Porcelain was developed in China around 2,000 years ago but the recipe was a closely guarded secret. Only the very wealthy could afford objects made of this fragile material, which was shipped at great expense from the Far East. The hot water tank, washing machine, heating system, and even the bathroom sit behind molded woodwork and elegant doors that are a mix of refined style and simple charm.In the 18th century, porcelain was one of the most highly prized commodities in the world. “Everything you don't need to see but need to have” is here, she explains. Or, at least, hide it behind discreet doors. At the same time, we choose to hide the storage in plain sight,” Pauline says. “Wood is omnipresent in the structure of the building, so it was necessary to give its character to the whole. They complete the character of this small studio-suite. “It provides a more luminous feel to this area, which feels like a small box.” Wood, represented in the structural beams and the floors, is simply stripped and varnished or presented in the old-fashioned form of herringbone parquet and moldings that elegantly revisit the Haussmann era. “Neither too deep nor too strong, from the floor to the ceiling,” Pauline says. The apartment’s array of colors also includes two light blues, as see in the entrance-kitchen area. By clearly separating the sleeping area from the entrance-kitchen, the apartment-surprisingly-feels bigger. The challenge was to maximize a small space. We used it in the fabric of the banquettes in the dining area, which brings together all the colors of the apartment.” The fabric’s palette includes black (for the marble), bronze for the heating grills, and pink for the niches of the headboard and the piping of the cushions-a pink that also recalls the tiles. “This elegant deep black with gold veins is one of the colors we discovered in this apartment along with the dark red of the floor tiles. Its stone also inspired the Saint Laurent marble on the kitchen countertop, the small tabletop, and the bedside niches. The period floor tiles are preserved in the sleeping area as is a small black fireplace that gives the apartment an added dose of personality.
While parts of the building were in poor condition, Studio Ett Hem was determined to preserve and reuse as much of the existing unit as possible. Throughout the loft, discreetly integrated storage is present, sometimes highlighted with bronzed brass details.
The beautiful 19 th-century floor tiles and the fireplace were original to the building. Since spaces in small apartments must often fulfill multiple functions, this dining area is placed under a window where the natural light is also handy when it plays its other role, as an office.
The wood-and-glass divider defines the dual entrance-kitchen area and separates it from the quieter part of the room, but its rounded shapes also soften this border. “In small spaces, we are often afraid to create zones, but differentiating functions and installing circulation counter-intuitively expands the space,” Pauline says. The efficient kitchen includes a refrigerator, a two-burner cooktop, a small sink, a hidden microwave, and storage. On the right, an elegant but discreet kitchen sits to one side of the sleeping area, separated by a wood-and-glass partition. One set, however, leads into the apartment’s bathroom.
#PEINTURE COLOREE SERIES#
The wall, which runs along one side of the space, includes a series of closet doors-some are decorative, others functional. The table is fixed to the floor, a pragmatic decision.įollowing the goal of creating the feel of a hotel suite, Studio Ett Hem created a small, multi-functional entrance hallway that also solves the constraint created by the slanted load-bearing wall. It is painted in light blue hues (Argile Peinture and Farrow and Ball) that complement the colored fabric benches (Elitis). The left wall is lined with doors hiding both storage and access to the bathroom.