Houzz Tour: A Tired Flat Gets a Luxe Living Room and Master Suite
A layout rejig and restored period plasterwork have given this apartment contemporary elegance
Claire Tardy
26 June 2019
When the couple who own this apartment moved in, they decided to upgrade it to meet the needs of their future family, and restore it to its former glory in the process. They asked designer Anne Azoulay of Decor Intérieur to assist them.
“Everything had to be redone,” Anne says. “The existing materials were poor quality and the fittings seemed to have been patched together. We renovated everything except the kitchen – the owners preferred to live with that space as it was so they could prioritise their budget for the other rooms.”
“Everything had to be redone,” Anne says. “The existing materials were poor quality and the fittings seemed to have been patched together. We renovated everything except the kitchen – the owners preferred to live with that space as it was so they could prioritise their budget for the other rooms.”
Apartment at a Glance
Who lives here? A couple in their thirties
Location Paris
Size Two bedrooms and one bathroom; about 807 sq ft (75 sq m)
Interior designer Anne Azoulay of Decor Intérieur
Budget €100,000 (around £89,394)
Completion date 2018
The owners are very organised people who like tidy spaces, so the original layout didn’t suit their lifestyle. “The bedroom was too small to accommodate a wardrobe, so it was in the living room,” Anne says.
She therefore got rid of the hallway to the two bedrooms and bathroom to create a large master suite, and shifted the door to the second bedroom – which now serves as an office and guest room – so it opens into the living room.
Who lives here? A couple in their thirties
Location Paris
Size Two bedrooms and one bathroom; about 807 sq ft (75 sq m)
Interior designer Anne Azoulay of Decor Intérieur
Budget €100,000 (around £89,394)
Completion date 2018
The owners are very organised people who like tidy spaces, so the original layout didn’t suit their lifestyle. “The bedroom was too small to accommodate a wardrobe, so it was in the living room,” Anne says.
She therefore got rid of the hallway to the two bedrooms and bathroom to create a large master suite, and shifted the door to the second bedroom – which now serves as an office and guest room – so it opens into the living room.
Before The hallway originally had a false ceiling. Removing it revealed a pleasant surprise. “We discovered old mouldings underneath,” Anne says. However, this also exposed electrical wiring and pipes snaking in all directions.
After This area is now unrecognisable. The blue paint defines the space and brings out the mouldings. “We played with contrasts, especially with the deep blue, which is echoed on the bookcase and woodwork in the living room,” Anne says.
The electricity meter and other unsightly elements are now hidden in the box around the pillar.
Find the right expert to help with your renovation in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
The electricity meter and other unsightly elements are now hidden in the box around the pillar.
Find the right expert to help with your renovation in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
The hallway leads to the living room. “It’s a beautiful space that gets light from three large windows, a rare thing in Parisian apartments,” Anne says. “When the office door [at the far end] is open, you can see all four windows on that side in a row from the living room.”
The new pale, oiled oak parquet enhances the room’s brightness. It was laid throughout the apartment in a chevron pattern.
The wiring has been completely redone and new light fixtures added. Anne chose impactful pendant lights for the living room and put in floor sockets, so lamps could be added in future and to provide opportunities to charge electronic devices. “It keeps the space free of cables lying around,” Anne says.
The new pale, oiled oak parquet enhances the room’s brightness. It was laid throughout the apartment in a chevron pattern.
The wiring has been completely redone and new light fixtures added. Anne chose impactful pendant lights for the living room and put in floor sockets, so lamps could be added in future and to provide opportunities to charge electronic devices. “It keeps the space free of cables lying around,” Anne says.
Before A large wardrobe originally covered the wall of the living room to make up for the lack of storage space in the bedroom. “It was unacceptable for the owners, who like everything to be tidy,” Anne says.
The radiators under the windows had also been visible.
The radiators under the windows had also been visible.
After The wardrobe has given way to a large, custom-made bookcase in painted MDF, which echoes the colour of the hallway.
As a nod to the original mouldings in the hall and to the period style of the property, new mouldings were added to the living room ceiling. “They’re directly on top of the bookcase, to create a real sense of a frame for the room,” Anne says.
