Mehmet and Dimonah Iksel with their son Kubilai, a philosopher

We all remember where we were on September 11 and we will forever remember where we were the evening Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8. She managed to complete her 70 year jubilee AND to meet the new prime minister Liz Truss at Balmoral, two days before leaving us. What a determination and courage she had! When we learned the news, Paris was in the middle of design week and all the galleries of the Latin quarter were open and serving champagne. I was in the new IKSEL showroom on rue Bonaparte, next door to Ecole des Beaux Arts.

A ravishing bouquet was enhancing the wall paper

I was reunited with old friends, Mehmet and Dimonah Iksel, who, with a unique talent, have developed a collection of wall papers based on Italian paintings, Indian miniatures, French landscapes or any kind of decorative item that they approve of. Over the years they have turned an artisanal company into an International success, providing wall paper for decorators in the US, Europe and the Middle East. Their new boutique at 20 rue Bonaparte is particularly pretty and they now create some fabrics too. Their son, Kubilai, who is fun and very handsome, is writing a philosophy book. And while the couple mostly lives in London (Mehmet studied at Oxford), they will  come to Paris more often.

Each one of their designs is ravishing and the combination of Turkish, English, Iraqi, American and French upbringing have made wonders for this uniquely creative couple.

IKSEL, 20 rue Bonaparte, Paris,  in South Kensington, London and in the United States