TIPTOE & Melina
“Our colorful, mixed-style furniture can make it feel like you’re in a holiday home, which is exactly what I wanted!”
Today, we’re visiting Mélina, from the Instagram account @chezmelina. She opened the doors to her apartment, located in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. A lovely space rebuilt from scratch, where she welcomed us with Elios, her son who is not quite one year old.
Let’s start the tour!
Hello Mélina! Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little more about you?
My name is Mélina, I’m 32, and I’ve been living in Paris with my husband David for almost 10 years. We’re both originally from the south of France, but we love living in Paris; this city inspires me so much and we feel right at home here. In April 2021, our little boy Elios arrived and turned our lives upside down. Since then, the three of us have been living our Parisian adventure together, and we couldn’t be happier!
Tell us the story of your apartment—when did you move in?
David and I got married in July 2018, and right after that we immediately felt the urge to take on the project of buying an apartment in Paris. At the time, we didn’t really know what we were getting into… it was our first purchase! The search wasn’t easy, but when we fell absolutely in love with this small one-bedroom apartment tucked away in the 3rd arrondissement, we fought to get our application accepted! We got the keys to our apartment in May 2019, then started the renovations as quickly as possible, because everything had to be redone from floor to ceiling!
Can you share a good spot in your neighborhood with us?
We live in the upper Marais, so there are plenty! But if I had to name just one: Bontemps pâtisserie. Their cakes, tarts, and fruit pavlovas are as beautiful as they are delicious!
Your “home” is synonymous with…?
Holidays! The country-house spirit is quite present in our apartment, thanks to its unusual layout, exposed beams, and our dormer roof. Our colorful, mixed-style furniture can make it feel like you’re in a holiday home, which is exactly what I wanted!
What fuels your inspiration every day?
My work and my professional circle inspire me a lot.
Paris is a very inspiring city; the street inspires me a lot, as do exhibitions, events, museums, and of course social media (Pinterest in particular, and Instagram).
What is your favorite piece in your apartment?
My favorite piece belonged to my maternal grandparents: an old white flower pot. I’m very attached to it; it stays on our terrace in summer and I bring it inside in winter to protect it.
How did you discover us? What do you like about our pieces?
I discovered you in 2016, on social media!
There are several things I like about TIPTOE pieces, first of all their durable aspect. I know I can use my pieces for a very long time and in endless ways. If we move, I can turn my bench into a coffee table, or our dining table into a desk if our needs change, and I really like that idea!
Secondly, I really like the fact that the pieces can be taken apart and stored very easily. We live in Paris, and like many people we have a small space, so being able to unscrew the legs of our dining table in no time and hide it behind the sofa is really practical!
And finally, their design! We have a lot of wooden furniture at home, so I immediately loved TIPTOE pieces, which are colorful and made of steel, allowing us to mix them with our raw wood furniture.
What’s your favorite TIPTOE piece at home, and which one would you like to have?
My favorite Tiptoe piece is our large table in the dining room: a big raw wood tabletop with white steel TIPTOE table legs. I also love our Lou stool; it’s extremely practical!
The piece I’d really love to have at home is part of the Kids collection: the Tutti Frutti desk with its beautiful whale-blue legs, but I’m waiting until Elios is a little older…