When architect Jean-Christophe Petillault of JCPCDR Architecture remodeled an 1820 apartment in the 4th arrondissement of Paris—home to Le Marais, The Centre Pompidou, and Les Halles—he updated the floor plan, flooding the rooms with natural light, and infused the furnishings with a fresh, tailored sensibility. “My clients are a young, active, cosmopolitan couple,” Petillault says. “The new design embodies sharp, contemporary aesthetics and the floor plan now has maximum efficiency.”

$5,200 Demolition	$7,000 Wall & Insulation	$3,750 Door
$11,000 Electricity	$11,000 Plumbing	$2,500 HVAC
$11,000 Flooring	$20,000 Carpentry	$14,000 Painting
$8,000 Kitchen	$1,800 Interior Canopy	$10,950 Decor
$5,000 Electronic	$5,700 Construction
Grand Total: $116,900

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Petillault’s clients, a professional couple in their thirties, commissioned the architect to convert the 810-square-foot apartment from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom. They also requested that a deep, rich blue tone be a focal point of the new design. “They requested dark blue,” the architect says. “I highlighted the blue with contrasting white. Using lighter tones around the blue reflects light and gives a sense of spaciousness.”

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“There had been previous refurbishments with various styles and materials,” Petillault remembers of the existing apartment. “The general atmosphere was rather dark and sad.”

The mishmash of styles and materials from prior remodels inspired the architect to gut the apartment and start from scratch. “Because of the long and narrow layout, the main challenge was to make the most of incoming daylight,” he says. “I divided the space in two halves according to the position of the windows. The whole apartment was recreated from this central position and a play on symmetry.” Sunlight pours into the apartment via windows on each end, but in order to flood the centrally located spaces with sunlight, the architect topped each wall with a clerestory that allows light to flow from one room to the next.

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Petillault outfitted the rooms with custom furniture pieces—some of them built-in—with light footprints and slim silhouettes that preserve floor space and promote spaciousness. “Every square inch of space was precious,” the architect says. “We like to design interiors that are functional and coherent. Bespoke furniture becomes an integrated part of the architecture.”

The architect created an open plan for the public space, but delineated rooms by creating different levels; the living and the dining room step down from the kitchen, which is on the same level as the bedrooms and the bath behind it. The difference in floor heights also helps to balance the narrow floor plan and high ceilings.

“This apartment is located in one of the most desirable and picturesque districts of Paris,” Petillault says. “It embodied most of the challenges commonly encountered with Parisian elder buildings. Although daylight pours in from windows on both ends, the apartment’s core seemed to stretch along a dark and rather narrow corridor. The new owner’s desire to make it two bedrooms was the perfect opportunity to give it a full refurbishment.”

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Project Credits:

Architecture and design: JCPCDR Architecture / @jcpcdr

Construction: SCJ Renovation

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Budget Breakdown: A Muddled Parisian Pad Gets a Sleek Makeover for $117K