How It All Started
A few days ago, Meg and I were having a regular bi-weekly phone call when she asked me to clarify one of the projects that our Paris team was just finishing. She paused and then asked, “So how many projects do you think you’ve done since you started HH Paris?” It hadn’t occurred to us to count them but when we did, we were both astounded that the number was thirty plus!
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That’s when we decided to celebrate this marker … and maybe also revisit how it all happened. Because like many of the evolutions in our business, this one grew unexpectedly and organically and probably started with an unwelcome wake up text that I vividly remember, during Covid.
While back in Atlanta during Covid travel restrictions, I was managing a Paris bathroom renovation remotely when I woke up to a photo of a hideous shower wall and a blunt text: “Did you pick out this tile? It looks awful.” The tile was a compromise—curved wall, limited stock, pandemic logistics—but I stood by it (and it looked fine once grouted). But that moment sealed it: I would do no more long-distance projects unless I could be on-site. Meg and I agreed that once restrictions opened up, I’d head to Paris to explore the design work and see if it warranted a Huff Harrington office.
And so on June 9th, 2021, my husband and I lent** our pup to our BFF’s in Atlanta, said adieu to our daughters, hopped on a plane and took off for an unknown adventure, with Meg’s (slightly envious) blessing. We didn’t know what to expect and certainly couldn’t have predicted that four years later, we would be announcing our 30th project renovation. We could not have done this without the help of a fantastic team on the ground along with capable contractors, the support of our home office and the trust of our wonderful clients, to whom we are eternally grateful.
As we celebrate this “30+”milestone, we’ll take the opportunity to look back on what we have learned and look forward to sharing these experiences with future clients, who dream of owning their own pieds-a-terre in Paris. Here is the beginning of our 30+ series that I hope will be entertaining and especially educational for anyone seriously considering buying and renovating an apartment in Paris.
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Bon voyage!
Ta ta,
Ann
P.S. About the pup...
“Lending” is never a great idea, when it comes to a pup. But I’m happy to say that Coco is living her best life, in Atlanta, with our BFF’s who have kindly put up with her quirks, replaced far too many rugs, brushed her (remaining!) teeth and kept her beautifully groomed for visits from her Parisian family, who miss her. And they refuse to “lend” her back.
