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While Paris has always been an inspirational playground for designers, many of France’s emerging talents draw from much farther afield. Dahlia Hojeij Deleuze and Racha Gutierrez of Ebur are Lebanese-born childhood friends who grew up in Côte d’Ivoire with a deep reverence for Eastern style. “We’re drawn to Syrian and Ottoman furniture and architecture, especially from the 19th century, but also West African craft traditions,” says Hojeij Deleuze.
The living room maintains a sense of Neoclassical symmetry. The stone fireplace and wood mirror date to the 18th century, as does the Italian chandelier from the homeowner’s collection.
Matteo VerziniTheir multicultural upbringings—spending summers in Lebanon, the South of France, and the Mediterranean coast, and later their architectural studies in Paris—laid the foundation for their practice. “West Africa shaped how we see things and work with artisans, but Paris really sharpened our eye,” Hojeij Deleuze explains.
Since founding Ebur (ivory, in Latin), the pair has cultivated a signature design language blending ancestral references with contemporary clarity. Art Deco mixes with Levantine nostalgia; curving plaster forms, rich textiles, and hand-finished woods evoke both the coastlines of their youth and the refinement of early-20th-century French decorative arts.
A collection of sculptures are displayed on a console. “We love old things, whether they’re antiquities or 20th-century design,” says Hojeij Deleuze.
Matteo Verzini
In the dining room, the designers installed an 18th-century Bourgogne stone floor to contrast with modern furnishings like a 1950s plaster bas-relief and contemporary Jean Touret chairs.
Matteo VerziniTheir ethos comes to life in an apartment in the Palais Royal neighborhood of Paris, where the duo sought to reinvigorate an 18th-century residence with a fresh point of view. The process began with preserving as much of the centuries-old oak woodwork as possible: Herringbone parquet floors, doors, and windows were sanded to reveal their naturally patinated color, adding dimensionality and contrast against the white walls.
“The goal was to revive its original character before introducing touches of modernity.”
Racha Gutierrez
Only then did Hojeij Deleuze and Gutierrez begin to integrate the custom furnishings, built-in elements, and bespoke lighting that bring their layered, tactile environments to life. “That’s a bit of a rule for us—for a place to age well, its foundations should respect the codes of its era and setting,” says Hojeij Deleuze. “Then, for the secondary materials, we allow ourselves to innovate more—maybe use uncommon woods, or new fabrics, or experiment with plaster, lime, and metal.”
The office is furnished with a thoughtful blend of art and collectibles, such as an antique Roman torso in the newly added alcove, a Charlotte Perriand stool, and an Alexander Calder etching. The table is by Axel Einar Hjorth; chair and pendant light, both Pierre Augustin Rose; rug, Jean Lurçat.
Matteo Verzini
The bedroom’s cotton canopied bed brings lightness and calm, while the deep green window curtains create a sense of drama. A Jacques Pouchain lamp rests on a Carlo Bugatti stool; the 18th-century Venetian mirror above was chosen for its hue, which echoes that of the curtains.
Matteo VerziniToday, Hojeij Deleuze and Gutierrez are taking their approach beyond private homes and deeper into product design, scenography, and hospitality—all while staying committed to a craft-first, era-spanning, cross-cultural approach. “It’s not easy for us to identify with just one movement or two or three. We like the idea of remaining open to several influences,” says Hojeij Deleuze. “I think it reflects the world we live in. Maybe that’s what modernity is—the mix between old and new.”
See more of this project (as well as works by other notable French designers) in our new book, Arbiters of Style: The New Wave of French Interior Design (Monacelli), by FREDERIC style director Eugenia Santiesteban Soto.
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 19 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!
