About us
The Paris Apartment began with a simple yet decadent idea: to create a space where beauty is essential, craftsmanship is sacred, and living well is an art form. Whether you're a designer, dreamer, antique archaeologist or curious collector, this is your invitation to step into a story that's still unfolding, one you can hold, wear, sit on or pass down.
Our philosophy is rooted in the timeless allure of the boudoir, a place not just for vanity, but for vision. A room of one’s own, filled with serenity, softness, strength, and style. We believe in preserving forgotten pieces once held dear, uncovering hidden gems, and bringing them into the present with reverence and delight. Every object we find has a past — and a future. The moment you welcome it, you become part of its next chapter.
Founder Claudia Strasser first fell under the spell of French design while restoring crumbling chapels in the South of France. From there, a lifelong love affair began — with the Paris flea markets, with faded ribbon and ormolu frames, with the stories woven into every thread, carving, and curve.
What started as a tiny boutique in New York’s East Village blossomed into a decorating book, a micro movement, and a gathering place for beauty-seekers across the world.
Today, The Paris Apartment is a living archive of French style and joie de vivre, a space to shop, dream, learn, and be inspired. Through curated collections, private tours, bespoke sourcing and storytelling, we help others reconnect with the poetry of the objects that speak to them, and become stewards of something extraordinary.
We want to share beauty, not the kind in magazines or showrooms, but the intimate, soulful kind that lives in creaky drawers, hand-tied ribbons, sun-faded linens, and gilt mirrors that have seen a hundred years of mornings.
We offer access. Legacy. Freedom. Romance. Wonder. Belonging.
We make people feel like they've stepped into a hidden world — one they always hoped existed, but weren’t quite sure was real.
Until they found us.
A note from our Founder, Claudia Strasser
The Paris Apartment began long before it had a name.
In my early twenties, I joined Volunteers for Peace and worked on ancient chapel restorations in the South of France. It was there I first fell in love — not with a person, but with the past. Amid the old stone and faded frescoes, working with my hands as well as my head quickly became an obsession. And preservation became a passion.
From there I made my way to Paris, where I became an au pair for a lovely family who lived in a quintessential Paris apartment that looked like a French pastry —moldings on walls that whispered stories, enormous windows, worn wood chevron floors. Down the rue was the flea market and it pulled me in like a magnet. It became my classroom and my playground, a place where history wasn’t just studied, it was held.
When I returned to New York, I opened a little boutique in the East Village — no business plan, just heart. The shop was filled with treasures I’d brought back from Paris, and soon spilled out onto the gritty sidewalks: tufted slipper chairs, ormolu mirrors, crystal sconces. It was a stark contrast to the neighborhood, and that contrast made it magical.
The boutique became a place to gather — not just to shop, but to connect. It was a kind of modern salon, inspired by the great women of 17th-century France who made conversation, culture, and design into an art form. I became fascinated by the women behind the boudoir — how they carved out space to dream, to create, to be.
From those early days in the East Village, something beautiful began to unfold. I wrote The Paris Apartment: Romantic Décor on a Flea Market Budget, a love letter to creating beauty on your own terms — using intuition, imagination, and pieces that tell a story. That was followed by Paris Flea Market Style, a guide for navigating the winding stalls and secrets of the marchés, and a window into the art of living with history.
In 2014, when the Paris flea markets were at risk of being erased and replaced by a modern mall, I joined the effort to protect them. We fought to gain landmark status by promoting the history and importance of this special place — and won. Today, the markets are recognized as national treasures, protected by the Historical Society of French Heritage.
These days, I still wander the markets with the same awe I felt on my first visit. For over 20 years, I led group tours through the Paris flea markets, sharing the thrill of discovery and the joy of connection. Now, I travel more intimately — winding through France in my car, from the South to Provence and all the charming villages in between, visiting brocantes, estate sales, and the tucked-away corners of crumbling châteaux.
We hit the road with maps, playlists, and plenty of trunk space — uncovering heirlooms, making memories, and getting your treasures safely back to the States. If you're dreaming of a one-on-one weekend adventure, I'd love to have you along for the ride.