Barrister Peter Jopling spent €3 million ($5 million) and three years renovating a 17th-century Paris apartment – in a building built by Palace of Versailles designer Jules Hardouin-Mansart – and his architect designed and documented the work from a locked-down Melbourne during COVID.

Commercial silk Mr Jopling, who retired last year and chairs both the Ian Potter Museum of Art and Melbourne Art Foundation, bought the 200-square-metre apartment – one of four in the Rue des Tournelles building – about decade ago when it was very rundown, architect Randal Marsh said.