00:01Our clients are passionate about art and craftsmanship.
00:07They wanted a multifunctional space that had all of the comforts of a larger home.
00:13Because the client wanted to work on her ceramics in this space,
00:17it made sense to take inspiration from the former artist ateliers.
00:26My name is Sophie Berck and I am Pauline Girardot.
00:30We are interior architects, friends and business partners,
00:34and the founders of our interior architecture studio Petit Jour Architecture, based in Paris.
00:41The apartment is located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris.
00:46The area is full of theatres and concert venues and many cafes and restaurants.
00:53The entrance to the complex is on the Buzzy Boulevard
00:57and what were originally artist ateliers dating back to the first half of the 20th century
01:04were split up and transformed into residential lofts of various sizes.
01:12Each of the units was empty and unfinished with only electricity, gas and plumbing connections in place.
01:19The apartment looked very bare with few traces of the old artist ateliers.
01:24Anything was possible.
01:26To design this apartment, we first decided which areas to place against the wall with the least natural light.
01:33At the entrance, we placed a slim kitchen area which ends with a breakfast bar.
01:39Beside it, we added a set of full height closets.
01:43We placed a separate toilet by the entrance and placed a main bathroom at the furthest corner of the apartment.
01:49This arrangement allowed for the office, bedroom and lounge area to be next to the garden terrace.
02:03As you walk into the apartment, you are greeted by a small entrance drenched in red-orange paint.
02:11Just behind the door, there is a full height storage unit that conceals the electrical panel
02:17and serves as shoe storage, a place for the vacuum and the ladder.
02:22To help define this area and hide the electrical, we dropped the ceiling height a few centimeters.
02:29The bold paint and low ceiling make the rest of the apartment feel larger as you step into the other
02:35areas.
02:36The living area is very minimalistic and sits beside the large terrace doors, making it feel directly connected to the
02:44outside.
02:44The mustard sofa sits above the ground to make it appear lighter while also making it easier to clean.
02:53Beside the window, we installed a thin radiator by Habitat Confort.
02:58It has an industrial look that closely matches the spirit of the original space.
03:04The low coffee table sits below a red pendant, which we hung lower to emphasize the ceiling height.
03:11Our clients had a large painting by Gentilmire. The bold colors in it inform the palette of the rest of
03:18the apartment.
03:19Both the terrace door and the office windows are framed by two cream blackout curtains.
03:25They fully darkened this space at night.
03:30The office area sits higher than the rest of the apartment, on top of the mezzanine.
03:36The mezzanine is made out of pine wood, which matches the industrial spirit of this apartment.
03:43We also chose a varnish that made it very scratch resistant, so that the office chair wouldn't have to sit
03:51on top of a rug.
03:53The desk was positioned to face the rest of the apartment.
03:57It feels like its own separate room.
04:00One of the legs is actually a dower unit covered in the same wood as the mezzanine,
04:07which makes the desk feel integral to the space.
04:10The desk surface and its small backsplash are made from salvaged oak from a train wagon.
04:17The desk extends to become one of the shelves where the clients display design objects.
04:24The clients needed close storage to keep their files and documents.
04:28So we designed a low cabinet and a smaller upper cabinet.
04:33The doors are made of glossy prussian blue melamine and give this corner more depth.
04:39The mezzanine was made exactly to fit the dimensions of a double sized bed.
04:44Thanks to a simple mechanism of rollers and tracks, the bed slides easily without much effort.
04:51We played around with the idea of a bunk bed with an office below, but we felt it would break
04:56the space up too much,
04:58and make it look like a teenager's room.
05:01Behind the bed, the desk leg with storage becomes the bedside table with a power socket for a lamp.
05:09Because the mezzanine is quite tall, there's room below it to put away the bed with the blanket and pillows
05:17as they are.
05:21Although the clients like cooking, the kitchen is compact and reduced to the essentials.
05:27We carefully chose materials that could handle heat and moisture.
05:33Just over the countertop, we placed a series of modular string shelves.
05:39And the countertop is made out of lava stone with a glossy white animal finish.
05:46We chose a sink that closely matches the texture and shine of the countertop.
05:51And the lower cabinets are made out of an industrial looking brushed stainless steel.
05:57The material has a soft reflection that helps bounce light around in the space without feeling too shiny.
06:05Behind the cabinet doors, we concealed the dishwasher, fridge and trash bins,
06:11helping this kitchen look less like an obvious kitchen.
06:15Above the two burner cooktop, we placed upper cabinet.
06:19It's a bit shallower than the lower cabinets, so as not to bump your head when cooking.
06:25We decided to place the oven microwave on the opposite side of the kitchen.
06:30This makes the oven practically invisible from the rest of the apartment
06:34and also makes cooking more comfortable than in a traditional linear kitchen.
06:40The tiled surface was inspired by atelier work tables.
06:45This was also designed as the perfect spot for the client to work on her ceramics.
06:52Beside the table, we placed a sconce to help light the work area.
07:00In between the kitchen and bathroom, we placed a custom made floor to ceiling closet.
07:05For the doors, we chose H mirrors that reflect the garden and make this place feel larger.
07:12The mirrored doors together with the shiny red tiles of the bar and the brushed stainless steel
07:18make the entire back wall of the apartment somewhat reflective,
07:22which was very key to make the entire place feel luminous.
07:26The main bathroom is a compact yet functional space, since the clients only needed a shower and a wash per
07:33scene.
07:34For the walls, floors and countertop, we used the same tile format as the bar counter.
07:41A white ceramic basin sits on top, paired with chrome fixtures that match the rest of the apartment details.
07:48Inside the shower, we included a built-in tiled bench providing ample place to sit.
07:55Instead of a glass door, we opted for a shower curtain.
08:00It's more space efficient and cost effective.
08:03The wall-to-wall mirror with the integrated light visually expands the small room.
08:09The room's light switch was crafted by designer Steven Coefic.
08:14The client immediately fell in love with it.
08:18Right beside the entrance, we placed a small toilet separated from the main bathroom.
08:24It's a simple room with a tankless, floating toilet and some hooks behind the door.
08:30The large private garden visually extends the apartment when looking from the inside.
08:36We wanted the clients to feel encouraged to use it, so we recommended the Studio Caractère
08:41and they designed together a new outdoor space.
08:45A new deck was installed and a series of plants, flowers and trees.
08:50The metal beams are a nice reminder of the history of the building.
08:55The floors in here are varnished concrete, which is what the artist ateliers originally had.
09:01The materials in this space are durable and easy to maintain
09:05and are inspired by how these artists would have used this space in the past.
09:11Upgrading these spaces lets us keep the character of places like the former Montmartre Atelier, for example,
09:17and adapt them for contemporary life.
09:19With thoughtful design, even a tiny footprint can offer moments of quiet,
09:25a connection to greenery and the quality of a larger home,
09:28helping cities remain lively, mixed and affordable.
09:31You
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