition and innovation, each carrying a story of heritage and artistry. Walking into the intimate boutique on rue de Tournon in Paris feels like stepping back in time. Creaky wooden floors, rustic racks lined with handmade platters, and vintage displays create a magical atmosphere. It’s my favorite shop to find gifts that are timeless, personal, and full of soul. Whether it’s a delicate plate or an elegantly packaged candle, every object feels like a little piece of Paris. It’s the kind of place where you’ll always find something truly distinctive. Including Astier de Villatte in my book, « Parisian by Design », was a way to celebrate their unique vision and share a bit of that magic. I was especially touched when a follower that read the book feature sent me a DM with photos of the gorgeous pieces she picked up there. Such a good feeling to share my favorite French haunts with you. “Parisian by Design » Author: Diane Dorrans Saeks Photographer: Xavier Béjot . . . . . . . . . . . @astierdevillatte #astierdevillatte #parisiloveyou #seemyparis #designchic #designinspiration #parisiandesign #parisiandesigner#parisiandesignstudio #internationaldesign #internationalinteriordesigner #americandesign #americandesigner #americaninteriordesigner #frenchmanorhouse #countrycharme #campagnechic #campagnechicstyle #fleamarketstyle #parisapartment #parisapartmentstyle #wheninparis🇫🇷 #springinparis #fallinparis #decorating #instadesign #justsofrench #ParisianbyDesign #RizzoliBooks @RizzoliBooks #davidjimenez #davidjimenezstudio