In few European cities is living in a compact space as common as it is in the French capital, where a small Paris apartment is anything but unusual. As such, surprisingly creative solutions spring out of necessity. Parisians clearly know how to make the most out of a minimal amount of space. Below survey nine apartments featured in Architectural Digest France that demonstrate even the smallest homes can be sophisticated and stylish.
From an apartment in need of a restoration under a mansard roof in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Studio Ett Hem created an airy little suite with plenty of charm. Despite the poor condition of the building, the studio’s goal was to preserve the existing structure as much as possible. Colorful wood paneling, a distinct separation of the different areas of the home, and a judicious integration of storage spaces melded sophistication with functionality.
Across from the Saint-Eustache church in Les Halles, the firm Boclaud Architecture transformed a narrow apartment with different levels into a clever monochromatic world. The designers employed a large kitchen island as both a bar and a table while whitewashed walls and walnut accents add touches of warmth and urbanity.
In Montreuil, a suburb to the east of Paris, Marn Déco decorated an apartment in green tones and gave it a New York vibe. The result is a space that is both sustainable and refined. The owner works at home and wanted a retreat that didn’t cut him off from family life. Light wood and a white-and-green color scheme are the recurrent themes running through the apartment.
Noa Peer and Flore Raimbault of the Paris architecture studio OUI immediately recognized the potential of these petit spaces. They turned a well-worn two-room apartment overlooking the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont into a compact apartment with an open flow that combines bright color with expanses of white. Its 475 square feet include a living room, a small bedroom, and a dining room. It’s all oriented towards the two large windows that overlook the park.
In the center of Paris, Atelier Noun architects applied themselves to making a pint-sized 300-square-foot apartment remarkably multifunctional, and their use of every inch of the space makes it appear bigger than it actually is. One secret: flexible furniture that can be easily moved and rearranged.
This project by Studio Baha is in a Haussmann building in the Paris neighborhood of Ternes. On the top floor, the studio’s Ariane Bromberger and Alban Ho Van combined two 100-square-foot chambres de bonne—or maid’s rooms—to create a small apartment with a mezzanine. Custom furniture and dark wood accents create a graphic interior that downplays the divisions within the space.
Every bit of furniture and every structural detail has been custom designed in this little jewel box apartment that feels like an intriguing and elegant little world. Nothing is off the shelf and nothing is as you’d expect it to be—neither the three-tiered baseboards nor the multiple niches and shelves. It all started with the idea of transforming an apartment into a mini-hotel suite and with the express wish of the owners to include a kind of cabinet of curiosities. Architects Rebecca Benichou and Florence Jallet of Batiik Studio were up to the challenge of creating a clever floor plan in a space that is only 260 square feet.
Just across from Notre-Dame, on Rue de la Bûcherie, Atelier Steve designed a chic 235-square-foot apartment for a student. Surprising textures, soft tones, and a variety of shapes are the building blocks here. Details such as a semicircular table and a curved shelf in the hallway add exciting twists to the not-so-thrilling floor layout.
The street on which the apartment is located in the 6th arrondissement intersects with the Rue du Cherche-Midi. The name of the street hints at what you will find inside—“cherche midi” translates to “seeks midday” and was a reference to an old sign with a sundial. The newly remodeled apartment on the top floor is more than just bright—it's sunny, and somehow Mediterranean, even in the middle of Paris. The furniture in the apartment is mostly vintage and fits ideally into the concept of sensual simplicity. Soft light falls over it all like a comfy blanket.
This story was originally published in AD France. Translated by John Oseid.