As a nod to the original mouldings in the hall and to the period style of the property, new mouldings were added to the living room ceiling. “They’re directly on top of the bookcase, to create a real sense of a frame for the room,” Anne says.
Anne’s original design for the built-in bookcase was symmetrical, but there are now minor differences on either side. “The owners wanted to display framed pictures and decorative accessories in specific places, so everything was adapted,” Anne says.
The low storage cupboards hide the mess the couple would hate to see. “The Internet router is on the left and the TV connection goes directly into the wall, so no wires are visible,” Anne explains.
The low storage cupboards hide the mess the couple would hate to see. “The Internet router is on the left and the TV connection goes directly into the wall, so no wires are visible,” Anne explains.
The apartment’s new wiring made it possible to mount the TV on the wall facing the sofa.
Custom-made MDF boxes conceal the radiator. They and the window frames are painted the same colour as the bookcase and hall. They form a nice line, highlighted by the custom-made white linen blinds.
Before The second bedroom, converted into an office and guest room, could originally be accessed through the hallway that was removed in the renovation. Its entrance has now been moved to the living room, pictured here.
After When closed, the new door is almost invisible thanks to the mural wallpaper that extends across the whole wall. “You almost forget there’s another room behind the partition,” Anne says.
The wallpaper is another of the apartment’s custom-made features. The mural gives depth to the living room, and its parrots echo the apartment’s blue leitmotif.
The couple already owned all of the furniture.
Island of the Blue Parrots wallpaper, Ananbô.
The couple already owned all of the furniture.
Island of the Blue Parrots wallpaper, Ananbô.
Creating the master bedroom was the biggest task in the renovation. “In addition to the walk-in wardrobe, the owners wanted a hotel-inspired bedroom with a shower inside the room, like they’d seen on their many trips abroad,” Anne says.
To accomplish this, Anne kept the shower room in its original location, but opened it up on all sides to create a real master suite. She also enlarged the suite by claiming space from what was once the hallway.
To accomplish this, Anne kept the shower room in its original location, but opened it up on all sides to create a real master suite. She also enlarged the suite by claiming space from what was once the hallway.
The walls are white to make the room brighter, as its sole window overlooks a courtyard. The custom-made velvet headboard fits with the shades of blue in the apartment. It’s complemented by small, cork bedside tables with metal legs that match the chrome finish of the switches.
Before The original shower room was uninspiring, narrow and enclosed, with a raised shower tray the owners didn’t like. “They wanted a walk-in shower and for everything to be at the same level, an arrangement they’d seen on a trip to Australia. So we reworked the idea to adapt it to this old building,” Anne says.
The drainage system was the main constraint. To accommodate it, Anne decided to raise the floor of the entire en suite. “Thanks to this platform, we got the necessary slope to connect the shower room to the sewage system while also having a walk-in shower.”
After The new shower room was conceived as a cube separating the bedroom from the walk-in wardrobe. Thanks to its glass walls, it doesn’t alter the sightlines or interfere with the light in the master suite.
It’s entirely covered in grey-veined marble on the floor and two of the walls, while the vanity unit is white. The lights hang down from a dropped ceiling that enhances the cube feeling.
It’s entirely covered in grey-veined marble on the floor and two of the walls, while the vanity unit is white. The lights hang down from a dropped ceiling that enhances the cube feeling.
The owners needed a lot of storage space for their clothes. The walk-in wardrobe, built where the hallway was originally, was custom-made with a grey wood veneer whose finish recalls the texture of fabric. Its dimensions were calculated to the last centimetre to accommodate the couple’s clothes, even taking into account the length of the owner’s shirts.
The green of the cloakroom, which is off the hallway, sets it apart from the rest of the house. It’s enhanced with lava-stone “origami” tiles in various shades of grey. Even in here there are cupboards to keep the space tidy.
Tell us…
What do you like about this reworked apartment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you like about this reworked apartment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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Beautiful finishes, but a bedroom door leading straight into the dining/living room would be a big no no for me, personally. Not to mention that bedroom 2 is now too far from the facilities. I am sure there must have been budget / structural constrains but swaping the kitchen and bedroom 2 would have made much more sense lay-out wise.
Lovely spaces! dramatic and dynamic.
I love the entire apartment, great design.