This Adventurous Couple Bought Their Dream Pied-à-Terre in Paris. And Then the Unexpected Happened
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It’s everyone’s fantasy to own a petit pied-à-terre in Paris, but Coloradans Shannon Connery and Jim Angell actually did it after their four kids flew the coop. Purchased two years ago and completed just this past April, their three-bedroom maison on the Left Bank feels like it’s from another time—with a touch of modern-day elegance.
While the couple normally stays in the States during the summertime, they couldn’t resist heading over to Paris for the Olympics. We caught up with them in between a badminton match and dinner at Comice in the tony 16th arrondissement. Here, Shannon shares the nitty-gritty details of their search, the ensuing renovation (which involved combining and gut renovating two apartments), and what she and Jim love most about their home-away-from-home in every design lover’s dream destination.
Finding “The One”
“In the States, there are probably seven or eight huge real estate groups. Here in Paris, there are tons of teeny-tiny agencies in each arrondissement [the 20 districts that make up the city], and people don’t put stuff on the market. They tell people who tell people. So it was kind of crazy to find a place. Jim flew over to look at a bunch, and I joined him on FaceTime. There was one that overlooked the Eiffel Tower. It was beautiful. But all of a sudden the lights started flashing, and I was like, ‘I think this is too close!’
“I really loved one in the 7th arrondissement, which we went back to see for a second time, but we lost it to a couple who made a verbal, full-price offer before we could write ours up. In the States, you go into a bidding war when that happens, and whoever’s willing to pay more gets the apartment. Here, it’s the first person to make a full-price offer.”
Location, Location, Location
“We wanted a central location more than anything, and this place was on a sought-after block in the 6th arrondissement. In Colorado, we drive all the time. We live in a suburb, so it takes me 20 minutes to get to work, 20 minutes to get back, and 20 minutes to go to the store. We love that when we’re here, we walk everywhere. We take the métro. We take the bus. We also love being by the museums and the Seine and the Luxembourg Gardens.
“We could have gotten a much nicer place for half the price on the Right Bank, but I don’t like Ferraris or need Dior on the corner, and that’s the 8th. The 2nd arrondissement is too commercial. I love the 4th, but it’s so busy. You can’t walk outside on a weekend without 10 billion people around. And the 11th is great for really good restaurants, but you’re not in the center.”
Stories Make the Space
“We were looking for a feeling more than anything. We loved that this place had a story. The exposed-beam ceilings were painted in 1642! It turns out they’re a protected landmark. We can’t touch them and don’t even own them! Thanks to a connection, we worked with a very well-known contractor and designer with an international team headed by Tino Zervudachi, who did Mick Jagger’s home and Jeff Bezos’s yacht. We’re definitely his poorest clients! They gutted two apartments and joined them but were very dedicated to staying true to the building’s origins. He had craftspeople make furniture of that time. We bought a fireplace mantle from that era. The windows were redone with fixtures that would have been appropriate for that period.
“Spatially, we knew we wanted at least one or two extra bedrooms. In the end, since we combined two apartments, we took seven bedrooms and made them three—each with a bathroom. There’s also a powder room, a giant living room, a small dining room, a kitchen and small, eat-in kitchenette, a TV room, and an office. It’s about 2,500 square feet, and while we’re technically on the second floor and own the entirety of it, there are a few different levels. It’s hard to explain—some of the rooms have 17-foot ceilings and so are technically two floors, but others are much lower. Jim can barely stand in the TV room! The building is old, and the design team worked hard.”
Clever Custom Touches
“I cannot describe how much we changed. It’s unbelievable. Everything this company does is custom. In the bedroom, they pushed the bed wall forward and created a huge walk-in closet behind it. Our bathroom used to be a hallway, but now there’s a bathtub for a seven-foot-tall person—and another closet. Our half bath used to be the world’s ugliest powder room, and now we have this beautiful chandelier, custom marble sink, and hand-drawn fish wallpaper! Oh, and the mirror opens to a window that looks out onto the street. You can have privacy, or, if you want extra light or fresh air, you can open the mirror and the window. Our floors are antique, repurposed to look like those Versailles. The walls have hidden doors and look like stone but are painted. In the kitchen, we had these super-fun panels created for the cabinets. The scene started as a Flemish countryside, but we told them it was too stuffy, so they added wild animals, a fisherman, some divers (because Jim and I dive), and a volcano over the stove.”
Mistakes Will Happen
“In the living room, after we removed this weird box of a kitchen, we put in a beautiful mantel over the original fireplace. Only once it was installed were we told that we don’t own the flue, so we can’t ever use it. This is pretty standard in France. So many rules and use of the words non or pas possible. Then we had a little bit of a fiasco after we moved in this April. Everything was super beautiful, but the lights would be on and then we’d use the dishwasher and they’d go off. They forgot to bump up to extra electricity after combining the two apartments! And, again, because things take ages in France, we couldn’t get it fixed until three days before we were returning to the States in June.”
They’ll Always Have Paris
“I remember our first trip together to Paris, maybe in 2014. We walked all around the city and had three-and-a-half-hour dinners. It was then that I think we said, “Let’s do this a lot.”
“I love how creative people are over here. I can go to the grocery store, look at the ingredients, and not worry about being poisoned. Sometimes shopping can be overwhelming; you can’t just go to Whole Foods and get everything. But I like that. We also feel like the government takes care of you. It’s safer. I can get cheaper healthcare with no insurance than I can in a country with. We really love the philosophy of life. Paris is a place where everybody feels entitled to live a good one.”
How to Buy Your Own Little Pied-à-Terre in Paris
Buying real estate in Paris isn’t like buying real estate here in the U.S. Here, Shannon and Jim share the lessons they learned on the best way to go about it.
Accept Being Different
“Work with a company that specializes in assisting expats. We used Paris Perfect Buyers. They help Americans understand the huge differences in the way the housing market, bidding, and loans work in Paris.”
Build Your Community
“Once you arrive, find a group of Americans who can help you navigate life in a foreign country. I am a member of the American Women’s Group, which meets in person and has lots of weekly events, from conversation classes to book clubs, running clubs, community service, and mahjong. Some women are new and some have lived in Paris for decades and can help you with everything from finding a doctor to applying for a long term visa.”
Learn the Language
“The more French you learn, the richer your experience will be. We take online classes with the Alliance Française. Force yourself to speak, even if you make lots of mistakes.”
Manage Your Expectations and Be Patient
“People glamorize having an apartment in Paris, and it is amazing, but it’s exhausting. Culture shock is real. I still can’t make phone calls in French. You can’t get a bank account easily. Handling cable and internet is a challenge. It’s all about relationships, and it takes time to build them.”
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