00:03The apartment is located in the heart of the 8th arrondissement in Paris, next to the Pont de l'Allemagne.
00:11Paris is a very active and loud city, which can feel overwhelming at times.
00:16So the main concept was to create a very comfortable space that would blur away all stress that might come
00:22with the high activity and movement around Paris.
00:28Everything in this apartment except the couch, the puffer and the dining chair was either refurbished or designed and built
00:34by us.
00:37We're 23 years old and I've been best friends ever since we were kids.
00:44This apartment belongs to Joshua's family. When we had the opportunity to combine our talents and renovate the apartment, we
00:50felt extremely privileged.
00:53I live here on my own, but since I have a big family, I love to have them stay over.
01:00Having a West African background, there's a common practice of hoarding and having many objects sitting around the house, which
01:08pushed me to the extreme opposite. Minimalism and simplicity.
01:19The 8th arrondissement has a very rich historical heritage.
01:25It's in a popular tourist location with nice Osmanian buildings and large avenues.
01:34The building itself has six floors and was built in 1910.
01:40There are only a few apartments, so the neighbors all know each other and there's a very good relationship between
01:45the residents.
01:50For this project, we had relatively limited resources, so the main focus was to make the most out of what
01:56we had.
01:57We were looking to create a small space with a grand feeling, something quite minimal but functional at the same
02:03time.
02:03That maintained its identity and had a calming feeling to it.
02:10Before our renovation, the apartment was left vacant for years and in a very bad condition.
02:16There was a lot of mess, it had clothes and bags all around.
02:23The apartment had a large living room by the entrance and two bedrooms next to it.
02:28There was an L-shaped corridor, which led to the kitchenette and a bathroom.
02:34We removed every wall except one bedroom wall.
02:37This wall was extended across the width of the apartment.
02:41A large kitchen, dining and living area was added to the open plan space.
02:46The bedroom is accessed through a hidden door from the kitchen.
02:49Lastly, a bathroom was added in the corner of the apartment.
02:56At the entrance, we kept a piece of the old existing wall in order to add a feeling of privacy.
03:03when visitors enter the apartment.
03:06To prevent direct view into the kitchen, we created a full height wardrobe that is used to hang jackets and
03:13store shoes.
03:15You also find a full body mirror in a round shape that we designed to replicate the shape of the
03:22existing windows.
03:25For the electrical distribution box, we created a semi-open cabinet with a walnut back wall.
03:33Stepping into the apartment, you find an open plan living, kitchen and dining room.
03:39We opted for a light oak floor throughout the apartment.
03:43It is a parquet en point de hongrie, an emblematic type of flooring in Paris.
03:50It was important for us to refurbish the existing fireplace.
03:54We took apart the surrounds, gave it a new color of dark green, then closed the opening.
04:02The custom coffee tables are made out of solid oak in a round shape, which makes it easier to move
04:08around.
04:09It also takes up less space.
04:14I had found the chair, which was in terrible condition in our attic, and I always knew that I wanted
04:20to give it a second life.
04:23I took the chair apart entirely and sanded the wooden parts.
04:28We chose a new cloth, which looked similar to the cloth of the couch.
04:36To draw the attention away from the asymmetric position of the fireplace, we created a continuous sideboard with two shelves.
04:45In order to maximize storage, we added walnut veneer doors along the narrow slope under the windows.
04:52Having a continuous wood grain was a key component to making the space feel more balanced.
05:00We chose to keep the original radiators, so we took them to Germany where I'm based.
05:06They were entirely cleaned and colored in the same green as the chimney.
05:15The kitchen overall has a very simplistic look with no visible handles.
05:19We integrated recessed grip profiles for a sleek look and extended it throughout the unit.
05:26What initially draws the eye to the kitchen is the shiny backsplash made from the same walnut veneer as seen
05:33in other parts of the apartment.
05:37It was coated with several layers of varnish, making it shiny and water resistant.
05:44When designing the kitchen, we chose to prioritize bench space because I often have friends over to cook together.
05:53The dining table came from the same slab of wood as the coffee tables in the living room.
06:01The shape of the dining table was created by us in a way that gives easy access to the window
06:06and its beautiful view.
06:10We included a sitting bench for up to three people.
06:17On the right side of the bench, we created a cabinet with integrated sockets to charge phones and laptops.
06:24I work more and more from home and I often get on video calls, so we added acoustic panels above
06:30the seating bench to help absorb the echo and hide the AC.
06:38We thought that designing the door to make it look like an extension of the kitchen cabinet would not only
06:44be a surprising factor, but would also add onto the overall simplistic look we were looking to achieve.
06:54The custom walnut queen sized bed frame has additional support, which we positioned in the middle to make it look
07:01like it's floating.
07:04We designed the bedside tables with the same walnut veneers as the panels and the bed frame, which are all
07:10custom made as well.
07:12We chose classical bedside lamps, which we built into the walnut back wall.
07:19We made the handles of the wall drip out of walnut and gave them a more grippable shape.
07:25The length of the handles adds an aspect of height, which reduces the bulky look a wall drip might usually
07:32have.
07:36The integrated TV can be pulled out to access connections and hide devices behind.
07:46We decided to experiment in the bathroom and went for a completely different style altogether.
07:54The tiles are synthetic marble.
07:58Since it has anti-slipping properties, we chose to use them on the floor as well as the walls to
08:04have a uniform look.
08:07A true highlight in the bathroom is the skylight that directly falls onto the shower.
08:15There was a chimney shaft where the old kitchen was.
08:19So we built a cabinet that perfectly covers the shaft and creates additional storage, which also fits a space saving
08:27water heater.
08:28The sink we chose is made out of mineral cars.
08:31Under it we fitted a vanity that has two drawers, which lights up with the open space.
08:38We initially added the lower parts of the rods for stability, but felt that extending them could add a good
08:44sense of perspective and a vision.
08:49We exchanged the old window with a German window, which has the unique characteristic that it can be left half
08:56open for ventilation.
08:57The film we added on the window gives some privacy to the bathroom.
09:03Designing a small space can be challenging because every square meter has to carefully be considered in terms of functionality.
09:12But beautiful because when executed, you can feel how much thought went into every little detail.
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