A marriage of modern and classic at Chateau de Baccarat

March 21, 2000
Web posted at: 2:16 p.m. EST (1916 GMT)

BACCARAT, France (CNN) -- When Taittinger Champagnes took over the Baccarat crystal empire in the 1990s, CEO Anne-Claire Taittinger set out to refresh the newly acquired company's image.

When she toured the Chateau de Baccarat in eastern France, says Taittinger, she knew how to give the old company a new luster.

The mission of Baccarat is to bring beauty and kindness to everyday life, Taittinger says. What better way to show that than in the house of Baccarat?

	VIDEO
CNN's Elsa Klensch tours the chateau. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K

The 18th-century mansion once served as a manager's residence on the grounds of the crystal factory, as well as a getaway for dignitaries and royalty. Taittinger hired French stylist Marie-Paule Pelle to give its interior a face lift.

Pelle's mission: to marry modern and classic styles. She started by taking away the dark, heavy furnishings and introducing soft, pale colors that show off the crystal.

Now, the salon is light and bright, adorned by dusty pastels in silk and velvet. Taittinger says she wanted the room to look "not too formal, and very French."

"We make it very simple -- but also very French because we are French," she says, "I can't hide that.

"It's a place where I would like to be present to host you and that people know that they are in a French province -- but they are also in a family house."

Capturing the essence of Baccarat

The dining room, with vivid colors, has a stronger mood.

"This is the place to have lunch and to show the heart of being together around the Baccarat table," Taittinger says. "What Baccarat is proud to show is the color glasses and the color pieces we are making."

The hues contrast with the black-and-white carpet and the wood paneling, which was repainted as it would have appeared in the 1700s. And the chandelier, though new, has a design commonly seen 100 years ago.

Taittinger's bedroom is distinctive, with Egyptian images on the walls, but her favorite hanging is a 19th-century photograph. It captures the essence of Baccarat, the crystal and the place, she says.

"It shows a woman from Lorraine, the province of Baccarat," she says. "What I mean is that Baccarat is the expression of a part of France, of a tradition, of a soul, that we find in Lorraine."

CNN Style Correspondent Elsa Klensch contributed to this report.

Kennedy House: Bringing family into the home
February 18, 2000
Scacchetti's 'ever-expanding house'
January 6, 2000
Saladino house: A 'bouillabaisse' of antiques
December 21, 1999
Newly opened rooms in America's largest home shine for Christmas
December 13, 1999
'Minimal pop': Spadafora House
September 3, 1999
Waymouth: Warm and welcoming Victorian
August 19, 1999
Jamie Drake's haven for art and antiques
August 11, 1999

Taittinger Champagnes

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.