Lyon Houzz Tour: 19th Century French Apartment in B(lue) Major
A quirky spin on classical style, and themed rooms that transport the observer to Japan or Spain set this home apart
Agnès Carpentier
13 May 2018
This couple of real estate professionals bought their own home in the heart Lyon, France, on the third floor of a beautiful 19th-century building. Stretching from street-front to courtyard, it overlooks the central Place des Terreaux and is just 255 feet (200 metres) from the town hall. Though the home was run-down and in need of a makeover when the couple first saw it, they were hooked by its ideal location and Haussmannian style (Georges-Eugène Haussmann created the distinctive look of Parisian architecture in the 19th century), with high ceilings, oak floors, wainscotting and a fireplace. They asked Marie-Anne Chapel, an experienced architect keen on antiques, high-end decor and unusual interiors to redistribute its classical layout while adding style and a bit of “wow” factor.
Original floor plan. Counterclockwise from entrance: hallway, living room, room 1, storage room, storage room, storage room, bathroom, kitchen, room 2, washroom.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple of real estate professionals
Location: Downtown Lyon, France
Size: About 1,025 square feet (95 square metres)
Architect: Marie-Anne Chapel of UNE Architecte
Budget: About US$120,000 (100,000 euros), including all aspects of the decor, excluding tax
Duration of work: Five months; completed in June 2017
Before. “This four-room apartment bore the marks of history along its lengthy hallway,” Chapel says. As you can see in this picture of the original plan, the apartment had originally been arranged around a large hallway that reached a dead end at the living-room wall. This old-fashioned layout included two huge storage rooms (marked RGMT on the plan), a very small bathroom and a large enclosed kitchen at the back of the apartment. It was impractical, with lots of wasted space.
“When this bourgeois building was built, an entire floor would have been occupied by a single apartment. It had a typical French layout defined by the exterior walls of the building. The owners moved through the living areas, while the staff used the hallways. Here, the original apartment was divided in two, which is why part of the hallway looks like it leads nowhere,” Chapel says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple of real estate professionals
Location: Downtown Lyon, France
Size: About 1,025 square feet (95 square metres)
Architect: Marie-Anne Chapel of UNE Architecte
Budget: About US$120,000 (100,000 euros), including all aspects of the decor, excluding tax
Duration of work: Five months; completed in June 2017
Before. “This four-room apartment bore the marks of history along its lengthy hallway,” Chapel says. As you can see in this picture of the original plan, the apartment had originally been arranged around a large hallway that reached a dead end at the living-room wall. This old-fashioned layout included two huge storage rooms (marked RGMT on the plan), a very small bathroom and a large enclosed kitchen at the back of the apartment. It was impractical, with lots of wasted space.
“When this bourgeois building was built, an entire floor would have been occupied by a single apartment. It had a typical French layout defined by the exterior walls of the building. The owners moved through the living areas, while the staff used the hallways. Here, the original apartment was divided in two, which is why part of the hallway looks like it leads nowhere,” Chapel says.
New floor plan. Counterclockwise from top entrance: hallway, living room-kitchen, room 1, bathroom1, bathroom 2, utility room, room 3, room 2, washroom.
After. The owners wanted the final layout to have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a laundry room and an open living room-kitchen in order to make it both more contemporary and better suited to a family. They also wanted to arrange the rooms in such a way that this four-bedroom apartment could be split into two units in future.
The owners love to travel and collect beautiful things, so they were looking for something extraordinary in their decor. They wanted to rediscover the Haussmannian style while at the same time venturing out of overused classicism.
The extent of the work to be done was why the couple turned to Chapel, an experienced architect who knows building regulations well. “As soon as you get your hands on an old building from the 19th century, you have to realize that all the partitions are partially load-bearing and require reinforcement,” Chapel says. “Moreover, in anticipation of splitting the apartment further in the future, it was necessary to install a SAD 200 dividing wall [light gray in the plan; this wall architecture, developed by Placostil, provides thermal and acoustic insulation and fire barriers between divided areas], separate these partitions from the floors in compliance with fire-safety standards, and create two independent networks for water and electricity. We also built a second bathroom with separate drainage and sewage systems.”
After. The owners wanted the final layout to have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a laundry room and an open living room-kitchen in order to make it both more contemporary and better suited to a family. They also wanted to arrange the rooms in such a way that this four-bedroom apartment could be split into two units in future.
The owners love to travel and collect beautiful things, so they were looking for something extraordinary in their decor. They wanted to rediscover the Haussmannian style while at the same time venturing out of overused classicism.
