NEVER TOO SMALL Paris Architect’s Micro Apartment - 31sqm/344sqft
In search of an affordable home in Paris, architect Matthieu Torres and his partner picked out a small, dark space with a beautiful view of Paris city. Completely gutting the neglected apartment allowed them to add a previously missing toilet and shower, as well as introduce a mezzanine level by removing the aging ceiling. #Architecturaldesign
The apartment is located in the 20th district of Paris.
It's called the Belleville area.
This is a village-like area rich in diversity of people and buildings.
It is a hilly place where you can catch some beautiful views of the Paris landscape.
This is our apartment.
My girlfriend Clementine and I live here.
Originally the apartment is about 24 square meters
and together with the mezzanine it's now a 31 square meters apartment.
As Parisian prices are really high we were looking for an apartment that was affordable.
The apartment is located in a tiny and modest building of two floors
which was built in the end of the 19th century.
When we first found the apartment it was a tiny dark three-room apartment.
There were no toilets nor showers and the ceiling was quite low.
Everything was run down and dirty.
We removed every wall, closet and ceiling from the space.
Removing all of the ceiling gave us a lot more volume vertically
and because of that we added a mezzanine to the apartment
by making a compact furniture unit to include the bedroom,
the bathroom, the walk-in wardrobe and all of our bookshelves and closets.
We added three skylights into the apartment to maximize the natural light into the space.
Getting into the apartment you're greeted by a generous double-story height space
and the exposed all beams and lots of lights.
Our main goal was to make this apartment the most sustainable and economical for us.
We did most of the renovation by ourselves so we could save money
and take good care of the details and also improve our building skills.
We used a lot of french pine plywood.
Not only is it economical but also very durable and aesthetically pleasing.
We like the idea of simplicity, irregularity and imperfection.
Almost all of our furniture are simple and meaningful things that we inherited
or found in the street.
For example the closet handles are from my grandparents' kitchen
that I took when they passed away and their flat was sold.
Next to the main window in the apartment marks the beginning of the living space.
We designed the wooden volume of the mezzanine, bathroom and wardrobe space
that allows the living to extend to a more intimate space in front of the bookshelf.
There are five identical 45 centimeter bookshelf sections
centered around our old integrated sound system
and two 60 centimeter doors we made ourselves.
To leave maximum space in the living and kitchen
the mezzanine ladder is foldable and movable attached to a thin crimp rail.
By pulling the ladder you get quite comfortable access to the mezzanine.
It is a simple warm wooden space with a bed hidden behind the bookshelf.
We built a wooden box with plywood to form a bedhead that insulates us from the wall
and allows us a place to put our books or alarm clock.
We added a skylight to allow more natural light into the apartment
and provide a little window to the skyscape.
The bathroom is designed around a small window.
It is a very small bathroom but we wanted it to feel generous
so we chose to use white tiles, white tap and white shower head to reflect the light.
To bring a sparkling element into this white room
we used a survival blanket as a shower curtain.
We love the warm shiny golden reflections that it brings all over the space.
During the construction we found an old and broken sink
so we decided to use it and we really like its cracks and its timeless look.
We also used an old mirror that belonged to Clementine's grandparents.
The walking wardrobe is a compact and efficient space.
We created a small bench to sit on and take off our shoes.
The walking wardrobe and the bathroom were also designed as a buffer space
to filter noise from the neighboring apartments and the common spaces.
The kitchen is the feature of the apartment.
We wanted to have a large workspace to cook together.
It has a cooktop, oven and fridge.
We also kept the old cracked sink from the original apartment.
Even though it's compact we made sure it has a lot of storage below the kitchen bench.
We kept the wall free from clutter and hanging cupboards
and we designed this funny wooden boot-shaped extractor hood.
We also asked a ceramist friend to create the handles from the kitchen cabinet.
We used a washable shiny paint as a splash back
over three lines of white tiles the same as we used in the bathroom.
In the dining space we have Clementine's grandfather's old workshop table
where we can generously fit six people.
Designing a small space is about choosing what's really meaningful for you.
By choosing what's really important you make these functions easy for everyday life.
If you have a tiny space it might mean that you have few pieces of furniture
so I like the idea of including them in the project
so you can give them the space and place they deserve.
As we live knowing the important effects of climate change on our future city living
living in a small space can contribute many positive solutions.
It is easier to heat or cool and to clean.
It also needs less material to build and it helps to stop the urban spreading.
As living in the city is also closer to amenities
it prevents the excessive use of cars and keeps the city centers active and lively.
An ideal situation would be to combine tiny private livings and diverse bigger common spaces
for shared facilities and activities in the same building or block
and also lots of public spaces in the neighborhood we live in.
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