INTERIOR DESIGN
46 JULY 2 0 1 7
People love to dance — at any opportunity.
Guinea and New York have almost nothing
in common; New York is a more stable place
politically of course, but I suppose the hardest
adjustment is speaking English all the
time. Where I was working in Africa, everyone
spoke French. These days I am always
seeking out French people, just so I can give
my brain a rest!”
In Abadie’s apartment, Parisian and African
styles meet in every room. In the
kitchen, the table is covered in a rich, red,
printed tablecloth picked up on her travels,
but atop it sat a hunk of crusty bread with a
slab of warm butter. A selection of French
teas were displayed proudly in vintage style
tins — très chic.
I asked Alise if she missed the boulangeries
of Paris.
“I do,” she said. “I miss the croissants
and the bread. I bring cheese in from
France sometimes, but you have to be a
little sneaky about it. I did discover a wonderful
bakery that feels like home here in
New York. It’s called Maison Kayser. They
have a couple of locations. It’s well worth
the trip!”
In the living room, the table is again covered
in a patterned tablecloth, this one
sunshine-yellow, flanked by bright orange
and red chairs. Arranged on the walls are all
kinds of trinkets and sculptures that Abadie
told me she had shipped from her home
near Paris.
“My colleagues here in New York laughed
and said that I was silly to ship things as I
could buy everything in the city, but I wanted
my things. It isn’t a home without things
that you treasure around you.”
On a book shelf I noticed a set of tiny
golden antelopes peering out across the
room.
“They were my grandmother’s,” Abadie
said, placing them on the table. “My
grandfather was also involved in a nongovernmental
organization in Africa, so I
suppose he must have picked them up for
her then. I believe you use them on a dinner