Houzz Tour: A Fresh, Sunny Renovation of a Gloomy Flat
Before and after photos show how this small, damp, unsafe maisonette was turned into a bright, cosy home
Buying your first home can be a nerve-wracking leap. That’s why this 28-year-old reached out to his network to find an architect willing to accompany him on viewings and consult on the properties’ potential.
In the end, he chose a flat on the ground floor of a maisonette at the back of a courtyard on Rue Sainte-Marthe, an artsy district in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, which has kept much of its bohemian charm. The architect, Pierre Savajol of PS Studio, confirmed that this flat had a lot of potential if it were to get a major renovation, so the owner entrusted him with the project.
In the end, he chose a flat on the ground floor of a maisonette at the back of a courtyard on Rue Sainte-Marthe, an artsy district in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, which has kept much of its bohemian charm. The architect, Pierre Savajol of PS Studio, confirmed that this flat had a lot of potential if it were to get a major renovation, so the owner entrusted him with the project.
In July 2021, the owner together with architect Pierre Savajol visited the ground floor of this maisonette, which was put up for sale as a two-room property. “The 27 sq m flat was in a terrible state, with damp and awful soundproofing, but the charming adjoining 30 sq m courtyard, which is almost private, offered additional value,” Pierre says.
Having discussed his estimate for potential renovations, Pierre encouraged the homeowner to purchase the property at a fair price and launch into the large-scale renovation.
Find reviewed architects in your area on Houzz.
Having discussed his estimate for potential renovations, Pierre encouraged the homeowner to purchase the property at a fair price and launch into the large-scale renovation.
Find reviewed architects in your area on Houzz.
“The ground floor was in pretty bad shape,” Pierre says. “It was very damp; you could see it at the base of the walls, and there was a bad odour. Nothing was up to standard.”
The screed and walls in the bathroom had to be treated, as most of the moisture problems were related to rising damp from the maisonette’s mini crawl space.
The screed and walls in the bathroom had to be treated, as most of the moisture problems were related to rising damp from the maisonette’s mini crawl space.
“The property was almost condemned and there was, moreover, a huge acoustic insulation problem the homeowner wanted to fix,” Pierre says.
“We got an unpleasant surprise when we removed the panelling on the ceiling,” he continues. “The top panelling was a real mess. There were even some holes through which we could see the neighbours’ home, including their washing machine just above. The ceiling was on the verge of collapsing.”
“We got an unpleasant surprise when we removed the panelling on the ceiling,” he continues. “The top panelling was a real mess. There were even some holes through which we could see the neighbours’ home, including their washing machine just above. The ceiling was on the verge of collapsing.”
Repairing this small area called for a substantial amount of structural work. The top panelling was covered and then insulated, Pierre says, “with 10cm-thick soundproofing material made of wood wool, a hard composite, and acoustic BA13 panels [referring to a standard for 12.5cm-thick plasterboard with tapered edges]”.
Pierre also removed and then covered the drenched and uneven screed on the floor, seen here before works. “We put a strong water repellent on the new screed, then we levelled it a little and put in insulation foam, which sits below the new oak wood flooring,” Pierre says. They also replaced the plumbing, electricity, woodwork and radiators.
The newly safe flat features an expanded kitchen corner to the left of the entrance, near the biggest window. At the back, a custom-built cupboard hides the gas meter and fuse box. “We took advantage of the space to create closed storage for keys and an umbrella, as well as a bookcase on top,” Pierre says.
The owner found the vintage Formica table and chairs, which date from the 1950s or 1960s.
“The fridge really sets the tone,” Pierre says. “The homeowner was very keen on having a freestanding vintage fridge-freezer, and we found this new model from Schneider that comes in a range of lively colours. We chose the yellow as it brightened up the space and made this shade the dominant colour in the living area.”
Pierre suggested a parallel kitchen layout for ample worktop and storage space. “The 60cm-deep cupboards house the hob and a 45cm dishwasher underneath, as well as the sink and spice rack. Opposite, the 40cm bar area incorporates a combined microwave oven and storage space,” he says.
More: How to Design an Open-plan Kitchen Layout
More: How to Design an Open-plan Kitchen Layout
Ikea cabinets make up the kitchen’s base. Topped with melamine worktops, they are finished off with wood veneer doors designed by a carpenter.
The galvanised pipe overhead matches the double-flow ventilator they installed. “The pipe was already there, but wasn’t very functional,” Pierre says. “I insisted on keeping it, as it adds a welcoming industrial touch to this old, workshop-style building.”
The galvanised pipe overhead matches the double-flow ventilator they installed. “The pipe was already there, but wasn’t very functional,” Pierre says. “I insisted on keeping it, as it adds a welcoming industrial touch to this old, workshop-style building.”
