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A 70s revival in a 46 m² Paris apartment
Simon's groovy pad
46 m²
Paris, France
70 000 €
Contemporary classic
One-bedroom
Agathe Marimbert
For Sloft+ members only
Finding the perfect property in Paris is no easy task, especially when work leaves little time for visits. For his first purchase, Simon enlisted the help of a property hunter, who found him a true gem. Located in the 18th arrondissement, his favorite spot for cycling around the city, the apartment has all the hallmarks of the decade in which it was built: the 70s. A streamlined floorplan, generous openings to the outside... and considerable bonus in the form of a generous terrace. From the initial visit, Simon was able to imagine himself inhabiting the space: the existing layout didn't require any drastic changes, and certain original features simply needed to be preserved and enhanced. However, the rooms were rather compartmentalized, and the apple-green kitchen and orange walls left something to be desired. So he decided to call on likeminded architect Agathe Marimbert, who immediately saw the potential of this top-floor property.
"There was a lot of natural light and large bay windows. The simplest thing was to keep the general configuration, dictated by the position of the water inlets and outlets. We did, however, reshape the space quite a bit by creating a real entrance hall, opening the kitchen completely onto the living room and removing the WC from the bathroom.”
Simon is fond of rounded shapes, and this was the starting point for the project conceived by Agathe and her team: “the idea was not to end up with a kind of Mediterranean pastiche in a building that has nothing to do with this aesthetic, but to draw inspiration from fairly simple geometric shapes,” echoing the apartment's rectangular bay windows. The result was the key feature of the renovation: three arches created to delineate the entrance, kitchen and bathroom without compartmentalizing these functions. This opening-up of spaces was essential in Simon's eyes:
"The apartment faces east and west, so light can flow through, which wasn't really visible before. The corridor leading to the bedroom was very enclosed. Now everything is open and very bright." The apartment now has just two doors, one to close off the WC and a glazed one to soundproof the sleeping area. When it came to choosing materials, Agathe and Simon opted for consistency, choosing to highlight certain original elements.
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We sanded down a structural beam left exposed in the corridor, which we echoed by pouring three concrete steps leading up to the terrace. The idea was to use materials that made sense in terms of the history of the site and the building's construction period," Agathe explains. The choice of furniture is no exception, with contemporary elements rubbing shoulders with pieces Simon has collected throughout the years.
Owner Simon in his kitchen, in front of a water-green cupboard. Chosen by him, this hue undeniably energizes the room while preserving its luminous appearance.
