Before & After: Parisian Elegance in Beautifully Muted Blues
This 19th-century apartment hadn't been renovated in 70 years. It got a major makeover inspired by nature and the ocean
This stunning, 1,865-square-foot (173-square-metre) Haussmannian apartment in Paris, France, had the perfect space division for this family of five, with a double living room, four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large separate kitchen. But there was a catch: It hadn’t been renovated in 70 years.
The family fell for the blue ombré effect in a studio apartment they saw in a Houzz story, the work of interior designer Miriam Gassmann. They loved it so much they asked Gassmann to take on their own mammoth renovation project. Blue, the sea and nature became the motifs of their home’s new decor.
The family fell for the blue ombré effect in a studio apartment they saw in a Houzz story, the work of interior designer Miriam Gassmann. They loved it so much they asked Gassmann to take on their own mammoth renovation project. Blue, the sea and nature became the motifs of their home’s new decor.
Original Layout. The apartment layout was perfect for the new owners and their three children: It had a large entryway (on the right of the image), a 215-square-foot (20-square-metre) kitchen on the left and a 540-square-foot (50-square-metre) double living room on the right. A hallway led to two bathrooms and four large bedrooms, ranging from 150 to 180 square feet (14 to 17 square metres).
Gassmann tore down the walls in the areas marked in red and re-partitioned the space. This allowed the team to enlarge the bathrooms and organise the wiring and plumbing better.
Gassmann tore down the walls in the areas marked in red and re-partitioned the space. This allowed the team to enlarge the bathrooms and organise the wiring and plumbing better.
New Layout. The demolition gave the owners a chance to rethink part of the flooring. “The very first time we met, they asked me for a blue waxed-concrete floor,” Gassmann says. This now covers part of the entryway and turns and flows into the hallway, kitchen and bathrooms, creating the look of an ocean current running through the whole apartment, reflecting the owners’ love of nature.
Before Photo
Before. Despite its dated and faded look, the original double living room had some beautiful period features, like its oak herringbone floor or double wood doors with beautiful reliefs.
After. The yellowed wallpaper was swapped out for white paint for a contemporary look.
The owners also asked Gassmann to recreate the apartment’s original mouldings. “For budgetary reasons, we often go for resin or polystyrene modules that are glued and painted, but here the mouldings were remade by a professional who knows the traditional techniques. The clients wanted a sustainable restoration, and the result is incomparable, even though the mouldings cost close to 10,000 euros for the entire apartment,” Gassmann says.
The living room overlooks the Place de la République, an often crowded Parisian hotspot. So, Gassmann replaced the old windows with new wooden ones with better acoustic insulation.
The owners also asked Gassmann to recreate the apartment’s original mouldings. “For budgetary reasons, we often go for resin or polystyrene modules that are glued and painted, but here the mouldings were remade by a professional who knows the traditional techniques. The clients wanted a sustainable restoration, and the result is incomparable, even though the mouldings cost close to 10,000 euros for the entire apartment,” Gassmann says.
The living room overlooks the Place de la République, an often crowded Parisian hotspot. So, Gassmann replaced the old windows with new wooden ones with better acoustic insulation.
Only half of the original double doorway was preserved, and a second one was created on the other side of the TV screen for a symmetric look. There are no doors, but the door frames are finished in solid oak.
“For this project, we agreed on a unifying element: Whenever one moves to an area with a different function, one crosses a wooden opening,” Gassmann says. “This gave the apartment verticality and warmth to compensate for the waxed concrete floor, which is cold in appearance though soft and cosy to the touch.”
“For this project, we agreed on a unifying element: Whenever one moves to an area with a different function, one crosses a wooden opening,” Gassmann says. “This gave the apartment verticality and warmth to compensate for the waxed concrete floor, which is cold in appearance though soft and cosy to the touch.”
Before Photo
Before.
After. As the owners have all their meals in the kitchen, the dining area is used as an office or a place to entertain guests.
The library at the back of the space doubles as the family’s music room. It’s separated by an industrial-style glass-and-metal partition. The original burgundy mantlepiece was replaced with white marble.
“Two of the three children and their mother play the piano for several hours a day. The semi-partition was used to back the upright piano [not visible from this angle], while a grand piano stands to the left. That’s why it was absolutely necessary to be able to close off this area,” Gassmann says.
