Interview #6 in the series “Parisiennes with panache“
Isabelle Poupinel is a crafter of porcelain. Hers is a world where the solid yields to liquid forms, where matter is wielded to give expression to joy and light. Her name works magic in foreign ears, rhyming like music and conjuring up images of bubbles and lace. Her hands work magic as well, transforming earth into beautiful yet functional creations. Isabelle works from her atelier near Versaille, and displays her works in numerous design exhibitions. You can see her collections on her website Isabelle Poupinel à table and on her blog.
Some of Isabelle’s works will be on display in selected ParisSharing apartments. Come for a visit and you can enjoy them during your stay, and purchase them at the end. How’s that for an offer!
We met with Isabelle in a café next to her favorite bridge in Paris, the Pont Mirabeau.
ParisSharing : Are you a parisienne from birth or of heart ?
Isabelle Poupinel : You might call me a provicial parisienne, considering that I live between Paris and Versailles. But my origins are in Toulouse, where the sunlight is more direct.
In your mind, what does it mean to be a parisienne?
IP: My image is that of a parisienne enamored with her city and her neighborhood, with good knowledge of Paris as if were her own territory. She is spontaneous with no complexes, cultivated, hard-working, combative, and so attached to her milieu that she often can’t bother to leave Paris.
Does this match with you and your home?
IP: Up to a certain point, but I also can’t do without nature. My home is near a wood, and brings together old stone and modern design. I like to make my home and garden an interaction between the functional and the refined.
At ParisSharing, we want to share with our customers a certain joie de vivre, of which Paris is a symbol in the world. What in particular do you like to share about Paris?
IP: I like to highlight the stylistic uniformity and uniqueness of Paris.
Tell us about your brand and how it contributes to joie de vivre for you and and your customers.
IP: What comes from my mind and my hands is offered to all in a spirit of creative giving. I consider it both as art and as an art of hospitality, since many of my works are used to serve something to others. You might say that I give form to the art in what we call in French l’art de recevoir and also l’art de vivre. In addition to crafting the objects, I also put great care into the caligraphy and the choice of text that adorns some of my works. There is joy in the form, in the caligraphy, and in the words.
Which are the two or three places in Paris that are dearest to you?
IP: I really enjoy the Montorgeuil quartier, and as you mentioned in the introduction, I also love bridges and in particular the Pont Mirabeau, with its elaborate baroque decoration and singular golden-green color. When you arrive in Paris from Versailles, it’s the first bridge you see. It represents for me the gateway into Paris.
Are there any “secret” addresses that you would enjoy sharing?
IP: Boulangeries/Bakeries: Paris has so many, and they often have their specialities. I enjoy experimenting, during my roaming within the city, trusting in my eye for detail and the freshness of the product. I can never get enough of pains aux raisins, and still die for the chocolate-black current macarons by Hermé.
For authentically home-style chocolate, I recommend Génin on the rue de Turenne.
My favorite restaurants?
Chez Koba (jap) rue de la Michaudière
Boco (concept)- 3, Rue Danielle Casanova, 75001 Paris
Punta ala Caffé – 3 Rue de Vienne – Paris 9ème – 01 45 22 35 71
Punta Ala Caffe – Passage Choiseul – Paris 2ème
Chez Hugo – place des Vosges (brasserie cool et jeune)
L’Astrance (étoilé) de Pascal Barbot – rue Beethoven- paris 16.
Le Chateaubriand: 129, avenue Parmentier – Paris 11ème
Some other of my favorite spots (from an artist’s point of view):
- Lieu du Design, rue du Faubourg St-Antoine
- Galerie Florence Fabre – 11, avenue de Bouvines-11ème
- Galerie VU (photo) -quartier Notre Dame de Lorette
- Photographe Thierry Prat, photography coaching (a great idea to better discover Paris and your own talent as a photographer)
Last but not least 
the Atelier/Show-room Isabelle Poupinel in Viroflay/Versailles, with private visits organized on demand.
Works by Isabelle Poupinel are on display and available for purchase in selected ParisSharing apartments. Specific orders can also be made in advance of your stay and delivered to your apartment, regardless of which one you choose. Contact welcome@paris-sharing.com for more details.