It should come as no surprise that clients of Rodolphe Parente are lovers of design and these ones wanted their apartment in the heart of Paris to reflect this. The thirty-something couple’s brief called for an efficient, timeless and sophisticated abode and, to this end, Parente has created a home that not only shows off their exquisite furniture and art collection, but is also comfortable and relaxed.

His response was an uncomplicated one and it works especially well in a space measuring only 80m². “We wanted to fill the apartment with material and colour contrasts that form a dialogue based on strong opposition,” the Paris-based interior designer explains. Working with the concept of shadow and light, Parente finished the living area’s walls in white and the bedroom’s in black, creating two distinct monochrome canvases upon which to play.

In the bedroom, the dark walls provide a moody backdrop for a feature artwork by graphic designer Bonnefrite, as striking for its subject matter as for its colour. Equally impressive is the series of rotating bookcases – also finished in black – which pivot to reveal the white bathroom.

In a perfectly synchronised act of styling, the blue, red and pink of Bonnefrite’s painting are reiterated in key pieces of furniture in the lounge and dining spaces. Parente’s vision for the living area takes his clients’ needs into consideration and, while he offered direction on how to furnish it, the final edit was up to the couple.

“I didn’t intervene with their purchases,” says Parente. “We had an ongoing conversation about how the interior design and furniture should work together, but I didn’t impose my ideas on them because I’m not the one who lives here.”

His resulting curation is expert yet light handed, with an outcome that’s equal parts polish and informality. Anchoring the lounge is Hay’s Mags Soft Sofa in electric blue and a pink Facett armchair by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Ligne Roset; a combination that’s not only sophisticated but fun.

Ioanna Vautrin’s Baobab fire-engine-red side table for Moustache is a delicious contrast against the Facett’s particular shade of baby pink while, elsewhere in the space, strong graphic motifs – abstract artworks, the blue-and-white Tiger rug by Dylan Martorell, a chequered throw – add punches of curiosity and visual interest.

It’s high-end eclecticism and Parente takes it to the next level in the dining space where a mix-and-match approach to seating is a highlight of the overall scheme. A collection of dining chairs, including Eames’ DSW and a blue Bold Chair by Big-Game for Moustache, sits around another classic Bouroullec item, the Baguette dining table for Magis. The handmade qualities of the clients’ personal ceramics collection set against the table’s slick shape provide yet another contrast, as does the bookshelf, an elegantly understated architectural form custom-designed by Parente.

Its shelves are filled with books on fashion and art and some of the clients’ own personal effects and mementos have been turned into the artworks that furnish the top shelf. Vignettes such as these very much fill the apartment with the clients’ personalities, reflecting a deliberate choice to seamlessly integrate good design, objects of beauty and original art into their everyday lives and lifestyle.

The series of six framed graphic works in the dining space is another vignette that is hard to ignore. Both Parente and his clients reveal their fine eye for detail with this collection of abstract illustrations that echo shapes found in the furniture.

Red lines in one artwork, for example, resonate with the red minimalist form of Achille and Giacomo Castiglioni’s Toio floor lamp for Flos, while the blue squiggles of another work complement the Bold Chair. This apartment is very appealing for these unexpected moments of whimsy and delight, not to mention Parente’s close working relationship with his clients; these have created a home as welcoming as it is stylish.