The French Ambassador and Family Have Moved to a New DC Residence

Any owner of an older home can tell you that upkeep is all about patch, patch, patch,
at least until the day arrives when a more extensive renovation becomes due. That
due date arrived this week for the French ambassador. The embassy announced that
Ambassador François Delattre and his family have moved out of the country’s official ambassadorial residence on
Kalorama Road and into a temporary rental on Foxhall Road. The official residence
needs a renovation, especially to the upstairs—where, going back even to the tenure
of the last ambassador,
Pierre Vimont, there were leaks and other signs of wear and tear.

French Embassy staff spent several months looking at potential rental properties,
including in Georgetown, with requirements that included ample rooms for public entertaining
and parking. The home they chose—a three-story, cream-colored brick with dark green
shutters, built in 2010—is held by Djurdjura LLC, which, according to public records,
belongs to
Salah Brahimi. According to the records its 2013 assessment is $6,799,680. It has a total of 18
rooms, including seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms. While that may sound grand, the
ambassador’s residence, in addition to being a family home, is also a hotel for visiting
ministers and other French dignitaries.

When the embassy sent out an e-mail Thursday to let
friends know of the change of
address, there was a moment’s stir when recipients asked that
most critical question:
What would happen with the White House Correspondents’
Association dinner after-party
that Vanity Fair and Bloomberg host at the French residence? As
we reported in November,

the always-celebrity-packed party is still on for April 27, at
the Kalorama residence.
Currently, that’s the only party the French plan to host at the
old residence while
it is under renovation. Now begin the aggressive lobbying
campaigns, among otherwise
well-behaved adults, to get on the invitation list.

Carol Ross Joynt