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Lyon Before & After: Klein Blue & Coral for a French Apartment
Colour blocking and an open layout refresh a small apartment for its new role as a shiatsu practice and a student's home
This homeowner in her forties grew up in this 60-square-metre apartment near the Lugdunum Roman theatre in Lyon, France. When she inherited it, the decor and layout had not changed since her childhood, so her parents’ old apartment was in quite a poor state. She currently lives with her family in a house on the outskirts of Lyon and is in the middle of retraining in order to dedicate herself to shiatsu. This apartment gave her the opportunity to set up her new practice in the city, and to offer her eldest son a place to live when he starts university.
Existing floor plan; 1: entrance, 2: kitchen, 3: living room, 4: alcove, 5: bedroom, 6: bathroom, 7: lightwell.
We won’t show you the original state of the property just yet, but the plan already demonstrates the complexity of this inherited 60-square-metre apartment on the second floor of an old building.
The entrance took up too much of the floor space and extended into a windowless hallway on the left, which ran the length of the apartment, leading to a tiny bathroom. The rooms – kitchen, living room and bedroom – were set up in a row on the street side and were connected with internal doors, leaving little privacy. Finally, there was only one bedroom, with the second bed hidden in the living room’s alcove.
Luckily, all the partitions could be knocked down, including the one between the kitchen and living room, which integrated a fireplace. “After asking the neighbours upstairs, we found out that the pipe was placed higher, which allowed us to start off with an entirely open floor plan,” says Reubrecht.
We won’t show you the original state of the property just yet, but the plan already demonstrates the complexity of this inherited 60-square-metre apartment on the second floor of an old building.
The entrance took up too much of the floor space and extended into a windowless hallway on the left, which ran the length of the apartment, leading to a tiny bathroom. The rooms – kitchen, living room and bedroom – were set up in a row on the street side and were connected with internal doors, leaving little privacy. Finally, there was only one bedroom, with the second bed hidden in the living room’s alcove.
Luckily, all the partitions could be knocked down, including the one between the kitchen and living room, which integrated a fireplace. “After asking the neighbours upstairs, we found out that the pipe was placed higher, which allowed us to start off with an entirely open floor plan,” says Reubrecht.
New floor plan; 1: entrance, 2: bedroom, 3: living room, 4: kitchen, 5: dining area, 6: bathroom, 7: lightwell.
For cost-effectiveness, Reubrecht tries to get as much as possible out of urban spaces, so she had envisioned two bedrooms, but the owner only wanted one. “She wanted a room for her son and a large space for her business. It’s a luxury to be able to expand the rooms into the space, and we really made the most of it in our design proposals,” she says.
Based on the location of the existing piping, the interior designer quickly came up with the new layout, joining the bedroom and bathroom around an entrance hall. This created a large living room with an integrated kitchen.
Is your floor plan hampering your home’s potential? Find an architect near you on Houzz to achieve the best possible layout
For cost-effectiveness, Reubrecht tries to get as much as possible out of urban spaces, so she had envisioned two bedrooms, but the owner only wanted one. “She wanted a room for her son and a large space for her business. It’s a luxury to be able to expand the rooms into the space, and we really made the most of it in our design proposals,” she says.
Based on the location of the existing piping, the interior designer quickly came up with the new layout, joining the bedroom and bathroom around an entrance hall. This created a large living room with an integrated kitchen.
Is your floor plan hampering your home’s potential? Find an architect near you on Houzz to achieve the best possible layout
The old hallway before works.
Another challenge was that the 60 square-metre home had never been renovated. The panelling, bathrooms, wallpapers and everything else had aged since the owner’s childhood. Pictured here is the old hallway, which ran the length of the apartment from the entrance to a tiny bathroom. “It was a real oddity,” says Reubrecht.
Another challenge was that the 60 square-metre home had never been renovated. The panelling, bathrooms, wallpapers and everything else had aged since the owner’s childhood. Pictured here is the old hallway, which ran the length of the apartment from the entrance to a tiny bathroom. “It was a real oddity,” says Reubrecht.
The new hallway after works.
To get the renovation underway, the owner immediately looked for technical expertise from a building company, but she also appreciated discovering the decorative aspect of the interior designer’s work, especially as Craie Craie specialises in colour.
Reubrecht designed the entrance to be a highlight in how people experience the space. “We aimed for a vibrant effect in this hallway dotted with several pockets of light. That’s why we suggested this single-colour Klein blue box design. This block of colour that stretches to the ceiling is meant to surprise the visitor, pulling them towards the living room’s light and also smoothing out all the prominent features of the entrance, like its doors and cupboards,” says Reubrecht.
