A 325

Jul 01, 2023

By Nicolas Milon

Photography by BCDF Studio

This 325-square-foot attic apartment in Paris’s Les Abbesses district of Montmartre has a breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower. It also had some issues. The major problem before its redesign was its floor plan: the bedroom took up half the area, there was no storage space, the dining area was an afterthought, and there wasn’t a proper living room. “My solution was to make the most of the living areas, creating a functional kitchen and a comfortable living room,” says architect Marie Tardieu.

With such little square footage, finding room for functional living spaces would require reducing the bedroom to its bare minimum—the new sleeping area is just over 50 square feet. Marie opted for an alcove concept, which frees up space and allows some elements of the apartment to play multiple roles. An integrated trunk bed, for example, covers the entire platform in the alcove and it also includes a storage compartment “for winter or summer clothes, skis, bags, suitcases, and more.” At the same time, the front of the platform does double duty as both a step into the alcove and a small bench.

In the living room located where the bedroom had been, curtains with wide black-and-white stripes conceal a large dressing room and provide a decorative touch. In front of a Volta sofa (NV Gallery) sits a Plexiglas coffee table by Michel Dumas from 1972. Atop a 1990s ceramic column at the end of the sofa is Duetto Solo vase (the Socialite Family). Plastic and glass pendant from the 1970s.

From the entrance, the various layers of the space create an illusion of depth, giving the impression that the apartment is larger than it is. Colors interact, both contrasting and complementing each other, on a base of white with chrome accents.

As she had a limited budget, Marie decided not to undertake any structural work in the 325-square-foot space, but she did rearrange the rooms within the existing plan. She moved and reduced the size of the shower, the former bedroom became a living room, the former living room became a kitchen, and the former kitchen became a bedroom. Where she could have opened up the apartment, the architect instead kept it as a succession of rooms, giving the impression that you are moving through a larger area. “With several different routes for your eyes to move through the space, segmenting it gives it an extra depth without changing the underlying floor plan.” Having assured that the new layout of the apartment functioned well, Marie turned her attention to its decor. She designed a soft arch for the alcove bedroom and, above all, paid particular attention to the color palette: sharp, contrasting, acidic, and pastel. These interactions give the apartment its identity.

A few carefully curated pieces: in the kitchen, on a 1970s Formica table, a Santorini free-standing mobile (Volta). Around it, vintage Formica chairs. On the shelves, crockery by Poterie Ravel and artwork by Florent Groc.

The colors are combined with a striped pattern on the curtains and a number of small objects, as well as vintage pieces that Marie is particularly fond of, both because they are often less expensive and they have the added bonus of having character and soul that comes with age. “It’s the choice of light fixtures and certain pieces of furniture that give the apartment its retro, 1970s style, which brings with it a certain familiarity, like the Formica table from our childhoods. These are inexpensive tricks that provide an overall coherence to the tones and materials used,” the designer explains. The walls of the apartment are white except for the bathroom, which is a pale pink complemented by small gray tiles in the shower. These tiles are also used on the kitchen credenza, creating an overall harmony within the succession of rooms, full of reminders of materials and colors—the common themes of an interior that has been thought out down to the smallest detail.

By Sydney Wasserman

By Valentina Raggi

By Audrey Lee

The standard kitchen units are distinguished by their pink Corian top, also used on the shelves. The elegant credenza is made of the same mosaic tiles used in the bathroom. Chrome accents are found in the faucets, handles, and objects on the shelf. In the foreground a vase by HK Living. On the wall, a 1970s Veca glass, chrome, and Plexiglas sconce.

The alcove bedroom with its soft arch is separated from the rest of the apartment by sheer curtains in pink, a color found throughout the apartment. On the wall, a vintage chrome Folglio sconce by Tobia Scarpa, 1966.

From each room there are glimpses into the next, but the division of the spaces creates the illusion that it is larger than its roughly 325 square feet.

By Sydney Wasserman

By Valentina Raggi

By Audrey Lee

In the living room, an office area is furnished in green, chrome, and light wood with an Aldo Jacober folding chair from the 1960s. On a shelf, a vase by HK Living.

The centerpiece of the bathroom’s pink theme is a Corian vanity top. The shower floor consists of small mosaic tiles in gray. These same materials are found in the kitchen, creating a common theme in the apartment.

The shower is separated by an arched partition that recalls the one separating the alcove bedroom from the rest of the unit.

By Sydney Wasserman

By Valentina Raggi

By Audrey Lee

This story was first published by AD France. It was translated by John Newton.