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The Jules-Joffrin neighborhood, in the Paris’ 18th arrondissement. For her first purchase, Julie wanted to stay “within 100 meters of her previous life” and, above all, experience a very specific feeling every evening:
“ Loving what I see when I come home.”
From the very first planned visit, she asked Clara Hernandez—an architect and friend of her sister—to accompany her: “I’m putting you in charge,” Julie said. On paper, the apartment had some great features (hardwood floors, spacious rooms), but it also had an endless entryway, a very compartmentalized layout, and rooms with poor natural light that disrupted the flow. Nevertheless, Clara immediately saw the potential for a redesign and proposed three options. A fluid collaboration ensued, based on active trust, shared decisions, and a common desire for consistency without compromising the new owner’s tastes.
The project involves a complete restructuring, including the breaking down of walls to restore the living room to its full potential, re-illuminate recessed areas, and optimize every corner.
The original metal structure was stripped bare, becoming the axis connecting the living room to the kitchen area and giving the space its new character. From the back of the living room, the curved wall now opens up the space and allows light to flow through to the entrance. Pathways are shorter, views are more open, and the materials are free to express themselves.
The early 20th-century apartment is now in tune with today’s lifestyles: brighter, more accessible, more spacious. Julie sums up what the architecture has made possible: “I feel really good here now.” A simple sentence that sums it all up: the success of a dialogue in which the intuition of an architect and the sensibilities of an owner have transformed a solid base into a place that is just right … and a daily source of joy.
