A house is said to reflect its owner’s personality and Karl Largerfeld’s 18th century Parisian apartment stands true to it. In 1989, Vogue got an opportunity to send photographer Oberto Gili and editor André Leon Talley to document the stunningly gilded splendor of Lagerfeld’s Left Bank apartment in Paris. 
Along with a villa and two apartments in Monaco, a château in Brittany, as well as homes in Rome and in Melun and the hideaway featured here, the designer had done up all of them in the eighteenth-century style.
The majestic nine room Parisian apartment featured handwoven fabrics from Lyon, Versailles-esque beds, statues and feathers and fringes and crown canopies. The 18th century bed was signed by Sene. Lagerfeld created its theatrical baldachin. The first tier of the night-stand is inlayed with Sevres porcelain. The stucco statue of Madame du Bary is by Augustin Pajou. The baldachin of Karl Lagerfeld’s Louis XV bed is an extravaganza of handwoven brocade, ostrich plumes and bird of paradise feathers.
Even when dinning alone, Karl ate from Meissen China on the table set in front of his favorite statue, a bronze commissioned by Catherine the Great in 1774. 
Take a look at the detail from a set of gilt wood Louis XV chairs and sofa signed by Bara and covered in Aubusson fabric depicting the bounty of the four seasons.
The captivating blue salon is furnished in Louis XV pieces covered with brocade silk velour. The bed, a lit a la turque, was recreated from period documents. The paintings flanking the fireplace are by Jacques de Lajoue while the Aubusson rug from Versailles belonged to Louis XV.
The dining area boasts of Louis XV chairs in scarlet surrounding the table draped with a Venetian lace table cloth. It also features a painting of a scene from the life of Christ that once hung in Marie de Medici’s private chapel. Another image shows a close up of Louis XV vermeil flatware and crystal, linen napkins and Meissen china. 
However, much of this splendor was auctioned in 2000 in Monaco fetching about $21.7 million. Karl Lagerfeld had told Vogue, “Anything dusty, dirty, musty—forget about it here. I like my eighteenth century fresh.” While Talley described, “The entire place (and Lagerfeld’s mental condition) might best be described as a Versailles complex.”
