Houzz Tour: A Tiny Paris Studio With a Big Presence

This spacious-looking apartment offers the conveniences of a much larger home in 215 square feet

Salomé Giraudet August 15, 2018

Contributrice Houzz, journaliste spécialisée pour plusieurs magazines et sites de décoration/design. Inspirée par l'art de vivre, l'aménagement, le domaine lifestyle et le graphisme.

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“Every detail of this studio — both the decor and the layout — has been treated with care. You don’t get to botch the final result just because it’s a small space,” says Margaux Carnevali, the interior designer in charge of this renovation. In fact, this Paris apartment has many conveniences of a larger space. Functional, stylish and customized to the owner’s lifestyle, it is a dream home for any young professional in search of a cozy nest.

NEVA Architecture Intérieure - Interior Design

Apartment at a Glance
Location: 15th arrondissement of Paris
Size: 215 square feet (20 square meters)
Designer: Margaux Carnevali of Neva Architecture Intérieure

Ten years ago, this was not even a home: It was an office that was subsequently divided into two studio apartments. Habitable but not quite functional, these units needed a second lease on life.

With this renovation, the experts at Neva Architecture Intérieure in Paris sought to give this apartment a spacious feel. A bar counter previously stood perpendicular to the main line of kitchen cabinets, impeding the apartment’s flow. Removing it was the starting point of the remodel, which took about three months and cost about $35,000.

Unable to push out walls, Carnevali created a feeling of spaciousness with color and texture. The ceiling, walls, mezzanine and some furniture are now snow white. The wood floor also got a lighter finish.

NEVA Architecture Intérieure - Interior Design

It’s not often that an apartment this size has a real dining table and a separate bedroom. Carnevali chose to depart from the norm and created clearly defined spaces with all the desired conveniences to make this nest as cozy as possible.

To minimize the number of partitions, she used decor tricks to divide the zones. The turquoise that frames the sofa distinguishes the living area from the dining area, while a bolder shade defines the sleeping area. The harmonious blue-and-white palette gives the bedroom a cocooning atmosphere.

12 Ways to Divide Space in an Open Floor Plan

NEVA Architecture Intérieure - Interior Design

Accessories also help delineate the spaces. “To define the dining area, I chose an origami-like paper pendant light,” Carnevali says. “The patterned backsplash draws attention in the kitchen.”

These backsplash tiles add character and make the kitchen stand out within the open apartment. The kitchen is also fully equipped, with a built-in range hood, range, small oven, microwave, compact refrigerator and even a mini dishwasher. This studio has all the appliances of a huge kitchen.

In cases like this, it is a question of proportions: The appliances fit into this mini kitchen well because their size matches the space.

Kitchen cabinetry and oak countertop: Ikea; browse tile

NEVA Architecture Intérieure - Interior Design

A double mattress and some storage shelves turned the mezzanine into a real bedroom.

Possibly the home’s best feature is the closet under the mezzanine. Before the renovation, the tenant used to keep her clothes at the entrance on a hanging rod and in stacked boxes. Today, she stores everything in this large custom closet. The mirrored doors visually enlarge the space and transform the area under the mezzanine into a small dressing area.

Look for a design or remodeling pro near you

NEVA Architecture Intérieure - Interior Design

The studio’s decor is “not really typical Scandinavian,” Carnevali says. Instead, it is a mix of current trends. The rug, sofa, houseplants and flower pots borrow South American motifs. The characteristically Nordic combination of white and wood that serves as a base for the decor gets a punch of style from the mezzanine’s industrial black metal details.

Pendant light: Maisons du Monde; browse similar pendants

NEVA Architecture Intérieure - Interior Design

The bathroom again shows how white can brighten small rooms — it seems much bigger than its 65 square feet. The walls and vanity are made of gypsum blocks covered with white mosaic tile for texture. The blues in the cement tile floor add a spark of color.

So Many Reasons to Love Cement Tiles

NEVA Architecture Intérieure - Interior Design

Less cramped than one might think, the bathroom offers noteworthy features. The walk-in shower has wall-mounted faucets and temperature controls. A niche near the bottom (not pictured) provides a place for beauty products. The wall hooks were carefully positioned so that towels are close enough to grab but not in danger of being splashed. A washing machine and a storage cabinet hide in the wall near the entrance.

The bathroom is emblematic of the studio as a whole: full of clever solutions and extra comforts, all in only a few square feet.

See photos of the other studio apartment

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