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Matthieu and Benoît’s 1950s-inspired apartment 75 m² Paris, France Contemporary classic Retro-contemporary Paolo Remogna

When Matthieu and Benoît first visited their future flat on Rue Botzaris in Paris’ 19th arrondissement, they were immediately struck by its “astonishing” views. All 60 acres of the Buttes-Chaumont park stretched out below them, and the Eiffel Tower could be spotted in the distance. Originally, they were looking for a place in the 11th arrondissement, where they were living at the time. But the “extremely lively and charming” feel of the Jourdain neighborhood intrigued them, and they were already major fans of Rosa Bonheur—a festive open-air restaurant in the park, which they frequented every Sunday night—so they began casting a wider net. One evening over dinner with a friend whose grandmother and parents all lived in this post-war building they found particularly fascinating, they joked, “If you hear about an apartment opening up in the building, let us know…”

 

When their friend’s grandmother passed away, they visited her 9th floor apartment. The layout was “poorly designed” and the décor felt a little “old-fashioned”, but the opportunity to live in an up-and-coming neighborhood near the park ultimately won them over. After being connected through a friend, the couple met with Italian architect Paolo Remogna, with whom they immediately hit it off. “We wanted to ground this project in the building’s 1950s past,” Matthieu explains. All three of them were quite taken with the building’s Alvar Aalto inspired hallway lamps, the rough stone staircase and the glass brick wall that filters in subdued natural light. Inside the apartment, Paolo played with those same materials, combining them with dark wood, carpeting and faux green marble.

 

The new floor plan is much more contemporary and fully adapted to the new owners’ needs. Matthieu, who works in fashion and stores a lot of clothing, wanted plenty of closet space. He and Benoît decided to opt for a single bedroom and a small kitchen, using the additional space to build a large dressing room, a laundry room, and a massive shower. As for the décor, “I was inspired by modern architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s aesthetic from the 1930s to the 1950s,” Matthieu explains. So when their friends came over for the first time and asked if they had done any renovations, the duo laughed, feeling quite satisfied with the results.