It turned out to be the right choice – the owner loves the colour and would never have dared try it in her home without a professional’s reassurance.
Replacements for the original tile are no longer available, so Reubrecht swapped them out for modern cement tiles from Mosaic Factory in France, which makes custom patterns such as the one seen here.
To get the renovation underway, the owner immediately looked for technical expertise from a building company, but she also appreciated discovering the decorative aspect of the interior designer’s work, especially as Craie Craie specialises in colour.
Reubrecht designed the entrance to be a highlight in how people experience the space. “We aimed for a vibrant effect in this hallway dotted with several pockets of light. That’s why we suggested this single-colour Klein blue box design. This block of colour that stretches to the ceiling is meant to surprise the visitor, pulling them towards the living room’s light and also smoothing out all the prominent features of the entrance, like its doors and cupboards,” says Reubrecht.
It turned out to be the right choice – the owner loves the colour and would never have dared try it in her home without a professional’s reassurance.
Replacements for the original tile are no longer available, so Reubrecht swapped them out for modern cement tiles from Mosaic Factory in France, which makes custom patterns such as the one seen here.
The bathroom after works.
Reubrecht turned part of the original entrance into a bathroom, which connects to the original powder room. The entrance tiles flow continuously into this space, not interrupted even by a threshold. Reubrecht lowered the ceiling to put in spotlights and a controlled mechanical ventilation system.
The overall design skilfully fuses classic and more contemporary stylistic touches. The vanity unit is emblematic of this combination. “We bought a white cabinet from Leroy Merlin and a Tikamoon terrazzo washbasin, then we adapted a rosewood countertop that belonged to the owner’s dad, who’s a cabinetmaker,” says Reubrecht.
Reubrecht turned part of the original entrance into a bathroom, which connects to the original powder room. The entrance tiles flow continuously into this space, not interrupted even by a threshold. Reubrecht lowered the ceiling to put in spotlights and a controlled mechanical ventilation system.
The overall design skilfully fuses classic and more contemporary stylistic touches. The vanity unit is emblematic of this combination. “We bought a white cabinet from Leroy Merlin and a Tikamoon terrazzo washbasin, then we adapted a rosewood countertop that belonged to the owner’s dad, who’s a cabinetmaker,” says Reubrecht.
Next to the new powder room is a window to a lightwell. This was replaced along with all the other windows in the apartment. This was one of the more stressful parts of the renovation due to major supply chain disruptions on joinery materials in 2021.
Colourful surfaces bring cheer and a playful touch into the bathroom. The blue-grey recessed cupboard conceals plumbing and the hot-water tank, while the terracotta walls and ceiling continues the colour of the floor tiles with an exact match.
The bedroom after works.
This space has become a bedroom – this will be the owner’s son’s room during the university year. For now, the owner is using it as an office.
This space has become a bedroom – this will be the owner’s son’s room during the university year. For now, the owner is using it as an office.
To let light circulate the interior as much as possible, the room was fitted with a glazed corner in wired glass, to match the restored door from the original room.
“The high window in the bedroom diffuses light into the living room thanks to this glazed corner made by joinery firm Tenbo. The glazing cuts through the corner of this room from the entrance, which creates perspectives through to the natural light sources,” says Reubrecht.
“The high window in the bedroom diffuses light into the living room thanks to this glazed corner made by joinery firm Tenbo. The glazing cuts through the corner of this room from the entrance, which creates perspectives through to the natural light sources,” says Reubrecht.
The interior designer also made sure she keep as many original elements as possible to maintain the apartment’s period charm. This included the vintage wrought-iron entrance rack, pictured above. The old fireplace was also moved to the left of the door in the new living room to form a decorative element.
The living room after works.
Reubrecht combined the living room, hallway and existing bedroom to make the large living room and open-plan kitchen, seen here. It was designed to be a soothing and warm space, reached through the Klein blue passageway with a lowered ceiling. The blend of white, wood and coral reflects the light from two high windows.
Discreet yet bright kitchen shelving replaces the old, narrow hallway. “We rearranged the kitchen to back onto the bathroom, so as to bring all the wastewater pipes together. This positioning also allowed us to keep the kitchen’s old herringbone floor after sanding. We didn’t have to add anything since the partition had been installed overtop,” says Reubrecht.
Reubrecht combined the living room, hallway and existing bedroom to make the large living room and open-plan kitchen, seen here. It was designed to be a soothing and warm space, reached through the Klein blue passageway with a lowered ceiling. The blend of white, wood and coral reflects the light from two high windows.
Discreet yet bright kitchen shelving replaces the old, narrow hallway. “We rearranged the kitchen to back onto the bathroom, so as to bring all the wastewater pipes together. This positioning also allowed us to keep the kitchen’s old herringbone floor after sanding. We didn’t have to add anything since the partition had been installed overtop,” says Reubrecht.
