Paris Houzz Tour: Before and After Freshening a Flat with Colour
These designers convinced a Parisian homeowner to add some flair to her home, by opening her heart to colour
This thirty-something was looking to buy her first home in Paris, and fell for this large two-room apartment in a quiet, family-oriented neighbourhood. The price exceeded her budget, but in the end, the apartment’s vintage touches – mouldings, wood floors and fireplaces – won her over. Its balcony and its position on the sixth floor, overlooking both the street and the courtyard, were also clear draws.
The space wasn’t in bad condition, and it had even been freshly painted white. However, it was still ready for a facelift. Though the owner fell in love with the wood floors, the dark wood throughout the home felt old-fashioned and darkened the space. She also thought that the living room was too large for the apartment’s overall square footage, and longed to transform it into a useful and functional space.
The owner knew she’d need help figuring out fixes: She travels a lot for work and doesn’t have time to plan a design, and she struggled to come up with ideas to transform her apartment into a space that’s at once practical and full of character. Luckily, she is close friends with Anne Fath and Julia Schmit of the interior design firm June, who have a lot of experience with large-scale renovations. They didn’t hesitate to rush to the apartment’s, and their friend’s, rescue.
The space wasn’t in bad condition, and it had even been freshly painted white. However, it was still ready for a facelift. Though the owner fell in love with the wood floors, the dark wood throughout the home felt old-fashioned and darkened the space. She also thought that the living room was too large for the apartment’s overall square footage, and longed to transform it into a useful and functional space.
The owner knew she’d need help figuring out fixes: She travels a lot for work and doesn’t have time to plan a design, and she struggled to come up with ideas to transform her apartment into a space that’s at once practical and full of character. Luckily, she is close friends with Anne Fath and Julia Schmit of the interior design firm June, who have a lot of experience with large-scale renovations. They didn’t hesitate to rush to the apartment’s, and their friend’s, rescue.
The owner and designers had initially aimed for a major renovation. As the plan shows, the kitchen and bathroom are small “islands” by the entrance, partitioned off from the main space. The bedroom is in the diagonally opposite corner of the apartment, just off the living room. Ideally, the owner wanted to move the bathroom and kitchen to the bedroom’s current location, and open the kitchen towards the living room.
However, this would have brought the cost of the entire renovation to about US$50,000 (40,000 euros). The young owner had already paid more than she planned for apartment itself, so spending that much on the revamp was out of the question. Instead, she decided to work on the decor straight away and postpone the structural changes.
The designers would have ordinarily recommended waiting until the owner was ready to do the whole renovation at once. “Normally, we advise our customers against this approach because it leads to two problems: Less work is done more expensively, and more importantly, ideas evolve when you live in the apartment, which means you often end up redoing everything afterwards,” says interior designer Anne Fath.
However, the owner refused to move into a boring flat, and stuck to her decision. She asked the designers to give her apartment a bold infusion of character while preparing it for future structural changes.
However, this would have brought the cost of the entire renovation to about US$50,000 (40,000 euros). The young owner had already paid more than she planned for apartment itself, so spending that much on the revamp was out of the question. Instead, she decided to work on the decor straight away and postpone the structural changes.
The designers would have ordinarily recommended waiting until the owner was ready to do the whole renovation at once. “Normally, we advise our customers against this approach because it leads to two problems: Less work is done more expensively, and more importantly, ideas evolve when you live in the apartment, which means you often end up redoing everything afterwards,” says interior designer Anne Fath.
However, the owner refused to move into a boring flat, and stuck to her decision. She asked the designers to give her apartment a bold infusion of character while preparing it for future structural changes.
Before. The owner decided to keep her kitchen as-is for the time being.
There was originally a large Ikea closet at the entrance to the apartment. It was too deep and made the area feel cramped.
After. The interior designers replaced the closet with four shallow shoe cabinets, with a painted wooden shelf on top. These plastic modules are a kind of contemporary take on the apothecary cabinet, and the owner stores not only her shoes but also household documents here. Decorative objects, like a black-and-white illustration of miners by an Argentine designer, are displayed on top. Two round brass wall lamps complete the entrance.