The library at the back of the space doubles as the family’s music room. It’s separated by an industrial-style glass-and-metal partition. The original burgundy mantlepiece was replaced with white marble.
“Two of the three children and their mother play the piano for several hours a day. The semi-partition was used to back the upright piano [not visible from this angle], while a grand piano stands to the left. That’s why it was absolutely necessary to be able to close off this area,” Gassmann says.
Here is a closer look at the grand piano and the white marble fireplace with its golden trim. Less visibly, the chimney was fitted with a new chimney liner.
Facing the piano is a custom-made storage bench. This space had been filled with old wooden furniture: “The idea was to create a cosy corner where one could come listen to the music and enjoy the fireplace,” Gassmann says.
The original bookcase had concealed radiators. Gassmann relocated these to beneath the street-facing windows. “We used recent cast-iron models that have an old-fashioned feel. But in the hallway, kitchen and bathrooms, we installed underfloor heating under the blue waxed concrete, so people can enjoy the feeling of this extremely pleasant material with their bare feet,” Gassmann says.
The original bookcase had concealed radiators. Gassmann relocated these to beneath the street-facing windows. “We used recent cast-iron models that have an old-fashioned feel. But in the hallway, kitchen and bathrooms, we installed underfloor heating under the blue waxed concrete, so people can enjoy the feeling of this extremely pleasant material with their bare feet,” Gassmann says.
From the entrance, a small hallway leads to the detached kitchen. The waxed concrete flooring extends into this space, giving it a more contemporary look. “It’s one of the owners’ favourite rooms. They cook a lot and have all their meals here,” Gassmann says.
Before Photo
Before. A utility room at the back of the original kitchen had held the laundry and water heater; Gassmann opened this space up.
After. The owners cook a lot, so they needed a lot of counter space. Gassmann addressed this with a U-shaped layout. “The idea was to create a large countertop on two sides of the room and gather the elements that could be placed higher up against the last section of wall. To make the kitchen feel light, we did not want any hanging cabinets above the counters. However, as the clients wanted a high-quality range hood, we integrated it into a discreet white formwork,” Gassmann says.
After. The couple went for light-coloured oak cabinets and table, juxtaposed against the waxed concrete floor and Carrara marble countertops. “They really wanted a natural element in their kitchen, and their first thought was to put in a big aquarium. However, they eventually decided on a green wall to compensate for the rather cold design and make the best use of this wall, which is illuminated by the windows opposite,” Gassmann says.
The green wall needs water and electrical hookups for its drip irrigation system and built-in lighting. It also needs a drain at its foot. So, Gassmann invovled Neogarden, a company specialising in interior plant walls, right from the beginning of the project, so they could determine the best place for these connections. The wall was completed over a period of two days at the end of the renovation. Panels measuring 23½-by-35½-inch (60-by-90-centimetre) and pre-decorated with plants were adapted to an irrigation structure that had been installed by Neogarden beforehand. The total cost was 6,000 euros.
The green wall needs water and electrical hookups for its drip irrigation system and built-in lighting. It also needs a drain at its foot. So, Gassmann invovled Neogarden, a company specialising in interior plant walls, right from the beginning of the project, so they could determine the best place for these connections. The wall was completed over a period of two days at the end of the renovation. Panels measuring 23½-by-35½-inch (60-by-90-centimetre) and pre-decorated with plants were adapted to an irrigation structure that had been installed by Neogarden beforehand. The total cost was 6,000 euros.
The owners went for a 35½-inch-tall (90-centimetre-tall) dining table instead of an island in the center of the room – it’s more comfortable and means the owners had more seating options. For the best of both worlds, the table was fitted with outlets. Like much of the rest of the kitchen, it’s made of light-coloured oak. “The base was covered with mirrored laminate so that the table seems to float over this blue sea,” Gassmann says.
Before Photo
Before. As in most 19th-century apartments, this home’s hallway had been long and dark.
After. To make it more functional and brighter, Gassmann reclaimed space from the bedrooms, and fitted the extra width with built-in bookshelves.