The extent of the work to be done was why the couple turned to Chapel, an experienced architect who knows building regulations well. “As soon as you get your hands on an old building from the 19th century, you have to realize that all the partitions are partially load-bearing and require reinforcement,” Chapel says. “Moreover, in anticipation of splitting the apartment further in the future, it was necessary to install a SAD 200 dividing wall [light gray in the plan; this wall architecture, developed by Placostil, provides thermal and acoustic insulation and fire barriers between divided areas], separate these partitions from the floors in compliance with fire-safety standards, and create two independent networks for water and electricity. We also built a second bathroom with separate drainage and sewage systems.”
Photos by Thomas Marquez
The most beautiful room in the apartment is undoubtedly the 270-square-foot (25-square-metre) living room with its high ceiling, large period windows, chevron-patterned oak floor and panelled double doors. This is the room that sold the owners on the apartment.
As experienced real estate professionals, the owners have well-honed tastes, and were certain they did not want a fully classical space. They were all for taking a design risk.
Although the living room faces north, Chapel suggested repainting the walls and even the ceiling teal. It was a great choice, and a visually striking element. “We chose the colour by process of elimination. As we did not want [it to feel like] a white freezer, it had to be either a warm colour, red or eggplant, which we did not pick in the end, or a cool colour. So we went for Hague blue by Farrow & Ball, a deep blue that contrasts the original honey-coloured wood floor well,” Chapel says.
The most beautiful room in the apartment is undoubtedly the 270-square-foot (25-square-metre) living room with its high ceiling, large period windows, chevron-patterned oak floor and panelled double doors. This is the room that sold the owners on the apartment.
As experienced real estate professionals, the owners have well-honed tastes, and were certain they did not want a fully classical space. They were all for taking a design risk.
Although the living room faces north, Chapel suggested repainting the walls and even the ceiling teal. It was a great choice, and a visually striking element. “We chose the colour by process of elimination. As we did not want [it to feel like] a white freezer, it had to be either a warm colour, red or eggplant, which we did not pick in the end, or a cool colour. So we went for Hague blue by Farrow & Ball, a deep blue that contrasts the original honey-coloured wood floor well,” Chapel says.
They went bargain hunting for bright furniture to make up for light lost through the dark walls. The owners have a predilection for vintage, especially mid-century Scandinavian, furniture.
On the other hand, they selected radiators that wouldn’t attract to much attention. Electric models with charcoal-coloured steel fronts were chosen to sit discretely on the wall. “The owners approved of these models, because they can be controlled remotely through a smartphone, which is convenient when you travel a lot,” she says.
On the other hand, they selected radiators that wouldn’t attract to much attention. Electric models with charcoal-coloured steel fronts were chosen to sit discretely on the wall. “The owners approved of these models, because they can be controlled remotely through a smartphone, which is convenient when you travel a lot,” she says.
An antique rug, which was also a bargain find, cleverly echoes all of the colours in the room and defines the living area.
’60s Rosewood and Carrara marble coffee table: by Hugues Poignant; sofa: bought at Pamono; table lamp: Habitat
’60s Rosewood and Carrara marble coffee table: by Hugues Poignant; sofa: bought at Pamono; table lamp: Habitat
The sideboard is a Danish-made model in Brazilian rosewood, found at Danke Galerie in Lyon. The large colourful painting was hung above to draw attention to it. “It comes from a stockpile of pieces that I bought at a studio liquidation. I resell these pieces to my clients,” the architect says.
Chapel, who has a passion for art, also found this wooden head at a flea market. “It was carved in the ’80s and comes from Papua New Guinea,” she says.
The owners decided to move the kitchen into what had previously been the dead end of the hallway, and to connect it to the living room to create a contemporary living area. The space once occupied by the kitchen was converted into a third bedroom. The hallway partition was torn down and replaced with painted steel columns for support.
But what finish would work for a kitchen in a dark blue space? “A white kitchen would have been too commonplace, while oak cabinets would have given the room an overly classical look,” Chapel says. A dark tone was chosen “to create an unusual, luxurious look.” The owners completely agreed and chose a burnt-pine laminate finish by Egger.
But what finish would work for a kitchen in a dark blue space? “A white kitchen would have been too commonplace, while oak cabinets would have given the room an overly classical look,” Chapel says. A dark tone was chosen “to create an unusual, luxurious look.” The owners completely agreed and chose a burnt-pine laminate finish by Egger.
