00:02The clients had wanted the apartment for 20 years and had the opportunity to buy it.
00:10So they had a good idea about what worked and what didn't after living there for so long.
00:17It was a genuine desire on their part to transform the place and allow them to truly make it their
00:24home.
00:27I really lacked the concept of being able to completely open up the apartment and creating the one continuous space.
00:36They even told me they now spend much more time in the apartment.
00:41They cook more often, feel much more at home and go out less than they used to.
00:47Which for me as an architect is truly rewarding.
00:52I'm Juliane Garcia, an interior designer in Paris and the founder of Maison Insula, my own design studio.
01:06The apartment is located in the 11th arrondissement of Paris.
01:12It's a central area that offers a vibrant neighborhood life.
01:20The building dates from the early 20th century and is located in a quiet courtyard.
01:29The clients are a couple of graphic designers. They live here with their dog Sento.
01:36They travel a lot and always bring back art pieces and books from the countries they visit.
01:46The apartment has been rented out for at least 30 years.
01:51The electrical system was not up to code and some wetter leaks had left their mark over the years.
01:59Some elements of the original structure were worth preserving such as the molding,
02:05the imprints of all fireplaces on the floor and the solid wood parquet flooring.
02:14The linear circulation made it feel very tight and it was impossible to perceive
02:20the full 12 meter length of the apartment at a glance.
02:25All partitions were removed except for a load-bearing wall that houses the plumbing.
02:31We wanted the kitchen to be part of the living room and give the bathroom more privacy and created
02:37a new entrance for the bathroom to accommodate a laundry space since they didn't have one before.
02:44We divided the living and sleeping areas with a new wall.
02:48Floor to ceiling pocket doors open up to suggest different paths of circulation across the apartment
02:55that will make it feel larger than it is.
03:01As soon as you walk into the apartment, a small but luminous entry area welcomes you.
03:08Right beside the door, we installed two custom-built closets that conceal the electrical panel
03:15and house the washing machine along with some coat storage.
03:22This is a high traffic area where you might enter with wet or dirty shoes,
03:28so it made sense to do a tiled floor that continues throughout the kitchen and the bathroom.
03:42The living room is open and connected with the kitchen.
03:48Placing the sofa against the island unit helps to define the large open area.
03:56Instead of having an unused dining room, usually they will just gather around the coffee table
04:02on the sofa and chairs. They decided to leave a foldable table in the basement for when they
04:08wanted to host sit-down dinner parties.
04:13We chose a small frame tv and placed a few art pieces around it to keep the screen as discreet
04:20as possible.
04:23The space between the former chimney flues and the new partition allowed for a creation of a small
04:31niche with wooden shelves for the client's book collection.
04:35We didn't want to erase the history of this place so we decided to keep the floor of the old
04:42fireplace
04:43but updated the tiles to match the terracotta ones in the kitchen.
04:49The kitchen is from IKEA with a costume-o wood countertop that was especially designed locally for this kitchen.
04:59The dusty pink tiled backsplash was chosen by the clients and is placed in a grid pattern that gives
05:06the space a modern and clean look that contrasts beautifully with the walnut of the island.
05:14To maintain a clutter-free look, we heated the fridge, dishwasher and extraction fan behind the illuminated cabinets.
05:26Before the renovation, I noticed a large sideboard tucked away in a dark corner of the dining room.
05:33I specifically asked that we put this space into the design, serving as a central island.
05:40It also adds a lot of storage inside for pots, pans and other non-kitchen items.
05:48A striking chandelier hangs above the island, showcasing the work of Nama Hoffmann, a Berlin-based designer.
06:00The bedroom is at the end of the apartment.
06:03It can be entered through the two pocket doors on either sides, unlike doors that swing open.
06:11The doors can be completely hidden away, which means we can make use of all of the space around the
06:17doors.
06:18The frosted glass maintains privacy while lighting the light in.
06:24We designed this room so that, even when the pocket doors are fully open,
06:29you cannot see the bed from the other side of the wall.
06:32With a headboard built as a continuation of the partition, equipped with fittings and outlets for lamps and chargers.
06:44As the room is situated at the far end of the apartment, we position the wardrobe along that wall.
06:51Adding a drawer set in the corner so as not to block a small window in that spot.
07:00This room also had a fireplace at one point, so we replaced the tiles the same way we did in
07:07the living room
07:08and created a niche for books and personal objects.
07:16The bathroom is accessible through a frosted glass door by the entrance of the apartment,
07:21which allows natural light to filter into the entrance hall while maintaining the room's privacy.
07:31During the renovation, we removed a heater that we really wanted to replace for something that looked more modern.
07:39We ended up finding a vertical heater that matched the black features of the rest of the bathroom.
07:49Besides the tankless toilets, we installed a small closet that hides the water heater and adds a bit of closed
07:57storage to this small space.
08:03I found that designing small spaces is often much more fun for me, especially because I enjoy diving into every
08:12little details.
08:14I feel very lucky to be able to share this process with my clients.
08:19It requires putting yourself in someone else's shoes to imagine and optimize their daily routines.
08:26I feel bad for myself.
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