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Houzz Tour: Bold Colours and Graphic Lines Lift a City Flat
Clever zoning, accentuated by vivid décor, made it possible to fit two work spaces into this small flat
The thirtysomething couple who live in this 54 sq m apartment in a 1960s building in central Paris were already renting it when they were given the opportunity to buy it. The property hadn’t been renovated in many years, so, to give it a new lease of life, the owners called Nicolas Payet, founder of the Marn Déco agency, whose work they discovered on Houzz.
“The clients really fell in love with some of my projects that were published on Houzz,” Nicolas says. “The couple had initially contacted me to update only part of the apartment, but in the end we went with a total renovation project, getting rid of all of the existing décor and using a very colourful, geometric design.”
“The clients really fell in love with some of my projects that were published on Houzz,” Nicolas says. “The couple had initially contacted me to update only part of the apartment, but in the end we went with a total renovation project, getting rid of all of the existing décor and using a very colourful, geometric design.”
The apartment was in a bad state before the renovation, with floors that hadn’t been changed since the 1960s and outdated fittings.
The formerly separate kitchen was not very practical the way it was set up along one wall. The couple decided to open it to the living room to bring as much light as possible into the dark space.
“We filled in the original opening between the entrance and the kitchen in order to create a custom unit on one side and a floor-to-ceiling module on the other, which contains the fridge and additional storage,” Nicolas says.
“To separate the living room from the kitchen, we came up with the idea of a large window with white-painted metal slats [see the first photo].”
“To separate the living room from the kitchen, we came up with the idea of a large window with white-painted metal slats [see the first photo].”
The kitchen features blue and white floor tiles, paired with petrol-blue upper cabinets. Two solid areas of intense brick red create a bold contrast.
The gilded brass handles complete the décor, combined with a laminate worktop and a couple of oak shelves, which add a warm note to the bold space.
You might also enjoy 32 Kitchen Handle Designs That Could Elevate Your Cabinets.
The gilded brass handles complete the décor, combined with a laminate worktop and a couple of oak shelves, which add a warm note to the bold space.
You might also enjoy 32 Kitchen Handle Designs That Could Elevate Your Cabinets.
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The apartment, situated on the fifth floor, already had a long balcony and big windows that bring in lots of light. But the old wood flooring had darkened the space.
Nicolas replaced it with engineered oak flooring to boost the brightness and tie the décor of the apartment together.
Nicolas replaced it with engineered oak flooring to boost the brightness and tie the décor of the apartment together.
Previously, a dining table, a desk and a sofa had overloaded the living room. Now, each zone is well defined. The living room corner fits naturally in front of the kitchen divider, while the dining area is to the left, enhanced by a custom-made banquette.
Nicolas also changed the flooring in the former bedroom, seen here, and divided the 17.5 sq m space into two distinct zones – a sleeping area and an office – separated by an elegant slatted pine divider.
A bespoke headboard made out of wallpaper with tropical motifs brings colour into this space, which marries white and pale wood. To the right, a large, discreet, floor-to-ceiling cupboard offers lots of storage, while rounded shelves offer a place to display books and ornaments.
The owners work from home, so they needed to integrate two work spaces into the design. They had previously had an office space between the entrance and the living room, but the location was not ideal for both of them. The natural space to put the second desk was the bedroom.
“We took this into account when developing the project by integrating two offices where each can have a well-defined space,” Nicolas says.
The owners wanted to work a laundry into the bathroom, seen here before the renovation. This is now next to the new vanity unit, in a closed space behind the new door.
“In the bathroom, the owners had imagined a restrained space bringing together white and pale wood. But when they found an article on Houzz about one of my projects – an office space in Paris that had been transformed into a short-term rental space – they fell in love with a bi-coloured headboard we’d created. This feature inspired us to create a blue and pink pattern behind the vanity unit,” Nicolas says.
As in the kitchen, the designer worked in bold arches and rounded forms, which add a lot of character.
Tell us…
Which is your favourite part of this Parisian flat? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
As in the kitchen, the designer worked in bold arches and rounded forms, which add a lot of character.
Tell us…
Which is your favourite part of this Parisian flat? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A couple in their thirties
Location Central Paris, France
Size 54 sq m
Budget €52,000 (around £44,455)
Duration Four months
Interior designer Nicolas Payet of Marn Déco
Photos by Marn Déco