Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Try GOLD - Free
BIOGRAPHY OF A ROOM
Elle Decor US
|September 2025
In the 1980s Catherine Deneuve bought an 18th-century château in Normandy complete with a working moat.
The salon at Château de Primard, Catherine Deneuve's former Normandy home, in 2014
One might assume the very private French actress wanted to keep the world at bay, but the moat was purely decorative; for more than 30 years the château was her welcoming retreat. She hosted family and friends—Yves Saint Laurent among them, his dresses filling her closets—while her grandchildren played in the gardens.
The room is now a sitting area in the hotel Domaine de Primard. 
This story is from the September 2025 edition of Elle Decor US.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Elle Decor US
Elle Decor US
BIOGRAPHY OF A ROOM
There is perhaps no more quintessentially British restaurant than Simpson's in the Strand, the 200-year-old institution that has hosted Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill, and even Sherlock Holmes and Watson in one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mysteries.
2 mins
April 2026
Elle Decor US
LOVE ON THE LAKE
Working across an ocean, navigating the shoals of family history and treasured heirlooms, New York-based Studio DB granted a Lake Como villa new glory.
4 mins
April 2026
Elle Decor US
NECESSARY LUXURIES
The design we need to make our lives and homes work. This month: Consider the switch.
1 min
April 2026
Elle Decor US
FACADE LIFT
In her most ambitious work yet, artist Tschabalala Self's installation unites the New Museum's original building with a new $82M OMA-designed addition.
2 mins
April 2026
Elle Decor US
JEWELRY HOUSE
This is your last chance to visit the Art Deco exhibition at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris (it closes April 26).
1 min
April 2026
Elle Decor US
IN THE ROOM with RAPHAEL
A one-time-only exhibit on the Renaissance master traces his rise from tiny Urbino to the Vatican—opening a door on his personal world and showing why it still resonates with designers and collectors today.
6 mins
April 2026
Elle Decor US
French Twist
Forget “Non, pas possible.” Paris-based Laura Gonzalez trades snobbish restraint for a spirited “Oui!” bringing her unmatched energy to an ever-growing roster of projects and clients.
5 mins
April 2026
Elle Decor US
YOU SAY ALEXANDER, THEY SAY ALEXANDRE
Alexander Calder was in his twenties when he first moved to France. Now a series of new shows explores the American artist's Gallic connections.
4 mins
April 2026
Elle Decor US
ARCHITECTURE OF TIME
The phrase “one small step” hits different when you're talking about the first watch worn on the moon.
1 min
April 2026
Elle Decor US
MR. SALONE TAKES MILANO
Suspended high above the Milan rooftops, a light-filled penthouse showcases the gracefully muscular design that has more and more brands calling on Italian designer Hannes Peer.
3 mins
April 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size