This 540-square-foot apartment is on the fifth floor of its building in the 10th arrondissement—in other words, this means unobstructed views and lots of light. “Light is the key word for this small space,” says interior designer Lauranne Élise Schmitt. “But it was partitioned into many small spaces. We had to reimagine the plan and figure out a way to improve the circulation.”
After Schmitt’s intervention, the space is now divided between a large living room (measuring roughly 345 square feet) and a bedroom (of around 215 square feet) that includes paired dressing rooms that also serve to separate the toilet from both the bedroom and the bathroom. “In the end, every function has its place and no square inch is wasted.” From the entrance, you can access the dressing room and the toilet, to the left of the kitchen. The bedroom is past the kitchen and to its right. This beautiful, natural symmetry is typical of Schmitt’s work. The apartment also takes advantage of a row of three sloping windows and a translucent pocket door to the bedroom to create a space that is filled with light. Facing the kitchen, “which is rather small but it has everything anyone would need,” a extra long and thin table creates a visual separation between the kitchen and the living room without taking up too much space. It can be used as a console, island, office, or dining table and can accommodate up to six people seated around it.
The owner grew up in Andalusia and the colors of Southern Spain were the inspiration for the ochre, caramel, and earth-colored palette that Schmitt chose. The kitchen, the center of life in the apartment, is in a rustic red that complements the large custom table and the Alicante marble credenza. The same hue continues in the two dressing rooms and down the legs of the large table. The brushed stainless-steel base and wall units, on the other hand, contrast with this warm, Mediterranean color to create a modern look as well as reflecting light throughout the apartment. The same stainless steel is also found lining the back of three mahogany oak niches on one wall in the living area. Illuminated by LED lights at night and by sunlight during the day, the reflective niches help to create a cozy yet contemporary living area. The arches of two of the niches introduce curves into the apartment while providing a contrast with the straight lines that the interior designer is also fond of. “This curved shape is found in the arched bathroom door and the bathroom mirror,” Schmitt says. “They are subtle touches that are integrated with the rest of the apartment, never overshadowing other elements.”
