Apartment avenue franco-russe in Paris 7th | Alia Bengana

The apartment is situated in a building of de 1910’s with a usual typology for the beginning of century in Paris: triple living room overlooking the street, rooms, bathrooms and kitchen on the central courtyard. The kitchen was at the rear of the apartment, very far from the living and dining room, and the access to this kitchen was through a long and dark corridor. The first will of the clients was to divide the 195sqm apartments into two, one for them, and one for their two young adult university student children. Both apartments with an independent entrance. The clients also wanted a contemporary apartment while keeping the spirit of place at the same time.

The first idea was to create the parent’s kitchen in a part of the triple living room. The will was to put this kitchen in perspective with 2 other spaces, a library/office, and a living room with bookshelves to display the pre-Colombian collection and art pieces of the owners. The kitchen and office are divided by a thick plaster wall offering storages and shelves on sides, as well as a custom made office table, and sliding doors.

All the openings of the living room and main entrance have been enlarged and treated the same way with large oak frames. . The materials chosen for the whole of the interventions are the natural oak, oak veneer, and metal. The parquet is the original one that was kept. Some of the walls have been colored in order to increase the depth of the perspectives, or discover unexpected atmospheres depending on whether one is on one side or the other of a room. The kitchen is also custom made, in teinted oak, and brown Corian countertop.

A particular attention has been focused on the storage spaces created in the thicknesses of walls or door frames. The bathroom is in big ceram tiles (fake marble) and mosaics of marble, creating a white and pure space.

 The apartment of children has been treated in a more fun and contemporary way. A metal window frame separates the kitchen from the bathroom. The cements tile floors with geometric patterns are sometimes on the walls in order to create optical illusions.