A magazine dedicated to compact interiors

Carla and Matthieu's immaculate home 80 m² Saint-Denis, France Contemporary classic Cosy minimalism Triplex Léa Baudrimont & Victor Péteul

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 custom-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!”