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“I was pregnant, we were very attached to the 18th arrondissement, where we already lived, and we needed more space.” When Paola and her husband visited their future living space, it was a warren of narrow rooms outfitted in shabby 1970s materials – not exactly the stuff of dreams. “The apartment certainly needed to be completely renovated, but we were immediately seduced by its south-facing exposure, its incredible daylight and, above all, the good vibes it radiated.”
Circumstance met passion as the radical transformation was entrusted to architect Jonathan Stene Burger, of Stene Alexopoulos Architecture: “Jon had already renovated my previous apartment, but he’s also a friend. I really like the way he works with concrete, and his sense of design,” Paola enthuses. So he was given carte blanche, “the primary objective being to optimize this compact space as much as possible to accommodate a family of four,” she continues.
After completely revising the layout and transforming the volumes – banishing the oh-so-70s skinny corridor and compartmentalized rooms – he focused on uncovering the original structural elements, hitherto masked by plaster and paint, archaeologically reconstituting the DNA of the space. Immaculate walls, waxed concrete floors, and rough-cast blocks came together in this profession of the brutalist faith, skillfully softened by refined materials and floating furniture – a white wedding between the profane and the sacred.
It was also an opportunity for the couple to treat themselves to a series of unique pieces: the imposing dining table with its voluptuous organic curves, the suspended steel shelves that separate the hallway from the living room, the kitchen sideboard that looks like a suspended monolith: “We preferred to have our furniture created rather than buying it from a store. But above all, these pieces of furniture are everyday favorites that further reinforce the apartment’s identity.”
Honey-kissed oak and the softness of velvet blend harmoniously with the raw texture of primary materials. On the walls, discreet sconces recall the floating volumes. A tour de force, and a subtle composition that perfectly illustrates the adage that opposites do, in fact, attract.
