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Houzz Tour: A Chic Flat That Shows Small Spaces Can Be Luxurious
Brilliant use of space and some clever budgeting allowed a designer to create an amazing student flat for his son
Interior designer Jean-Christophe Peyrieux’s son, 18, was about to start his art studies and needed a place to live. While other parents might have made do with throwing some cheap furniture into a run-down apartment, Jean-Christophe saw the opportunity to put his talents to good use and make his son happy.
“I loved working on this project, because I was able to optimise the structure to its maximum potential and furnish it in a style we liked,” he says. “It’s very different from working with the demands of a client, but it’s not necessarily simpler, because you have more doubts when you do it for yourself.”
“I loved working on this project, because I was able to optimise the structure to its maximum potential and furnish it in a style we liked,” he says. “It’s very different from working with the demands of a client, but it’s not necessarily simpler, because you have more doubts when you do it for yourself.”
“The biggest challenge was making room for two separate beds, because my son wanted to have his big brother over regularly,” Jean-Christophe says.
With this in mind, he used the existing constraints of the space as a starting point for planning the layout. Especially challenging was a bathroom with two small windows, partitioned off by a thick wall that concealed a chimney.
With this in mind, he used the existing constraints of the space as a starting point for planning the layout. Especially challenging was a bathroom with two small windows, partitioned off by a thick wall that concealed a chimney.
The studio has only one other window, facing southeast, which is where the sitting area is situated.
As the apartment has a 2.85m ceiling, Jean-Christophe was able to place his son’s bed on a mezzanine.
As the apartment has a 2.85m ceiling, Jean-Christophe was able to place his son’s bed on a mezzanine.
“[It was] impossible to build a structure for a double bed, because it would have encroached too much on the living room, but the 90cm alcove space allowed us to fit a sofa that [turns into] a second, double bed.
This way, my son has his bed on the mezzanine that he doesn’t have to fold up constantly, and he can have his brother and his brother’s girlfriend sleep downstairs, so they don’t disturb each other.”
This way, my son has his bed on the mezzanine that he doesn’t have to fold up constantly, and he can have his brother and his brother’s girlfriend sleep downstairs, so they don’t disturb each other.”
Though Jean-Christophe’s affinity is for optimising the structure of a space and for electrical plans, he didn’t neglect the decor. The shelving unit and small pieces of furniture are his own designs, made by the Belgian company Steele.
Jean-Christophe finds ladders very uncomfortable for adults, so he built a real staircase up to the mezzanine bunk. The MDF structure also allowed for concealed storage, which can be accessed from the living room.
To the right of the about 60cm-wide staircase are 30cm-deep cupboards. “In reality, the storage space is much deeper at the bottom of the stairs because it spans the entire width of the mezzanine – about 90cm,” Jean-Christophe says. “So, I was able to install a wardrobe, a shoe drawer and a tub on wheels you can pull out and where you can store the duvet, pillows and so on.”
There’s about 70cm between the bed and ceiling – enough room to sit up comfortably.
Discover more ingenious ways to fit a bed into a small space.
Discover more ingenious ways to fit a bed into a small space.
The living area below includes a kitchen complete with breakfast bar, a small desk near the window, and a seating area where the designer’s son has arranged his music equipment.
The son fell for a 1970s Weltron radio cassette player (far left) on sale in the shop where his father sells vintage design in addition to his work as an interior designer.
The son fell for a 1970s Weltron radio cassette player (far left) on sale in the shop where his father sells vintage design in addition to his work as an interior designer.
The desk was designed by Jean-Christophe and made by Steele.
Find the right people to help with your renovation in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Find the right people to help with your renovation in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
A breakfast bar marks the boundary between the kitchen and the living room. “I chose a tall table to balance the proportions of the mezzanine,” Jean-Christophe says.
The table has a wooden top and brass studs, while the chairs are covered in leather. Both table and chairs were designed by Jean-Christophe and made by Topos Workshop.
The table has a wooden top and brass studs, while the chairs are covered in leather. Both table and chairs were designed by Jean-Christophe and made by Topos Workshop.
Jean-Christophe especially loves lighting, which explains the luxurious – for a student flat – central chandelier and golden wall lamp. “In a studio, only a few pieces of furniture set the tone, so you have to choose them carefully,” he says. “A central chandelier always brings extra flair.”
1970s chandelier by Gaetano Sciolari, Boutique Peyrieux. Adjustable wall lamps, Atelier Moderniste.
1970s chandelier by Gaetano Sciolari, Boutique Peyrieux. Adjustable wall lamps, Atelier Moderniste.
