Now this is what we call a transformation. On the seventh and top floor of one of the tallest buildings in the Batignolles district, a quiet corner of northwest Paris, a 323-square-foot studio was in need of a serious makeover. It had a small living area, bathrooms that used too much precious space, and a tiny partitioned kitchen. It was also dark, despite having windows on both sides of the unit. Architectural firm Atelier 1060 was called in to redesign the apartment from top to bottom, and even extend it upwards thanks to the owner’s purchase of the area above the apartment and underneath the building’s roof. The homeowner needed more space and Atelier 1060 succeeded at providing him with it: From a small studio of just 323 square feet, the firm managed to create a larger, albeit still cozy, 484-square-foot duplex.
Founded just over a year ago by Fanny Boquien and Victoire Sebaux, Atelier 1060 already has an increasing number of projects. While the duo often work on large-scale projects, they are equally adept at transforming small spaces. This project was for a 30-year-old who wanted to turn his “little bachelor pad” into a more spacious and more adult apartment, “where everything is integrated and nothing sticks out.”
The architects opened up the entire first level of the unit to reincorporate the large window, which was in the shower room and hidden by a dividing wall. The result is a large, open-plan living space, and the addition of a Velux skylight in the attic further enhances the feeling of brightness, as the entire space is filled with sunlight. As Atelier 1060 explains, “The through-ventilation feature also offers thermal benefits. Installing a Velux window provides welcome natural ventilation in attics where it can get hot.” The duplex extends to the top of a building and, with its dual orientation, it offers “pretty crazy views over the rooftops of Paris.”
How did the architects manage to free up so much space on the apartment’s first level? “We installed a custom wood unit that runs the entire length of the apartment and serves a number of functions,” they explain. The installation also connects the different spaces in the home, with storage space in the entry, a compact but efficient kitchen, a laundry room under the staircase, and, finally, a seating area in the living room. With all of the apartment’s functional needs located to one side of the living area, the center of the room becomes a vast open area with a double-height ceiling above the wooden bench that creates a feeling of spaciousness.
Opposite the paneled unit, the bathroom was also made as efficient as possible and reduced to its most essential functions. “It still feels spacious,” adds Atelier 1060, “because the toilet is separate and the bathroom has a large shower. Each of the rooms has a window.” Once these two main components of the apartment were in place, “all that remained was to place the furniture.” It was a task made easier by the fact that different spaces were subtly delineated by a slight narrowing in the kitchen area, as well as wood inserts in the floor that visually separate the dining room from the living room.
“Since the bedroom doesn’t have a very high ceiling, we decided to design it like a sober, white cocoon reflecting the light it does receive,” explains the duo. Indeed, the Velux skylight creates a luminous glow, reinforced by the refined decor, reflective materials, and white tones. From the bed, you can see the steel metalwork which establishes a clear link with the first level.
Given the owner’s desire for a minimalist design, Atelier 1060 opted for light-colored waxed concrete floors and white walls, to reflect as much light as possible. “We then worked with more expressive materials to create a restrained yet warm setting. For example, the dark, varnished wood of the wall unit has a warm 1960s feeling, and it blends with the waxed concrete thanks to the wood floor inserts. “We used four main materials, in search of balance and contrast between them,” the architects explain: concrete evoking minerality and roughness, wood which provides contrasting warmer notes, reflective stainless steel, and white steel for the metalwork that acts as a railing. The bathrooms use the same materials, “with the addition of large mirrors, echoing the reflective aspect of stainless steel and enlarging those small spaces.”
In the same pursuit of a sober and refined atmosphere, the furniture and fixtures were largely selected with the owner, who is “attuned to details,” such as the blue sofa, the fiberglass coffee table from the 1970s (found at a flea market), and the dining table whose base was made from old scaffolding (the manufacturer, Maximum, reuses materials from building sites). The objects mix the owner’s acquisitions, such as his paintings and a clock, with the architects’ contributions, like colorful candlesticks or the Atollo lamp on the stairs. The final result is a setting that feels designed and yet simple and warm as well.
