Interior architecture of an apartment above the rooftops of Paris

This magnificent apartment occupies the top floors of a building in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Its setting, overlooking the rooftops of the city, with vast floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the space with light, offered enormous potential.

The first objective was to rethink the floor plan as a whole, as the original layout no longer suited our client's needs. The apartment comprises a daytime level with a very large living room, a dining room, a kitchen and a small study. On the floor below, reached by the original staircase, two suites were created, each with its own bathroom and dressing room.

Living room opening onto a planted terrace through floor-to-ceiling glass, walnut coffee tables – duplex in Paris, by Cotrel Studio, interior designer

Living room with dark wood wall shelving, beige sofa and green stool – duplex in Paris

Large open living room with white sofa, black leather and wood armchairs, mirrored wall – duplex in Paris

Custom dark wood bookcase with black steel frame and curved low cabinet – duplex in Paris

Detail of dark wood shelving with books and small animal figurines – duplex in Paris

Detail of smoked oak sideboard with black mushroom lamp and books – duplex in Paris

Powder room with white vessel sink on a dark wood shelf and organic-shaped mirror – duplex in Paris

Narrow sage green home office with wall shelves and tall stools – duplex in Paris

Floating white marble staircase with glass railing and mirrored wall – duplex in Paris

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The living level, bathed in light

This level is bordered by large planted terraces. We approached the project in the spirit of a house: the vast glass doors, with flush thresholds, open generously onto the outdoors. The feeling of living outside is very real. The floors were finished in a dark resin, made possible by the exceptional natural light. This surface allowed us to renovate the entire apartment while retaining the existing underfloor heating system.

This floor revolves around a central core housing lifts, staircases and technical shafts. We chose to clad this core in bespoke joinery, concealing doors and integrating bookshelves and storage. Walnut is everywhere. We paid particularly close attention to the finishes of the materials supplied by the various craftsmen, so that the kitchen and the living room "resonate" in the same key.

Open kitchen in dark wood with stone countertop, oval table and cream stools – duplex in Paris

Duplex landing with glass railing, walnut closets and kitchen beyond – duplex in Paris

Kitchen with gray stone island, oval walnut table and white fluted column – duplex in Paris

Kitchen with patinated brown metal fronts, white fluted column and dark floor – duplex in Paris

Kitchen detail: black candleholder on stone counter, white fluted wall and wine fridge – duplex in Paris

Kitchen island detail: gray stone countertop and brown metal drawers – duplex in Paris

Kitchen opening onto the terrace, mirrored backsplash, dark counter and cream stools – duplex in Paris

Brown metal kitchen with built-in stainless ovens, stone counter and window onto greenery – duplex in Paris

Walnut dining room facing the terrace, tripod floor lamp and Eiffel Tower view – duplex in Paris

Dark wood dining table with leather chairs and open kitchen beyond – duplex in Paris

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The sleeping quarters, on the floor below

One of the main objectives of this project was to rethink the layout of the bedrooms, located on the lower floor and reached by the original staircase. The existing arrangement simply did not meet the clients' needs. We therefore designed two suites, each with its own bathroom, dressing room and generous terraces.

The advantage of working on a duplex is that you can create two genuinely different worlds. While remaining coherent in the use of materials (wood veneers, panelling, recessed handles), the sleeping level is lighter in tone. Pale oak was used extensively. The main suite comprises a large bedroom, a dressing room and a spacious bathroom. The resin here is light, reminiscent of polished concrete, and the washbasin unit is in travertine. We "played" with light and views, placing mirrors at strategic points to deepen the perspective, or creating privacy where it was needed.

Entryway with cantilevered white marble stairs, glass and full-height mirror – duplex in Paris

Light oak hallway with curved walls, slatted closets and white side table – duplex in Paris

Detail of oak closets with vertical slats and recessed handle – duplex in Paris

Bedroom with textured terracotta wall, oak headboard and white paper pendants – duplex in Paris

Light oak bathroom with beige stone double sink and full-height mirrors – duplex in Paris

Oak bathroom seen from the hallway, stone sink and mirrors reflecting greenery – duplex in Paris

Bathroom detail: brushed metal faucets on travertine sink, mirrored cabinets – duplex in Paris

Light oak bathroom opening onto the terrace through a large glass door – duplex in Paris

Walk-in glass shower with wall niches and light oak closets – duplex in Paris

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Bedroom with blue mountain mural wallpaper and oak headboard – duplex in Paris

Bedroom reading nook with oak shelves, framed textile and velvet armchair – duplex in Paris

Beige bathroom with glass shower, round white sink and black faucet – duplex in Paris

Bedroom opening onto the terrace, blue mountain mural and oak headboard – duplex in Paris