Paris Interior Designer’s Light Filled Micro Apartment, 25sqm-269sqft

I like my home to be open to the people I love. My primary goal was to open up the space and let in as much natural light as possible. I really wanted to be able to see the entire space at a single glance. The inspiration comes from traditional Japanese styles and Scandinavian design emphasizing light wood, diffused light and open spaces. I was my home client. It was truly a pleasure but also a bit of a challenge at the same time. I'm Juliane Garcia, an interior designer in Paris and the founder of the design studio Maison Insula. The apartment is located in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. The building is located in a quiet small cobbled passageway which make the street especially quiet. At the end of the passage, a flight of stairs leads directly to the Butte Chaumont park. There is a bar just downstairs where all the neighbors gather, especially on Friday nights. The building was built around 1966. Before I bought the place, the sellers had done a small renovation and the drainage pipe from the upstairs toilet was completely exposed and in the middle of the kitchen. The apartment has three large windows and one smaller one which is quite a rare advantage. We started by tearing down all the walls in the space. We hid the remaining pipe with a soundproofed pillar that also defines the kitchen area. We decided to move the bathroom to the darkest corner beside the bedroom. This episode is brought to you by Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney. Caption by Hyatt is all about creating a destination that people feel naturally inclined to visit. Located at 13 Parker Street Haymarket in Central Sydney, the design concept draws directly from Parker Street's history as a bustling market. The exposed structure and surfaces hint at the building's industrial roots while eclectic furnishings from Australian designers anchor the rooms in the local context. We were looking to make artwork that connected the industrial history, the First Nations history and the modern Asian-Australian contemporary history of the area. Some areas are a bit more organic featuring topographical lines, other areas are a bit more geometric and architectural. The idea when designing Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney was to create a hotel that feels like a community hub. So it's layered, eclectic and full of moments of surprise. It's a place where guests could feel at home, help themselves and naturally engage with neighbours and with the local community. Find your space in Central Sydney. Book your stay at Caption by Hyatt now. Link in the description. The apartment is 25 square metres. Right beside the door, the custom closet holds the electrical storage and perfectly fits IKEA boxes and other cleaning supplies. The living room is placed right next to the kitchen and because we designed the kitchen around the central pillar, we couldn't really choose how big the living room was. I searched for a few months until I found this second-hand sofa that fits into the space and folds out to become a twin bed. Underneath it holds my entire books collection which I had to make a lot smaller when I moved into this place. Below the kitchen counter, we created a shelf that can be accessed from both sides. I use it for my collection of candles and cooking books. Since I use them so much, I can recognise them from the back when I'm in the kitchen. My robust fig plant acts like a partition between the space. It clearly loved living here because it was grown so much. My favourite piece in this room is the sideboard that belonged to my grandparents. It has a surprising amount of storage and sits above the floor so it doesn't appear bulky. I have loved it since I was a little kid. This is the spot where I usually work from and I love having a view of the sky. The kitchen is small but functional. As someone who loves cooking, I couldn't imagine living in a place where the kitchen felt like an afterthought. I didn't want it to blend in or look discreet. For the cabinet countertop and backsplash, we used a matte black resin that can be easily cleaned and fixed if it gets any dents. We paired it with second-hand terrazzo tiles that I sourced from Le Boncoin. I knew I would need a lot of surface area for cooking and a large oven with 4 stoves, so I prioritised that over having a microwave and dishwasher. Not having a dishwasher allowed me to hide a washing machine behind one of the cabinet doors. Soji screens, which are wooden frames with rice paper, directly influence this glass partition. It feels open but it still preserves privacy. We used some of the space by the entrance to place a custom cabinet that holds a small fridge, a wine cellar and a large dried goods pantry. Many people told me that black wouldn't be smart if I wanted to create a light flooded apartment, but I think I proved them wrong. The new solid oak parquet flooring were made from the wood scraps when making typical herringbone and is used throughout the common area of the apartment. In order to put the bathroom in the corner of the apartment, we decided to create a platform to hide all the pipes. These steps also mark the boundary to the more private spaces. Around the bed, we installed a combination of IKEA pieces that we framed out with wood. The mirrored closet doors give the illusion of a large space while making the storage mass disappear. The bed is second hands and also has storage underneath. A friend of mine made this beautiful floor-to-ceiling curtain that acts as a door and can be drawn to completely darken the room when it's time to sleep. The bathroom is located directly off the bedroom. It is accessed through a sliding pocket door which is the only door in the entire apartment. I chose a simple floating cabinet with storage as well as a floating toilet. On one of the corners, we placed the water heater. On the other, we placed a roomy walk-in shower with a glass door that makes the space feel larger. I've actually found that by opening the mirrored closet door in the bedroom and sliding the vanity mirror, I can see myself from the back. I found that designing small spaces is often much more fun for me, especially because I enjoy diving into every little detail. Imagining where each object should be placed based on the client's habits and needs is something I truly enjoy. Sign up to our newsletter for subscriber-only content and exclusive offers. 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