You might assume that the 200-square-foot apartment would be a student home on a budget or perhaps a short-term rental for travelers. This apartment, however, belonged to a successful businesswoman who lived outside Paris and was in need of a small house in the capital. Pauline Lorenzi-Boisrond commissioned the renovation of the studio on the rue du Cherche-Midi. “She comes to Paris regularly for work but is tired of impersonal hotel rooms where she can’t leave her things from one visit to the next,” explains Pauline, interior designer and founder of Studio Ett Hem. “She wanted her little suite in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.” a house It means “house” in Swedish. It really is a fitting name for a designer tasked with overcoming space constraints to bring out its homey charm.
A wooden partition separates the combo entrance and kitchen from the sleeping area, with built-in storage on either side. A black Saint Laurent marble countertop with gold veining via Cristal Marbre and brass details connect the two spaces. Wall lights via Vanity Boum.
The left wall is lined with doors that conceal both storage and access to the bathroom. It is painted in light blue colors (Argile Peinture, Farrow and Ball) that complement the colorful fabric seats (Elitis). The table was installed on the floor, which is a practical decision.
Following the goal of creating the feel of a hotel suite, Studio Ett Hem created a small multifunctional entrance that also solves the limitations created by the sloping load-bearing wall. The wall, extending to one side of the space, includes a series of cabinet doors – some decorative, others functional. One group, however, leads to the apartment bathroom. On the right, there is an elegant but discreet kitchen on one side of the sleeping area, separated by a partition of wood and glass.
An efficient kitchen includes a refrigerator, two-burner stove, small sink, concealed microwave, and storage. “In small spaces, we are often afraid to create zones, but the distinction between functions and circulatory structure causes the space to expand counter-intuitively,” Pauline says. A wooden and glass partition defines the entrance and kitchen duplex area and separates it from the quieter part of the room, but its rounded shapes also soften this boundary. Since the spaces in small apartments often have to perform multiple functions, this dining area is placed under a window where natural light is also useful when it plays its other role, as an office.
19 the beautifulThe tenth– Floor tiles and fireplace were original to the building. Throughout the loft is discreetly integrated storage, sometimes accented with brass-bronze detailing.
