In Paris’s 13th arrondissement, interior designer Justine Guillermou has turned her 30-square-meter space into a colorful statement. Here, the Rainbow Shaker spirit—the name of her firm—is on full display. Graphic patterns and vintage furniture give the space a sense of generosity that belies its modest size.
 
Because yes, you read that right: the transformation was completed for under 8,000 euros. Especially since, before you can make the walls shake, you have to start by fixing what’s out of sight. Behind the recent renovation, the studio hides a significant water leak between the bathroom and the sleeping area, while the moisture means the ventilation system needs to be redone.
 
Once the space has been cleaned up, Justine prefers to work with what’s already there. The pink of the bathroom, the deep blue niche, and the yellow door become the first notes of a more free-spirited project, inspired by the Memphis movement and the exuberance of the 1980s and 1990s. The challenge quickly goes beyond mere play. For Justine, it’s about “proving that a small space can be vibrant and full of dopamine without feeling suffocating, ” but also that generosity doesn’t require a big budget.
 
So, instead of buying, Justine hunts for bargains. Only the entryway cabinet was custom-designed. Elsewhere, Emmaüs and Leboncoin have replaced the catalogs. It’s a way to tie together the two threads of the project: “Joy and responsibility!” On the walls, happiness takes on a geometric form. Color stretches into patterns that line the hallways and gently blur the perception of volume. It’s enough to turn these 30 square meters into “a home where graphic shapes, playful textures, and vivid contrasts breathe life into a small space.”
 
Outside, the studio continues to expand. “The garden had to be treated as a room in its own right, a natural extension of the interior atmosphere, ” Justine explains. Larger than the apartment itself, its 40 square meters—which had previously been neglected—were entrusted to Maison CELA and finally found their place in the project. Color can now flow from the threshold all the way to the far end of the garden.