The apartment’s wiring was also completely redone. The electricity meter next to the door was hidden in a small custom-made closet that also conceals the router. Another closet was installed over the door, where the owner keeps her suitcases.
Shoe cabinets: Trones, Ikea
The apartment’s wiring was also completely redone. The electricity meter next to the door was hidden in a small custom-made closet that also conceals the router. Another closet was installed over the door, where the owner keeps her suitcases.
Shoe cabinets: Trones, Ikea
Before. The owner would like to eventually tear down this wall, which partitions the bathroom, and transform this into an open kitchen.
After. The large, 322-square-foot (30-square-metre) living room is the icing on the cake and gives the apartment all of its charm. Fath says that the aim was to make the living room a bright breath of fresh air, and the team worked hard to highlight this space.
The dark wood floor was sanded and covered in a matt varnish for a lighter raw wood effect. It now serves as a contemporary base for the decor. The window frames were also repainted white so they would blend in more. The designers then dressed them in long, white linen curtains: “This gives the windows a wispy look, and it was a nice inexpensive touch, because we bought the fabric at the Saint-Pierre market,” Fath says. Saint-Pierre is a neighbourhood with a huge collection of fabric stores; it is a beloved destination for tailors, clothing designers and DIY lovers.
The dark wood floor was sanded and covered in a matt varnish for a lighter raw wood effect. It now serves as a contemporary base for the decor. The window frames were also repainted white so they would blend in more. The designers then dressed them in long, white linen curtains: “This gives the windows a wispy look, and it was a nice inexpensive touch, because we bought the fabric at the Saint-Pierre market,” Fath says. Saint-Pierre is a neighbourhood with a huge collection of fabric stores; it is a beloved destination for tailors, clothing designers and DIY lovers.
If not for the plan to move things around in the future, the interior designers would have painted the wall behind the sofa green and put shelves there. Since they plan to tear down the small block on the left which contains the bedroom, however, they decided to decorate the opposite wall instead.
Walnut coffee tables: AM.PM; armchairs: bought in a decoration shop on Place Félix; rugs: La Redoute; bookcase: Billy, Ikea; light fixture: Zangra
Walnut coffee tables: AM.PM; armchairs: bought in a decoration shop on Place Félix; rugs: La Redoute; bookcase: Billy, Ikea; light fixture: Zangra
The owner loves white and was worried about using bright colors, but she was convinced by this teal the designers suggested.
“Most of our clients ask us for white, but we tell them that it is a paradox to work with an expert and then refuse all of the expert’s suggestions,” Fath says. “Blue especially, but also green, are the colours clients accept most readily, because they appeal to both men and women and go very well with wood and metal. We also often suggest antique rose, salmon, peach or terracotta, but they don’t match other features as easily – and that makes the job of persuading clients even harder.”
Another interesting detail: The teal paint is washable, which is useful for a wall right next to the dinner table. “Matt paints are trendier than glossy ones, but you actually have to choose paints with an eggshell finish so that they are washable. This gives a gloss-less look that is between satin and matt,” the expert says.
“Most of our clients ask us for white, but we tell them that it is a paradox to work with an expert and then refuse all of the expert’s suggestions,” Fath says. “Blue especially, but also green, are the colours clients accept most readily, because they appeal to both men and women and go very well with wood and metal. We also often suggest antique rose, salmon, peach or terracotta, but they don’t match other features as easily – and that makes the job of persuading clients even harder.”
Another interesting detail: The teal paint is washable, which is useful for a wall right next to the dinner table. “Matt paints are trendier than glossy ones, but you actually have to choose paints with an eggshell finish so that they are washable. This gives a gloss-less look that is between satin and matt,” the expert says.
