Collection by Kelly Dawson

How Many Apartments Does it Take to Make One Home?

Three 1930s apartments become one for a family of five in Paris.

After spending a decade in China, a lawyer and a CEO returned to Paris with their two young children and settled in the city’s 16th arrondissement. However, the 1,000-square-foot apartment’s cozy quarters would soon turn cramped when the couple discovered a third baby was on the way. The family enjoyed their sixth-floor address overlooking the Bois de Boulogne park and the building’s art-deco details constructed in the 1930s, so instead of moving, the couple acted on a rare opportunity. The adjacent residence and the seventh-floor property above were for sale, and the pair purchased both to connect all the spaces together. “Connecting three apartments on two levels in an old Parisian building with numerous structural constraints is not an easy task,” architect Eitan Hammer says, whose namesake firm and business partner Ulli Heckmann were up to the challenge. They had an extensive to-do list that included knocking down walls and adding an abundance of storage, which had to be approved by neighbors and property managers. But in the end, the pair that moved across the world and welcomed a new baby found yet another way to make it work.

“Perhaps the most recurrent request from the client was to create as much storage space as possible, which they desperately lacked in the original apartment,” Hammer says. The kitchen’s medium-density fibreboard cabinets provide plenty of room to keep things tidy. Tom Dixon bar lamps hang over the island.
“Perhaps the most recurrent request from the client was to create as much storage space as possible, which they desperately lacked in the original apartment,” Hammer says. The kitchen’s medium-density fibreboard cabinets provide plenty of room to keep things tidy. Tom Dixon bar lamps hang over the island.
When Hammer and his team were discussing the home’s orientation with the couple, they decided to put “the kitchen on the east side, enjoying morning light, while having the living and dining areas open to the west terrace, ideal for afternoon light,” he says. A Felt Chair by Marc Newson for Cappellini adds color to the family room.
When Hammer and his team were discussing the home’s orientation with the couple, they decided to put “the kitchen on the east side, enjoying morning light, while having the living and dining areas open to the west terrace, ideal for afternoon light,” he says. A Felt Chair by Marc Newson for Cappellini adds color to the family room.
The owners wanted to have a clear distinction between the more public areas of the home and the more private ones. In the master bathroom, which is on the lower floor, tiles were used from the Italian company Trend.
The owners wanted to have a clear distinction between the more public areas of the home and the more private ones. In the master bathroom, which is on the lower floor, tiles were used from the Italian company Trend.
“The old living room and balcony on the sixth floor were transformed into the master bedroom with an en-suite open bathroom,” Hammer said. Flos lighting illuminates the space above the vanity.
“The old living room and balcony on the sixth floor were transformed into the master bedroom with an en-suite open bathroom,” Hammer said. Flos lighting illuminates the space above the vanity.
“The clients contributed quite a few interesting pieces from their art collection, including photographs, a signed original bookstand prototype column by Tom Dixon, and traditional artifacts brought from their long stay in China,” Hammer says. New and original parquet floors, as shown in the master bedroom, add another layer of character throughout the home.
“The clients contributed quite a few interesting pieces from their art collection, including photographs, a signed original bookstand prototype column by Tom Dixon, and traditional artifacts brought from their long stay in China,” Hammer says. New and original parquet floors, as shown in the master bedroom, add another layer of character throughout the home.
“All interior walls were removed to create four individual rooms on the sixth floor,” Hammer says. The two children and the new baby share a bathroom. And in their bedrooms, storage continues to be key.
“All interior walls were removed to create four individual rooms on the sixth floor,” Hammer says. The two children and the new baby share a bathroom. And in their bedrooms, storage continues to be key.
On the oversized terrace looking over the city, a Voido rocking chair by Ron Arad sits amongst the greenery.
On the oversized terrace looking over the city, a Voido rocking chair by Ron Arad sits amongst the greenery.