In 2021, when Camille Reinauld and her husband, Michaël, went to dinner at their friends’ condo in the Belleville neighborhood of Paris, they witnessed a cityscape they couldn’t forget. “We discovered this amazing view,” says Camille. “We loved it so much we started to look for a flat in the same building.”

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

At the time, Camille, Michaël, his daughter Paloma, and their son Romeo, were living in a house in Paris’s 20th arrondissement, not far from their friend’s condo building in Belleville, which straddles the 19th and 20th arrondissements. “I was born and raised in Belleville, and I loved living close to the Parc des Buttes Chaumont,” says Camille.

Before: Dining Area

After: Dining Area

As much as the couple loved their home, they had been looking to downsize. “A condo is smaller, easier to maintain, and would possibly allow us to have a second home for holidays or vacations outside of Paris,” says Camille.

They waited almost a year before a unit with that unforgettable view—a cinematic scene with a sea of rooftops and the Eiffel Tower—became available. And when it did, they purchased it almost immediately.

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

The 1,345-square-foot condo—with massive glass doors in the living room that slide open to a terrace—fit the bill in terms of size and location, but the rooms were gloomy and the finishes were dated. “It hadn’t changed much since the construction of the building in the 1970s,” says Camille. “There was floral wallpaper, and it was very dark.”

Before: Entry Hall

After: Entry Hall

Camille and Michaël had a lot of work to do, and they knew exactly who they wanted to lead the charge—local architect Olivier Lekien of Atelier OLK. “Michaël spotted Olivier’s work on Instagram, and we immediately loved his simple, harmonious style and focus on natural materials,” says Camille. “The result is always a peaceful atmosphere with unique details.”

Before: Hallway

After: Hallway

When they sat down with Lekien to plan the remodel, Camille and Michaël had three requests: to bring in as much sunlight as possible, incorporate organic elements, and design a kitchen dining bar with seating for eight. “In our previous house, we built a bar in our kitchen, and we really loved having all our meals there—the everyday ones, and the dinners with friends,” says Camille.

To accommodate a bar, Lekien needed to alter a wall between the kitchen and the living room. “The building did not allow us to completely erase the wall,” says Camille. Lekien’s solution? Replace portions of the wall with arched openings and a curved dining bar that flows from the kitchen into the living area.

Before: Bathroom

After: Bathroom

To bring in more sunlight, Lekien knocked down walls at the center of the condo and rebuilt partial walls with integrated storage and clerestories. “The flat is deep, so there wasn’t light in the middle,” says Lekien. “I created as much storage and as many windows as possible.” The walls topped with glass harness sunlight for the hallway, each of the bathrooms, and the baby’s room.

Before: Bathroom

After: Bathroom

The architect updated the finishes throughout, outfitting the rooms with muted tones of beige and light pink. He swapped wall-to-wall green carpet for pale oak flooring, and traded the patterned wallpaper for white-painted walls that offset the oak of the integrated storage walls and the kitchen cabinetry. To add texture, Lekien covered the base of the dining bar with glazed ceramic tiles from Portugal. He chose the same tile—but with a matte finish—for a portion of the wall that divides the kitchen and the living area, and for the shower wall and vanity in one of the bathrooms. “Texture brings depth and atmosphere,” says Lekien. “This feels like a house in the south of France.”

After: Bedroom

Camille and Michaël couldn’t agree more. “It feels like we’re on holiday every day,” says Camille. “We love all the gentle curves, and how the colors interact.” But Camille loves the dining bar more than anything else. “It’s our family dinner table, our party table, and it’s become my office,” she says. “It’s definitely my favorite place.”

More Before & After stories:

A Breakthrough Renovation Reveals a Parisian Apartment’s Good Bones

In Spain, a Compact 1960s Apartment Gets a Quirky, Experimental Retrofit

Elegant Arches and Curves Shape Up a Fusty Paris Flat

Project Credits:

Architect: Olivier Lekien, Atelier OLK / @atelier_olk_architecte

Construction: Triada Batiment and Ramos Construction

Structural Engineer: Raphael Gervais

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