A grand apartment, made to measure

This 270-square-metre apartment was in serious need of a fresh start. A badly placed kitchen, an impractical layout — everything was rethought, from floor to ceiling. We proposed a plan that places the kitchen, living room, dining room and master bedroom on the street side. The master bedroom extends towards the courtyard with a bathroom, a small gym and a study. The study faces the main entrance, at the centre of the apartment. From this entrance, a corridor leads to three bedrooms and three bathrooms for the children.

Haussmann living room with crown molding, white sofa and wall shelves – apartment in Paris, by Cotrel Studio, interior designer

Yet another wonderful encounter! A family meeting a place, a life project — and clients meeting our interior architecture studio. Ours really is a wonderful profession: the work is a pleasure, the adventure is human, and the people we meet along the way stay etched in our memories. On this project, the clients placed great trust in us. That relationship allowed us to express ourselves fully, from the design of the floor plan down to the subtlest details.

Hallway with white paneling, herringbone parquet and leather armchairs – apartment in Paris

Entryway with paneled double door, white wainscoting and round sconces – apartment in Paris

Light gray hallway with herringbone parquet and teak sideboard – apartment in Paris

The study

As the study sits at the heart of the apartment, its design was handled with particular care. Thanks to glazed doors, designed by the studio and made to measure, light circulates and brings transparency. This luminosity allows the use of bold colours, which highlight the cornices, mouldings and all the original decorative features that give Haussmann-era interiors their charm. The furniture was selected with the clients, and the small 1950s-inspired cabinets on either side of the fireplace were designed by the studio.

Home office with sage green walls, black marble fireplace and oak desk – apartment in Paris

Home office seen through black steel glass partition, round oak desk – apartment in Paris

Sage green reading nook with leather lounge chair and marble fireplace – apartment in Paris

The master suite's bathroom is reached through this study. The row of windows overlooking a bright, handsome courtyard is a real pleasure. The doors were designed to measure, in veneered wood species that break with the usual bathroom conventions. Parquet, veneer, bespoke niches — what emerged is more a "bathing salon" than a bathroom.

Terracotta bathroom with double sink, oval mirrors and fluted wood vanity – apartment in Paris

Bathroom with terracotta alcove, glass shower and freestanding tub – apartment in Paris

Bathroom with white freestanding tub, gray tile and glass shower – apartment in Paris

Walnut doors opening onto a built-in bookcase closet – apartment in Paris

Bathroom with freestanding tub and walnut cabinet with book niche – apartment in Paris

White tub detail with light gray tile and walnut storage niche – apartment in Paris

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Living and dining room

The living rooms of Haussmann-era apartments are often in good condition. For this project, we carefully removed a partition that split the space in two. This opening was made while preserving the existing plaster cornices, creating one large living space encompassing sitting and dining rooms. The perspective now stretches wider, towards the tall street-side windows and the openings onto the courtyard-side entrance. All the furniture was selected jointly by the clients and the studio. On the dining side, a large made-to-measure banquette invites convivial dinners. It is flanked by a niche and shelving, staging the space, with indirect lighting set behind it. These small details give the project a fifties soul.

Haussmann living room with white marble fireplace and gilded mirror – apartment in Paris

Dining room with banquette, marble table and oak wall shelves – apartment in Paris

Dining room with marble table, cane chairs and glass pendant lights – apartment in Paris

Oak shelf detail with burgundy red box and rows of books – apartment in Paris

Backlit oak wall shelves with colored boxes above a low sideboard – apartment in Paris

White marble mantel detail with gilded mirror and peony bouquet – apartment in Paris

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The kitchen

A project within the project: the kitchen! For clients who are true gourmets and accomplished cooks, the kitchen was naturally the centre of attention. It takes its place on the street side, in the former dining room. It was built with a minimum of tall units, to accentuate the perspective and showcase the magnificent ornamental features. The fireplace was of course preserved, and pairs beautifully with the walnut veneer used throughout.

Open kitchen with marble island, olive green backsplash and walnut columns – apartment in Paris

Haussmann kitchen with lacquered island, red marble fireplace and gilded mirror – apartment in Paris

Kitchen with long gray marble island, ornate ceiling and wrought-iron balcony – apartment in Paris

Open kitchen with blue-gray cabinets, walnut columns and solid wood table – apartment in Paris

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Kitchen with white marble island, ceiling rosette and herringbone parquet – apartment in Paris

Eat-in kitchen with walnut table, orange chairs and olive backsplash – apartment in Paris

And the bedrooms?

Let's take a little tour of the bedrooms! For the parents, the furniture was either sourced from antique dealers or made to measure. With the dressing room now a room in its own right, the space gained in the bedroom allowed for a calm, light-filled study corner. The wardrobe was designed by the studio and made in light oak veneer. The colours are understated, light and restful.

Vintage teak desk by a window with orange lamp and graphic area rug – apartment in Paris

Bathroom with sage green fluted tile, white sink and wall mirror – apartment in Paris

Bathroom seen from the doorway, green fluted tile and oak vanity – apartment in Paris

Shower detail with green fluted tile and concrete-look niche – apartment in Paris

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