During works.
The old entrance is in the background here.
The old entrance is in the background here.
The kitchen after works.
Kitchen shelves are hidden in a niche in the wall that separates the bathroom and kitchen. This also made it possible to hide potential eyesores, such as the washing machine and fridge-freezer, behind walnut laminate doors.
“The Egger laminate panels were created with a trompe-l’oeil [or ‘trick of the eye’] effect with frames that hide the handles in the vertical posts. The functionality and depth of the cupboard disappear from view,” says Reubrecht.
Kitchen shelves are hidden in a niche in the wall that separates the bathroom and kitchen. This also made it possible to hide potential eyesores, such as the washing machine and fridge-freezer, behind walnut laminate doors.
“The Egger laminate panels were created with a trompe-l’oeil [or ‘trick of the eye’] effect with frames that hide the handles in the vertical posts. The functionality and depth of the cupboard disappear from view,” says Reubrecht.
It is worth noting the block of solid pink starting from the entrance and continuing to curve over the kitchen cupboards. It was inspired by the old arch in the living room alcove.
“We experimented with multiple shades of pink, the complementary colour to Klein Blue, to find the perfect shade. We tried lighter shades, but they just didn’t work. This coral shade from Ressource is the only colour that brings out the Klein blue without looking pale, as it has a little bit of blue in it,” says Reubrecht.
“We experimented with multiple shades of pink, the complementary colour to Klein Blue, to find the perfect shade. We tried lighter shades, but they just didn’t work. This coral shade from Ressource is the only colour that brings out the Klein blue without looking pale, as it has a little bit of blue in it,” says Reubrecht.
The kitchen cabinetry was custom-made in off-white laminate and Burgundy walnut to fit the space perfectly.
The living area after works.
Craie Craie did not offer furniture as part of this project, but the owner could rely on sound advice from Reubrecht and her associate Agathe Léonard to furnish her space as desired in a playful and contrasting style. Some interesting picks include a mustard wraparound sofa, fluorescent pink ceramic stool, a wool rug with a Zen motif evoking Japanese gardens and a throw with a blue pattern by artist Linnea Andersson.
Craie Craie did not offer furniture as part of this project, but the owner could rely on sound advice from Reubrecht and her associate Agathe Léonard to furnish her space as desired in a playful and contrasting style. Some interesting picks include a mustard wraparound sofa, fluorescent pink ceramic stool, a wool rug with a Zen motif evoking Japanese gardens and a throw with a blue pattern by artist Linnea Andersson.
As with the other vintage pieces in this apartment, the existing wardrobes and the marble fireplace in the old bedroom were cleaned and refurbished to decorate the living room.
Since the apartment’s completion in October 2021, the homeowner has successfully established her shiatsu practice in this space. “This practice inspired by Chinese medicine aims to restore the flow of vital energy, and now there is beautiful energy circulating here! As the perfect finishing touch, my companion, who has a web design company, even made her business cards to reflect the space’s graphic identity,” says Reubrecht.
She has shown how, by competently guiding the process with their suggestions, a designer can turn an interior into a perfect mirror for the occupant’s soul.
She has shown how, by competently guiding the process with their suggestions, a designer can turn an interior into a perfect mirror for the occupant’s soul.
3D floor plan.
Your turn
Has this colourful interior inspired you to amp up your own home? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the renovation conversation.
More
Enjoyed seeing this transformation? Check out another great refresh with this Before & After: A Truly Luxurious Redo of a Darlinghurst Penthouse
Your turn
Has this colourful interior inspired you to amp up your own home? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the renovation conversation.
More
Enjoyed seeing this transformation? Check out another great refresh with this Before & After: A Truly Luxurious Redo of a Darlinghurst Penthouse
Apartment at a Glance
Who lives here: This is the homeowner’s professional space where she practices shiatsu; her son will also live here when he starts university
Location: Lyon, France
Size: 60 square metres
Project date: March to October 2021
Interior designer: Célia Reubrecht, designer and manager of Craie Craie, and her associate Agathe Léonard
Builder: Montonni in Villeurbanne, France
Custom-built fixtures and fittings (kitchen and glass wall): Tenbo Menuiserie in Corbas, France
The owner approached the Montonni construction company to carry out the renovation, but because the property had a complex floor plan, they encouraged her to reach out to a design professional. Her network of friends connected her to interior designer Célia Reubrecht, founder of Craie Craie studio. Reubrecht was instrumental in bringing this architectural vision to life and completely renovated the old space with a bold new aesthetic and plenty of joy.