Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Bright and Colourful Parisian Flat With a Roof Terrace
A Parisian apartment was transformed from a dark and closed space into an open, airy and colourful home
‘It was the terrace that made the owner of this apartment fall head over heels for it’, explains architect Manuel Sequeira. He was in charge of the radical overhaul of this 753 sq ft flat in the 20th district of Paris. ‘It was her number one criteria before purchase,’ he explains. But when she first found herself in the dark and partitioned apartment, the client - a manager in the IT sector - couldn’t fully see its potential. It was only after talking with Manuel Sequeira, who proposed a very modular and open space, with plenty of light, that she was able to picture herself there.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A Parisian manager
Location The 20th district of Paris
Living area 753 sq ft
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A Parisian manager
Location The 20th district of Paris
Living area 753 sq ft
The apartment was built in the seventies, and the blueprints reflect the era. Numerous walls, all connected by a long corridor, resulted in dark rooms and less living space.
‘The layout of the apartment was poor,’ admits the architect, who chose to bring down the inside walls and create a large living/dining room and a spacious bedroom. ‘The separation between the living room and the terrace then disappeared,’ he explains.
‘The layout of the apartment was poor,’ admits the architect, who chose to bring down the inside walls and create a large living/dining room and a spacious bedroom. ‘The separation between the living room and the terrace then disappeared,’ he explains.
‘The owner has a property in Avignon and has strong feelings for the region,’ explains Manuel. Drawing on this, he knew that bold colours from the Provence region would be key to the project.
They decided to run with the idea of white walls and integrated black furniture. ‘This sobriety allows the presence of colour without overburdening the space,’ he says. It also enabled the homeowner to buy this purple sofa, which she had been dreaming of for a while.
They decided to run with the idea of white walls and integrated black furniture. ‘This sobriety allows the presence of colour without overburdening the space,’ he says. It also enabled the homeowner to buy this purple sofa, which she had been dreaming of for a while.
The office corner was created in the former kitchen, and is right next to the terrace. On the wall around the television, we can see multiple little alcoves. The reason for their presence is explained by the architect, ‘the old technical columns of the former kitchen were restrictive because we couldn’t alter them. We turned the constraint around and filled the existing gaps with shelves.’ A black cupboard was added to echo the kitchen.
The kitchen is where the dressing room had previously been. It has a direct view of the terrace, as every room of the apartment does. This is one of the greatest assets of the location. The kitchen is put together with elements from major retailers thanks to the ingenuity of the architect to make it fit the space.
See 9 easy upgrades for a more sophisticated kitchen
See 9 easy upgrades for a more sophisticated kitchen
The kitchen extends around the wall, and can be used as a worktop, buffet or sideboard - to cook, snack, eat or store. It is now an essential element of the apartment.
A sliding door separates the bedroom from the rest of the apartment when the owner is hosting friends or family, but when alone she loves to have views of the terrace. The same wood is used for the bedroom floor as everywhere in the apartment; clear solid oak. ‘An untreated matt varnish preserves the original aspect of the wood,’ adds the architect.
The bathroom was expanded and raised to separate it from the rest of the apartment, and to allow water to drain easily. The monochrome colour scheme respects the sobriety of the rest of the apartment. The grey slates of the floor echo those of the sink unit. ‘We decided to oppose the dark-toned horizontals and white-toned verticals,’ explains Manuel.
The architect’s advice is to ‘turn constraints to your advantage.’ Built-in pipes here have been used to create alcoves to store your bathroom products.
See clever bathroom storage ideas
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Have you turned constraints to your advantage in your home? We would love to read how in the Comments below.
See clever bathroom storage ideas
TELL US…
Have you turned constraints to your advantage in your home? We would love to read how in the Comments below.
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Together, they decided that the apartment would be redesigned to enable the light from the terrace to reach every corner of the apartment. This was when the idea of a modular loft with large windows became obvious.