The architect oriented the wood grain of the cupboard finishes vertically, to emphasise the height of the ceiling, while the backsplash was oriented horizontally to soften the effect. The very thin countertop is made of high-pressure laminate.
The dining-room furniture was bought second-hand from a private individual.
The dining-room furniture was bought second-hand from a private individual.
Next to the kitchen hangs a shield from Oceania. “It was part of the owner’s collection and fits here perfectly,” Chapel says.
Load-bearing steel columns now stand where the partition once was. They lend the kitchen a bit of an Art Nouveau-brasserie flair.
The master bedroom adjoins the living room. The owners had an idea for how to make their Haussmannian bedroom unique: a painted ceiling. This quirky addition to a traditional flat was realised using very modern techniques. The starting point was a figure study by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes – incidentally, a Lyon native. They resized it on a computer to fit the exact dimensions of the ceiling. Finally, a digital print was made on several strips of non-woven wallpaper, which were then glued onto the ceiling.
The master bedroom adjoins the living room. The owners had an idea for how to make their Haussmannian bedroom unique: a painted ceiling. This quirky addition to a traditional flat was realised using very modern techniques. The starting point was a figure study by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes – incidentally, a Lyon native. They resized it on a computer to fit the exact dimensions of the ceiling. Finally, a digital print was made on several strips of non-woven wallpaper, which were then glued onto the ceiling.
The panelled closet doors and the Carrara marble fireplace with its brass frame were already there, and only needed to be freshened up. The oak floor was sanded and covered in a matt varnish from Bona.
The owners are fond of the ’50s night stand they found at a junk shop, which is made of gilded Murano glass (visible in the first bedroom photo). Their favourite pieces, however, are the wall lamps on either side of the bed. The owner got them from his brother Frédéric, a lighting designer, who made them in his workshop, Llume Studio, in Nantes, in western France.
Table lamp: Zara Home
Table lamp: Zara Home
A bathroom with a shower now takes the place of one of the original storage rooms off the hallway. To give it a luxurious touch, it was finished with marble-look porcelain stoneware by Marazzi. In keeping with the vintage theme, the vanity is made of a ’50s teak sideboard they found while bargain hunting, with its legs removed. The mirrors and wall lamp were found at the Puces de Lyon flea market.
This side of the hallway originally ended in a bedroom and a kitchen. The latter was converted into a second bedroom. “We moved the partition wall to resize the rooms and have a second bedroom with the correct dimensions,” the architect says.
The owners love traveling, and wanted to make their bedrooms feel like sightseeing tours. This one was inspired by Japanese style, in a white, black and wood palette. “I recently brought some vintage kimonos back from a trip, and I gave the owners one. It now dominates the wall, hanging from a piece of bamboo from my patio,” Chapel says.
A console table, found at Puces de Lyon, is accompanied by a mirror that recalls the shape of entrances to Shinto shrines. It was adorned with an old Japanese roof tile and is accompanied by a Hans Wegner chair.
Paper lampshade: Maisons du Monde
Paper lampshade: Maisons du Monde
A paper lampshade and a vase with cherry blossoms complete the decor.
The adjoining bedroom was originally the kitchen. “We wanted to keep traces of the history of the apartment. One can still see the place where the cement tiles of what was once the kitchen meet the wood floor of the Japanese room,” the architect says.
The room has undergone quite a transformation. “It’s the Gaudí bedroom, as [the owners] christened it, recalling their favourite architect,” Chapel says.
The interior shutters that are characteristic of traditional Lyonese architecture were missing in this room. They were reconstructed more cheaply in birch plywood.
The interior shutters that are characteristic of traditional Lyonese architecture were missing in this room. They were reconstructed more cheaply in birch plywood.
A piece of art hangs in the hallway between these two bedrooms and their closest bathroom. “This is a Kanak blanket made of vegetable fibres that had already belonged to the owner. As it is very old and fragile, in order to hang it I made a burlap support with a fringe on the bottom. Then I protected it with Plexiglas,” the architect says.
This bathroom has a different decorative register from the first. “We wanted it to be just as luxurious as the other, but totally different,” Chapel says. “We used the same white tiles, and I had the vanity made of Trespa panels, a siding generally used on decorative building facades.”
The toilet room still has the original floor tiles, one of the few parts of the apartment that were in good condition. Three paintings, selected by the architect, add an artistic touch.
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Well done to the owners for going full out with this. Love the colours, uniqueness and the art.
Absolutely stunning. I’m totally and utterly inspired.