Natural light now comes in through windows above the bedroom doors and the living-room door frames
Natural light now comes in through windows above the bedroom doors and the living-room door frames
Before Photo
Before. Moving along the hallway, this is what the first room on the right had looked like.
After. This 6-square-foot (15-square-metre) room is one of the kids’ bedrooms. “The parents felt that their children are at ages when their tastes would still change a lot, so they decided on a white base that could evolve over time. They will wait until the kids develop their tastes before choosing decor.”
Before Photo
Before. The master bathroom had been connected to the bedroom in the last image. Like the kitchen, it was characterised by a vintage cocktail of blue, green and pink and mosaic tiles from the ‘50s.
After. It now serves as the parents’ ensuite. Gassmann reclaimed space from the girls’ bedroom to enlarge it.
In the shower and bathtub, the couple opted for Dornbracht faucets and a stainless-steel towel rack, which the owner – who loves beautiful tech – fell in love with immediately.
In the shower and bathtub, the couple opted for Dornbracht faucets and a stainless-steel towel rack, which the owner – who loves beautiful tech – fell in love with immediately.
Here is a peek into the bathroom from the master bedroom. Two solid-oak pocket doors allow the two areas to be separated when necessary. In the center, a raised, blue waxed-concrete floor highlights the freestanding bathtub.
Before Photo
Before. In the master bedroom, the bed had been flanked on both sides by built-in dressers.
After. Gassmann kept the general idea, but went for more contemporary closet doors. The leaf-patterned wallpaper has given way to the apartment’s decorative jewel: a blue wall fresco.
“This effect is the reason the owners hired me,” Gassmann says. “As its application requires great technical skill, the paint job was done by painter and decorator Anma Jouan. She started with a blue that matches the waxed concrete floor, making it lighter and lighter as she moved upwards, using the same traditional technique that had been applied to the Sistine Chapel frescoes. A base of hydraulic lime is tinted with pigments while still wet. It hardens through carbonation when it comes into contact with the air, just like cement tile. This makes it solid and durable.”
“This effect is the reason the owners hired me,” Gassmann says. “As its application requires great technical skill, the paint job was done by painter and decorator Anma Jouan. She started with a blue that matches the waxed concrete floor, making it lighter and lighter as she moved upwards, using the same traditional technique that had been applied to the Sistine Chapel frescoes. A base of hydraulic lime is tinted with pigments while still wet. It hardens through carbonation when it comes into contact with the air, just like cement tile. This makes it solid and durable.”
Before Photo
Before. The bedroom opposite the master bathroom belongs to one of their sons. It overlooks the courtyard.
After. Over the dresser is one of the windows that Gassmann added to pull light into the hallway.
Before Photo
Before. At the end of the hallway, this second bathroom adjoined one of the two children’s bedrooms. There had been a storage room next to it.
After. These two small spaces were combined to create this beautiful children’s bathroom. It boasts the blue waxed floor that flows through much of the house. Gassmann matched it with trendy elongated hexagonal tiles from a Spanish manufacturer.
“Some of my clients focus primarily on decor, but this family was more focused on function and durability. It was a project in which the choice of materials proved to be crucial,” Gassmann says.
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“Some of my clients focus primarily on decor, but this family was more focused on function and durability. It was a project in which the choice of materials proved to be crucial,” Gassmann says.
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five
Location: Paris, France
Size: About 1,860 square feet (173 square metres)
Date and duration of renovation: Finished in 2018 after 6 months of planning and 7 months of work
Interior designer: Miriam Gassmann
Located on the third floor of a nineteenth-century stone building, this apartment still had all of its original charm: high moulded ceilings, a herringbone floor and marble fireplaces. The layout was simple and its view of Paris’ Place de la Républic unobstructed.
On the other hand, the interior hadn’t been renovated in 70 years, and it was stuck firmly in the past with dated features like shiny drapes, faded, leaf-patterned wallpaper and garishly colourful bathrooms, not to mention completely outdated wiring and plumbing. It was in for a head-to-toe makeover.
“For the family, beautiful materials were more important than decor items,” says interior designer Miriam Gassmann, who gave us a tour of the property. “They wanted the place to be completely renovated while respecting its period features. It took six months of planning to rethink the spaces so as to preserve as much of the historical base as possible while modernising it at the same time.”