Before, the small space had lots of partitions, and the young homeowner planned to divide it up further to create a bedroom, living room, and large bathroom. The architect, however, convinced him to open up the space as much as possible. Nevertheless, he designed separate areas with distinct uses.
Pierre left the bathroom in its original space and cleaned it out, as you can see here. Since the outflow pipe was high enough and the homeowner wanted a step-free walk-in shower, the architect opted to raise the floor by 20cm.
The new fan motor was installed next to the water tank in the cleaning cupboard to the right of the toilet. “The double-flow ventilator continuously measures the humidity in the living area and bathroom, extracting humid air non-stop to keep the air clean and prevent damp from accumulating further,” Pierre says.
The new fan motor was installed next to the water tank in the cleaning cupboard to the right of the toilet. “The double-flow ventilator continuously measures the humidity in the living area and bathroom, extracting humid air non-stop to keep the air clean and prevent damp from accumulating further,” Pierre says.
The homeowner requested a large bathroom with a washing machine, walk-in shower and storage, but that was not feasible in the remaining space. So Pierre altered the floor plan to find a way to keep everything in this space.
A large multifunctional joinery column was the perfect space-saving solution. “As far as I’m concerned, this is where the real cleverness of the project lies,” Pierre says.
A large multifunctional joinery column was the perfect space-saving solution. “As far as I’m concerned, this is where the real cleverness of the project lies,” Pierre says.
The column incorporates several key functions and storage for the flat’s various zones. On the kitchen side, it combines a space for the washing machine at the bottom (behind the wooden door), with niches above that have plugs for the mixer, toaster and coffee maker, helping to free up worktop space.
The side facing the living room houses the owner’s books.
The side facing the living room houses the owner’s books.
At the top, frameless glazing with transparent silicone grouting allows natural light into the bathroom. “There’s no need to turn the lights on during the day to brush your teeth, but I also made sure this works the other way round. In the evening, the light in the bathroom acts like a lantern for the living area,” Pierre says.
The glazing is hard to see when the bathroom door is closed and the lights are off.
Nothing is wanting in this small, well-thought-out bathroom. The toilet is in the space with the lowest ceiling height, under the stairs to the first-floor flat. The space also includes an integrated walk-in shower with a level floor and no curtain. “We slanted the floor tiles to direct water to the drain,” Pierre explains.
The cut-off corner on the ceiling did not cause any problems. “It’s still 2.4m high despite the platform and false ceiling,” he says.
The cut-off corner on the ceiling did not cause any problems. “It’s still 2.4m high despite the platform and false ceiling,” he says.
There was only one possible spot for the washbasin: next to the entrance on the left. “It takes up the exact volume above the washing machine in the multifunctional column,” Pierre says. He even managed to fit a medicine cabinet into this Tetris-style layout.
The vanity unit extends between two walls, and features 10cm-deep shelves under the basin. The owner chose the green zellige tiles to go with the yellow in the kitchen.
The entire area was covered with waterproof Placo plasterboard and an insulation layer. The resulting wall was then painted yellow for a bright and warm touch in the sleeping area.
Pierre moved the reinforced beam, which wasn’t load-bearing, to redesign the existing archway. “We adjusted the partition to fit around the bed perfectly,” he says.
These 3D renders show the custom furniture Pierre had initially designed for the room. To manage costs, they had to abandon the plan for a bed perched on a 90cm-tall storage unit. “We saved €5,000 (around £4,400 by choosing a drawer bed from Ikea for €150 (around £130) and working backwards – in other words, fitting the bed into the partitions to make it look as if it was made to measure,” he says.
There was supposed to be a custom-made wardrobe next to the bed, but this was replaced with an out-of-the-box system hidden by a curtain on a rod. The wardrobe now resembles a changing room, allowing the owner to hang his clothes and hide his suitcases.
Drawers under the bed store folded clothes.
“It was a huge challenge to include all of the homeowner’s specifications in the budget and encourage him to make some compromises,” Pierre says, “but it worked very well, and he even recommended me to redesign his colleague’s apartment.”
Pierre believes in making architecture more accessible while maintaining its decorative emphasis, and this was a challenge he took very seriously with this project.
Tell us…
What do you like about this flat transformation? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Pierre believes in making architecture more accessible while maintaining its decorative emphasis, and this was a challenge he took very seriously with this project.
Tell us…
What do you like about this flat transformation? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A 28-year-old man
Location Rue Sainte-Marthe, 10th arrondissement, Paris, France
Size 27 sq m
Project date Consultations in September and October 2021 and renovation from November 2021 to late January 2022
Architect Pierre Savajol of PS Studio
General contractor/carpentry Hellys
Budget €45,000 (approx £39,500) including VAT and furniture
Photos by Quentin Delépine