If you’ve ever walked around in the neighbourhood of Montmartre in Paris, you’ve probably stumbled upon a tiny house that looks like the cake house from the Germain fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel”.
La Maison Rose.. When you see this beautiful “Pink House”, your heart fills up with romance and joy. When our team was searching for places for our photo-shoot, we all said “this is it!”
Not only because of the beauty of it but also the story behind it.
Located on 2 Rue de l’Abrevoir for more than one hundred years (noone knows the actual opening year), La Maison Rose has been around even before Montmartre was a part of Paris!
The café has been serving coffee since the beginnings and also used to be a boarding house where local writers could eat inexpensively.
La Maison Rose has always had a close relationship with the writers and artists of Montmartre and the historians guess that it was opened somewhere around 1850’s. And the first owners are a complete mystery!
Laure Germaine who was Picasso’s muse and lover, purchased La Maison Rose in 1905 with her husband, Ramon Pichot (Salvador Dali’s teacher). According to some rumors, they were the ones who painted it pink after a trip from Barcelona. A perfect blend with the texture of Montmartre!
This couple was very interesting as Germaine was the former love interest of Picasso’s best friend Carlos Casagemas. But she was already married to Ramon and they were friends with Carlos as a couple. And they all met in Paris couple of times a year.
Later on Carlos became obsessed with Germaine and eventually committed suicide infront of his guests that he invited to at Café L’Hippodrome. This tragic event inspired Pablo Picasso and his painting “The Death of Casagemas” in 1901. Picasso felt guilty and depressed for not being there to stop his best friend from killing himself.
After Casagemas’ death, visiting Germaine was like a comfort to Picasso and eventually she became a muse for him. And they were often found at La Maison Rose!
After Laure Germaine died in 1948, Béatrice Miolano bought La Maison Rose and today it is owned by her granddaughter Laurence Miolano. Laurence prides herself on bringing the local spirit back and hopes to draw the locals in since the place went through some touristic phase and lost its identity until 2018.
Not only do we love the place for its unique design and its history, but we really feel inspired by the spirit of it. As a family business, we try to tie together multiple influences and authenticity with Deux Beautés products, as our colors and shapes reflect a craftsmanship that is geared towards both our local and international clients.
Thank you La Maison Rose for giving us the opportunity to shoot beautiful photos and to be amazed by your story.
Muge Pascal
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