French Houzz: Dark Parisian Apartment Sees the Light
A home in a stylish district of Paris gets a bright and colourful makeover and lets the sun shine in
“It was the terrace that made the owner of this apartment fall head over heels for it,” says architect Manuel Sequeira. He was in charge of the radical overhaul of this 70-square-metre flat in the 20th district of Paris. “It was her number one criteria before purchase,” he explains. But when she first found herself in the dark and partitioned apartment, the client – a manager in the IT sector – couldn’t fully see its potential. It was only after talking with Sequeira, who proposed a very modular and open space with plenty of light, that she was able to picture herself there.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: An IT manager
Location: The 20th district of Paris
Living area: 70 square metres
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: An IT manager
Location: The 20th district of Paris
Living area: 70 square metres
The apartment was built in the ‘70s, and the blueprints reflect the era. Numerous walls, all connected by a long corridor, resulted in dark rooms and less living space.
“The layout of the apartment was poor,” says Sequeira, who chose to bring down the inside walls and create a large living/dining room and a spacious bedroom. “The separation between the living room and the terrace then disappeared.”
“The layout of the apartment was poor,” says Sequeira, who chose to bring down the inside walls and create a large living/dining room and a spacious bedroom. “The separation between the living room and the terrace then disappeared.”
“The owner has a property in Avignon and feels strongly about the region,” Sequeira says. Drawing on this, he knew that bold colours from the Provence region would be key to the project.
They decided to run with the idea of white walls and integrated black furniture. “This sobriety allows the presence of colour without overburdening the space,” he says. It also enabled the homeowner to buy this purple sofa, which she had been dreaming of for a while.
They decided to run with the idea of white walls and integrated black furniture. “This sobriety allows the presence of colour without overburdening the space,” he says. It also enabled the homeowner to buy this purple sofa, which she had been dreaming of for a while.
The office corner was created in the former kitchen, and is right next to the terrace. On the wall around the television, we can see multiple little alcoves. “The old columns of the former kitchen were restrictive because we couldn’t alter them,” Sequeira says. “We turned the constraint around and filled the existing gaps with shelves.” A black cupboard was added to echo the cabinetry in the kitchen.
The kitchen is where the dressing room had previously been. It has a direct view of the terrace, as every room of the apartment does.
The kitchen extends around the wall, and can be used as a worktop, buffet or sideboard – to cook, snack, eat or store.
A sliding door separates the bedroom from the rest of the apartment when the owner is hosting friends or family, but when alone she loves to have views of the terrace. The same wood is used for the bedroom floor as everywhere in the apartment; clear solid oak. “An untreated matt varnish preserves the original aspect of the wood,” says the architect.
The bathroom was expanded and raised to separate it from the rest of the apartment, and to allow water to drain easily. The monochrome colour scheme respects the sobriety of the rest of the apartment. The grey slate on the floor echoes that used for the vanity. “We decided to oppose the dark-toned horizontals and white-toned verticals,” Sequeira says.
The architect’s advice is to turn constraints to your advantage. Built-in pipes here have been used to create alcoves to store bathroom products.
Together, they decided that the apartment would be redesigned to enable the light from the terrace to reach every corner of the apartment. This was when the idea of a modular loft with large windows became obvious.