On the sixth floor of a building constructed in 1968, Manon and Paul imagined a Parisian apartment bathed in a different kind of light: that of the South. Working with architect Thierry Peltrault, the couple transformed a neglected two-room apartment into a sunny, colorful and fluid space, designed to accompany their daily lives as much as their desire to get away from it all.
At first glance, there was nothing particularly appealing about this 62-square-meter apartment, which seemed stuck in the 1960s. Carpet glued to the original parquet, dated wallpaper, lack of storage space, partitioned layout… But for Manon and Paul, this is precisely what made it so attractive. “We really wanted to do some work to make it our own,” they say today. Even before buying it, they visited the property with architect Thierry Peltrault. The three of them quickly recognized the potential of this two-bedroom apartment on the sixth floor facing south. “Good projects happen before you buy,” says the architect.
The couple didn’t yet live in the neighborhood, but already had a few ties, friends and a budding routine. Their specifications were very clear: a high floor, little overlooking, lots of light and, above all, the possibility of creating a second bedroom for their daughter Brune, without sacrificing space. It was around this wish that the project was built.
The most significant change involves the former layout of the living room and kitchen, previously separated by a partition. The kitchen has been completely redesigned to create a better dialogue with the living areas and create a more open floor plan. The bathroom has retained its original location, but its uses have been reconfigured. More broadly, the entire project was envisaged as a complete rewriting of the apartment. “Thierry proposed three very different versions. We chose the most daring,” smiles the couple, recalling the smooth flow of communication throughout the project.
A common aesthetic direction soon emerged: that of a bright, warm, Mediterranean apartment, almost at odds with its urban Parisian surroundings. “We wanted a southern, colorful feel,” explains Manon, who grew up in Spain and remains attached to the way certain interiors capture the light. The choice of sea rush flooring throughout the apartment, the brick tones in the kitchen and the pale and ultramarine blues in the bathrooms all contribute to this sunny, soothing atmosphere.
Thierry Peltrault claims a highly contextualized approach: “I never reproduce the same thing twice.” Here, the challenge was less to create a demonstrative interior than to create a coherent, practical and sustainable atmosphere. With its built-in bookcase, abundant storage space and contemporary furnishings chosen according to taste, the apartment was built gradually, almost naturally. Today, Manon and Paul say they never tire of the feeling of space and permanent light. “Even in Paris, you feel like you’re somewhere else,” they confide. It’s as if this apartment suspended above the city has succeeded in bringing a little of the Mediterranean into their daily lives.