Jean-Christophe saved on the kitchen to keep the budget reasonable. His dreams of a high-end model and granite worktop had to be abandoned. “We chose a matt grey lacquered Ikea model and a painted wooden worktop. To give the kitchen a custom-made look, I enclosed it within partitions and opted for a mirror splashback.
“A soffit [an overhanging architectural element] on the ceiling delineates the spaces and made it possible to install the pipes and spotlights,” he says.
Here’s another space-smart trick Jean-Christophe used: an extra-flat water heater by Ariston is hidden behind one of the wall-mounted cabinets in the kitchen. This type of water heater, which is rectangular rather than cylindrical, saves a lot of space.
“A soffit [an overhanging architectural element] on the ceiling delineates the spaces and made it possible to install the pipes and spotlights,” he says.
Here’s another space-smart trick Jean-Christophe used: an extra-flat water heater by Ariston is hidden behind one of the wall-mounted cabinets in the kitchen. This type of water heater, which is rectangular rather than cylindrical, saves a lot of space.
As the son had bad memories of his previous, dark, ground-floor apartment, he wanted his little nest to be very bright. He and his father chose an ivory-tinted concrete floor, protected with a matt wax.
“The result is really good,” Jean-Christophe says. “The whole place is very bright and there’s a feeling of spaciousness despite the the small size of the apartment.”
Tinted concrete (on floor), Weber. Veddinge kitchen in grey, Ikea.
“The result is really good,” Jean-Christophe says. “The whole place is very bright and there’s a feeling of spaciousness despite the the small size of the apartment.”
Tinted concrete (on floor), Weber. Veddinge kitchen in grey, Ikea.
The bathroom would have been difficult to move because one of its walls is load-bearing. Since it made the entrance dark, however, the interior designer came up with another trick.
“I added a 240 x 25cm arrowslit window,” he says, “and I used smart glass [which can be turned opaque at the touch of a button] so as not to lose the view from the entrance and the kitchen while also being able to maintain privacy when needed.”
Jean-Christophe says the smart glass really broke the bank, coming in at around €1,200 (£1,031), but the wow effect is undeniable.
“I added a 240 x 25cm arrowslit window,” he says, “and I used smart glass [which can be turned opaque at the touch of a button] so as not to lose the view from the entrance and the kitchen while also being able to maintain privacy when needed.”
Jean-Christophe says the smart glass really broke the bank, coming in at around €1,200 (£1,031), but the wow effect is undeniable.
To draw all attention to this feature, Jean-Christophe went for a frameless door. “Removing such details helps make the space more fluid,” he says.
Here is the arrowslit as seen from the shower side.
The small bathroom is equipped with a shower, a tall storage cupboard, a vanity unit and a toilet. Minimalist details, such as the wall-mounted tap and ceiling-mounted shower head, reveal the quality of the work.
The latter was also helpful, as a conventional shower head would have been difficult to install because of the placement of the windows.
Another smart detail is the built-in LED strip on one side of the shower ceiling, which provides a soft glow.
The latter was also helpful, as a conventional shower head would have been difficult to install because of the placement of the windows.
Another smart detail is the built-in LED strip on one side of the shower ceiling, which provides a soft glow.
Jean-Christophe has some advice to those who want to renovate their own studio. “As it’s not possible to move the walls in a small space, you have to give the eye the widest possible sightlines, so it doesn’t feel cramped. Here, from the entrance, you can see through the bathroom to the roofs of the city. The mirror splashback also plays a part in making the space feel larger,” he says.
As for his son, he has joyfully discovered the life of a student and the fun of inviting friends over to his own home – once his schoolwork is done, of course.
Tell us…
What do you think of this cleverly laid out studio flat? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
As for his son, he has joyfully discovered the life of a student and the fun of inviting friends over to his own home – once his schoolwork is done, of course.
Tell us…
What do you think of this cleverly laid out studio flat? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? An 18-year-old art school student
Location The fifth floor of a 1930s building in the Bastille district of Paris, France
Size About 215 sq ft (20 sq m)
Budget: €40,000 (about £34,320), including the renovation, décor and furniture
Year completed 2018
Interior designer Jean-Christophe Peyrieux
Photos from Jean-Christophe Peyrieux
When Jean-Christophe got wind that one of his clients wanted to sell a chambre de bonne – a room that would once have served as a maid’s quarters – in the lively Bastille district of Paris, he jumped at the chance.
The designer got a great deal at €8,000 (around £6,865) per sq m, but the space was in poor condition and needed a complete renovation.