The Stéphane Bern Collection: A Parisian Interior

"Some people predict that the world will be completely different after Covid," says Stéphane Bern. In his case, the change took the form of selling his Paris apartment in the hôtel Rousseau in the ninth arrondissement and moving to the Perche region. He lived in Paris for 40 years, including 18 in the historic residence architect Pierre Rousseau built in the 18th century as his vacation home. Subsequent residents included Victor Hugo and artist Eugène Isabey (1803-1886). Mr. Bern is turning over a new leaf in his personal life. France’s "Mister Heritage" surprised many when he decided to permanently move into the royal and military college of Thiron-Gardais in Eure-et-Loir, which he bought in 2012 and restored at great expense. But the decision came to him naturally after spending lockdowns in the countryside, where at least he could fully enjoy his "pets and garden” and live to the rhythm of the seasons. The move was accompanied by a change of style. "My house in the Perche was already furnished,” he says, “so I decided to sell all the furniture in my apartment in the Hôtel Rousseau." Mr. Bern brought nothing with him but his archives and the approximately 15,000 books from his library. Some of the proceeds from the sale will go towards funding various works underway in the Perche region, such as the restoration of a 16th-century dovecote and the future temporary exhibition rooms in the parish hall. This is a personal heritage adventure, a laboratory allowing him to see how the restoration of such a historical jewel is carried out, moreover, without public subsidies.…