A restored Robert Mallet-Stevens landmark is for sale outside Paris

When French couturier Paul Poiret commissioned Robert Mallet-Stevens to design him a ‘château moderne’ 25 miles west of Paris, in Mézy-sur-Seine, the architect pulled out all the stops to create a show-stopping landmark that still turns heads 100 years later.

Poiret was once hailed as ‘the King of Fashion’ for revolutionising women’s couture in the early 20th century, but his star was already fading by the time Villa Paul Poiret was completed in 1925. His extravagant tastes remained, but his fortune was short lived—within a decade, he was financially ruined, having only briefly lived in his opulent country retreat. Yet, Villa Poiret endures as a testament to his ambition, more a cinematic escape for lavish entertaining than a humble home. It appears like a marooned cruise ship on the landscape, spanning 800 sqm with 25 rooms (including 10 bedrooms) all set within 12 acres of private grounds.

Many of Mallet-Stevens’ grand designs have been lost over the decades, adding to Villa Poiret’s significance (it was added to the list of ‘monuments historiques’ in 1984). The U-shaped layout incorporates three wings, each with its own private access, overlooking a courtyard lined with olive trees.

The main entrance opens into a grand hall with seven-metre ceilings and wide, bright southeastern views. A vast terrace here leads down to the garden. Another terrace extends from the south-facing kitchen, updated with new cabinetry and appliances. The east-facing wing is an ‘enfilade’ of office, lounge and terrace, with an ensuite bedroom, two secondary bedrooms and a shared bath. The opposite wing has six more bedrooms, a small kitchen and a shared lounge.

The upper levels have access to two terraces — one on the first-floor rooftop and one on the second-storey rooftop, with views all the way to Paris. The basement level encompasses the long pool, with access to the outdoors. The two-storey guest house has a bedroom and bathroom, both with their own terraces, plus an open kitchen and living room.

Details of the property’s Streamline Moderne style (Paquebot, in French) are everywhere, from the curves of the foundation to the horizontal leaded-glass mullions to the porthole windows. The cubic silhouettes of the upper volumes and staircases are typical of Mallet-Stevens, famous for designing Villa Noailles in Hyères and the restored Villa Cavrois (read about its €23m restoration). A contemporary of Le Corbusier and André Lurçat, he was known also for his use of white and black materials.

The home has seen several owners and renovations yet still retains its original character with improved flooring and wall panelling. It’s currently on the market with Architecture de Collection for €4m.