For Sloft+ members only
In Paris’s 5th arrondissement, the Maison des Plantes has undergone a complete and profound renovation. Here, architects Tom Floquet and Sophia Charles have successfully combined the charm of the old building with contemporary requirements in terms of use, light, and circulation.
The Maison des Plantes presented itself to Tanguy and Joséphine like a sleeping beauty. This fragmented three-story house, each level measuring approximately 30 square meters, with partitioned circulation and undersized openings, was unsuitable for the family life of the two Parisian engineers: “I first lived in this house as a shared apartment before buying it with my wife in the post-COVID period,” says Tanguy. We wanted to retain the ‘country house’ feel, particularly with the exposed beams and wood-burning stove, but balance this with elevated materials. ”
The couple called on independent architects Tom Floquet and Sophia Charles, graduates of the ENSA Versailles architecture school. Their first move? Clearing the load-bearing wall across the entire width of the ground floor to open up the view and let light flow through: “One of the main challenges of this monumental project was to rethink the house’s vertical circulation,” explains Tom. Once the floors were exposed, everything fell into place seamlessly: on the ground floor, a custom-built bookcase lines the staircase; upstairs, a bedroom, modular office (recently converted into a nursery) and bathroom share the space; in the attic, a landing-office follows the slope of the roof, optimizing every square meter.
Natural light, the cornerstone of the project, is harnessed and amplified through the enlarged existing windows. The indoor-outdoor relationship extends to the choice of materials. “ The aim was to preserve the heritage spirit while adding a contemporary touch. The choice fell on waxed concrete, which interacts with the light wood without overwhelming it or creating a clash of materials, a common thread running through the project ” explains Sophia.
The couple loves to entertain. Their living room opens onto the kitchen, where the curved central island provides structure without overpowering the space. The exposed beams tell the story of the place and interact with the minimalist design elements. La Maison des Plantes is a living example of what a respectful, contemporary renovation can be: a home that has been transformed but never distorted.
