This Franco-Italian couple was looking for a pied-à-terre in the capital. This 120 m² apartment had the ideal location for them, as it is located in the center of Paris, near Place Vendôme. But at the time of signing, they had doubts. They then consulted the architect Élodie Chomet to get her opinion. Indeed, the apartment had very low ceilings: “under the beam which is the lowest in the center of the apartment, we were at 1.80 or 1.90 meters. Which is very low and, what’s more, the beams were dark”she confirms to us on the phone. The professional was not frightened, but she told us that when she saw all her very dark beams which had an oppressive side, she did not know if she would succeed in lightening them. Bet successful. For the renovation and decoration, she was inspired by the atypical side of the property by giving pride of place to natural materials.
Create a third bedroom, as if it had always existed
The apartment had two bedrooms and this couple wanted three: one for themselves, one for their daughter and another if they had guests. The living room was huge and a partly partitioned room, opening onto the living room, served as an office. Élodie Chomet had the idea of closing this room in order to create the third bedroom. They also wanted three bathrooms. Here again, the architect was able to respond to their requests while maintaining space. In terms of decoration, the couple didn’t like marble and preferred a warm, very natural style, a bit earthy or zellige with texture, which went very well with the beams. They wanted to feel like they were in a second home and not necessarily a Parisian apartment. Some rooms, like the kitchen, had a particular shape. The architect found the solution to exploit every square centimeter and find coherence. And to soften the beams, the Chomet Interiors team whitewashed them (a technique to give a whitened effect to the wood), using sand and lime. The apartment has gained in brightness and coherence thanks to this transformation. The property now has incredible charm and is unlike any other. Let’s go for the visit.
© AGATHE TISSIER/Élodie Chomet