The designers livened up the green wall with some shelves. “We adapted them to fit [the owner’s] TV,” Fath says. “We usually make sure to conceal supports as much as possible, but this time we decided to do the opposite and highlight the wooden support brackets. This way, they create a pattern on the wall.”
The combination of fir green, white and wood has a refreshing effect. Note the attention to detail in the space: The back wall, for example, was painted a beige-grey to create a smooth transition between various colours.
The sofa can be transformed into a bed. The dining table and chairs are by AM.PM, which both interior designers love: “You can find everything there, and it is stylish and inexpensive,” Fath says.
To give her decor a personal touch, the owner hunted for bargains on artisanal artwork, including a Gabonese mask found on Selency, a community platform specialising in used furniture and decor items, and a print of an engraving by Stefan Kilar, which the owner bought at the Paul Prouté Gallery on the artsy Rue de Seine.
To complete the decor, the owner eagerly followed her friends’ furniture advice. They recommended a variety of materials and colours to liven up the living room. Contrasting pieces lend the space a warm and relaxed bohemian flair.
Sofa bed: Maisons du Monde
To give her decor a personal touch, the owner hunted for bargains on artisanal artwork, including a Gabonese mask found on Selency, a community platform specialising in used furniture and decor items, and a print of an engraving by Stefan Kilar, which the owner bought at the Paul Prouté Gallery on the artsy Rue de Seine.
To complete the decor, the owner eagerly followed her friends’ furniture advice. They recommended a variety of materials and colours to liven up the living room. Contrasting pieces lend the space a warm and relaxed bohemian flair.
Sofa bed: Maisons du Monde
Before. With its oak parquet, paneling on the lower parts of the walls and the old-style stove, the bedroom was a typical Hausmannian apartment.
However, this also made the space feel darker and more enclosed.
However, this also made the space feel darker and more enclosed.
A large pine closet added to the room’s heavy feel.
After. Here again, the owner was tempted to use white, but the interior designers objected that the room would then have totally lacked structure. She was set on painting the closet white to give it a more modern look and make it stand out less within the decor. So, the designers convinced her to highlight the wall panels in grey, even though she worried that this would make the room darker.
Linen blackout curtains: Leroy Merlin
Linen blackout curtains: Leroy Merlin
In the end her fears were not realised, and the grey gives the room more personality and a defining frame.
However, as grey is not the liveliest choice for a young woman’s bedroom, the owner looked for decor that would keep it from looking too classical. She started by hanging three framed butterflies and a small convex mirror over her bed. She also chose a radically contemporary bedside lamp: A slender metallic silhouette by The Line.
Mirror: Sentou
However, as grey is not the liveliest choice for a young woman’s bedroom, the owner looked for decor that would keep it from looking too classical. She started by hanging three framed butterflies and a small convex mirror over her bed. She also chose a radically contemporary bedside lamp: A slender metallic silhouette by The Line.
Mirror: Sentou
The magnificent fireplace still works. Candlesticks, metal boxes and a Kalanchoe embellish its surface. A line sketch of Paris, made in brass by The Line, was a present from Julia Schmit, the second designer on the team.
“Since the renovation, the apartment seems brighter, bigger and more spacious,” Fath says. “[The owner] loved the touches of colour and really felt that the place was finally ‘home.’ When we came back for the housewarming party, she had bought some paintings, cushions and so on. As soon as she has the budget, we will come back to move the bathroom and open the kitchen up towards the living room.”
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“Since the renovation, the apartment seems brighter, bigger and more spacious,” Fath says. “[The owner] loved the touches of colour and really felt that the place was finally ‘home.’ When we came back for the housewarming party, she had bought some paintings, cushions and so on. As soon as she has the budget, we will come back to move the bathroom and open the kitchen up towards the living room.”
TELL US
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
Who lives here: A young professional
Location: Paris, France
Duration of the renovation: One-and-a-half months, delivered in June 2017
Size: About 600 square feet (55 square meters)
Interior Designers: Julia Schmit and Anne Fath of June
Budget: About US$17,500 (15,000 euros)