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Carla and Matthieu's immaculate home
80 m²
Saint-Denis, France
This Home Tour is from Sloft Edition 04
Looking at the two paintings behind the sand-colored sofa in the living room, Carla lets her thoughts run free: “These are reinterpretations of mythological scenes by Nicolas Maureau, a Toulouse-based artist I admire.” The 32-year-old lawyer and her 34-year-old partner Matthieu, a computer engineer, are both fond of art. They met in high school in the Pyrenées and moved to Paris fourteen years ago. They tried out the 6th, 14th, 8th and 18th arrondissements, finally landing in their three-story townhouse, located in a green apartment complex called Villa Chevalier, in 2018.
Last year, they renovated only the 45 m² ground floor, due to budget restrictions. They chose a clean, refined mood – immaculately white from floor to ceiling – so that their paintings and prints could be given pride of place. The result: the kitchen, dining room and living room are lined up in one continuous, brightly-lit space. “There used to be a hallway with WCs and a partitioned kitchen”, recalls Léa Baudrimont, the architect (and friend of the couple) who designed the project with her partner Victor Péteul. “We took it down, as well as the entrance, which was too dark and narrow. Now, the only structuring element in this area is the granite-like central island, which serves as a hallway and defines the kitchen.”
One side of the living room is lined with a long cus- tom-made sideboard in light wood, cleverly concealing everything from dishes to CDs. A staircase with a curved guardrail guides the gaze towards the upper floor, creating a bold, sculptural space. It’s the literal opposite of the former staircase, whose heavy wooden structure gave the room a cottage feel. Opposite what forms a veritable balcony onto the living room, 4.60-meter high balcony windows open onto the garden: “we grew up in houses with gardens, so this is a big plus for us after a string of Parisian apartments... and yet we’re only two metro stops away from the city. The perfect compromise!”
Plant-filled, stone-clad alleys provide access to the house, which is part of a building complex at the end of a dead end.
Before entering the dwelling, a small corridor of vegetation (star jasmine, ferns, olive trees, hydrangeas…) invites you to leave your bike, for example.
The building is clad with long brick panels that provide both structural support and excellent thermal insulation.
The floor was given seven coats of paint for a realistic “polished concrete” look.
Just off the entrance, a “functional wall” on the right conceals the fridge, washing machine, electrical panel and pantry.
The Ferm Living table and chairs are among the few colored elements that share the limelight with the couple’s art collection.
The 4.60-meter glass wall floods the living room with light. There, a Roly Poly chair, the long sideboard, and a few paintings.
At 4.50 meters wide, the three- story house is quite narrow, but stretches in height and length, much like a classic Amsterdam-style construction.
The stretcher also serves as a support for the works of art. Here, a large painting brought back from China, another by Pierre-Martin Jacot and, on the right, a painting by Joan Jordà.
In its blue pot, the Japanese maple is surrounded by a hornbeam, jasmine, a Japanese fatsia, ivy, bamboo, etc.
Alongside the iconic Shogun table lamp, designed in 1986 by Swiss architect Mario Botta, a pottery ball made by Matthieu’s mother.
“The 5-metre-high ceiling gives the living room a cathedral-like feel.
Above the Bolia corduroy sofa, the paintings show Nicolas Maureau’s take on mythological scenes.
The wood of the stair treads has been preserved to match the parquet flooring in the landings and bedrooms.
The staircase is the living room’s centerpiece. Its refined curved guardrail makes it look like a modern fairytale balcony.
View of the living room from the guardrail, with a primary colored mobile from Volta.
While narrow, the corridors chart the perfect flow through the skinny house.
The bathroom was painted with the exclusive Klein blue by Ressource. Next to the mirror are sconces by Artemide.
Here, too, functional elements are hidden: sockets under the basin, hygiene products in a discreet cupboard…
The medicine cabinet, just above a small space reserved for books, was also painted in Klein blue.
In 6-month-old Nikita’s bedroom, lithographs and photographs on the wall, an industrial-style wardrobe, a lampshade fish from Petit Pan…
The staircase leads to the guestroom, bathroom, Nikita’s and the parents’ bedroom, the office and the rooftop terrace.
Above the parents’ bed, a Jean-Charles de Castelbajac carpet in the likeness of Arthur Rimbaud serves as a tapestry. On the left, a painting by Toma-L.
“This carpet, which Carla got for her 18th birthday, has always been used as a headboard in our apartments!”
Numerous comic books are stored opposite the bed, under Alain Séchas’ cats and next to a Hay chair.
The wooden rooftop terrace has a view on the La Plaine Saint-Denis church.
Turning around on the rooftop, one is served a behind-the- scenes view of Paris with the RER B train line in the foreground. Parisian icons the Sacré-Coeur and the Eiffel Tower even make their cameos.
The terrace is also bursting with plants: oleander, wisteria, a palm tree, cacti, and aromatic plants.
Carla and Matthieu’s neighbourhood favourites:
For wood fired oven pizzas
LA CANTINE SAUVAGE
177 avenue du Président Wilson, La Plaine Saint-Denis
A hip little restaurant with thrifted furniture that offers excellent brunches and pizzas.
For theatre with a cause
LA BELLE ETOILE
14 rue Saint-Just, La Plaine Saint-Denis
This small theater showcases socially-conscious plays.
For excellent exotic snacks
MARCHE DE LA PLAINE
28 avenue de la Métallurgie, La Plaine Saint-Denis
Among olives, dates and dried fruit, the Tiakkras stand serves up delicious fish cakes.
Photos : Juan Jerez
Text : Thomas Le Gourrierec
