{"id":2608,"date":"2025-03-27T01:04:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T17:04:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/2025\/03\/27\/269-square-feet-in-paris-design-ideas-from-a-shoebox-apartment-reinvented-by-marianne-evennou\/"},"modified":"2025-03-27T01:04:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T17:04:53","slug":"269-square-feet-in-paris-design-ideas-from-a-shoebox-apartment-reinvented-by-marianne-evennou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/th\/269-square-feet-in-paris-design-ideas-from-a-shoebox-apartment-reinvented-by-marianne-evennou\/","title":{"rendered":"269 \u0e15\u0e32\u0e23\u0e32\u0e07\u0e1f\u0e38\u0e15\u0e43\u0e19\u0e1b\u0e32\u0e23\u0e35\u0e2a: \u0e44\u0e2d\u0e40\u0e14\u0e35\u0e22\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e2d\u0e2d\u0e01\u0e41\u0e1a\u0e1a\u0e08\u0e32\u0e01\u0e2d\u0e1e\u0e32\u0e23\u0e4c\u0e15\u0e40\u0e21\u0e19\u0e15\u0e4c\u0e02\u0e19\u0e32\u0e14\u0e40\u0e25\u0e47\u0e01\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e1e\u0e25\u0e34\u0e01\u0e42\u0e09\u0e21\u0e43\u0e2b\u0e21\u0e48 \u0e42\u0e14\u0e22 Marianne Evennou"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

There are certain tricks Paris interior designer Marianne Evennou has made her own. For instance, she takes a daring approach to color and always paints rooms in more than one hue: \u201ccolors,\u201d she says, \u201care like musical notes\u2014they\u2019re all good, you just have to adjust them to make a nice melody.\u201d And she always finds a wall that could benefit from an interior window. Every project she takes on is rigorously ordered and easy to identify as hers\u2014and yet never fails to feel singular and inspiring.<\/p>\n

A perfect example is this Saint Germain des Pr\u00e8s apartment that she remodeled for Xavier and Chelo, a couple who are based in Barcelona but come to Paris frequently for work. \u201cChelo\u2019s company was renting him a place in the same building when he got the opportunity to buy this renovated apartment on the first floor.\u201d A mere 25 square meters (269 square feet), it was a one-room shoebox that Evennou describes as dorm-like: \u201cthe kitchen was in the entrance and all the activities had to take place in the same room; it was more suited to student life.\u201d Rather than leave the floor plan wide open, as one might expect given the lack of space, Evennou filled it with life and charm by compartmentalizing it. Here are 12 design lessons learned from this Paris pied-\u00e0-terre.<\/p>\n

Photography by Stephan Julliard, courtesy of Marianne Evennou (@marianneevennou).<\/p>\n

1. It\u2019s worth carving out an entry.<\/h3>\n


Above: Even when space is at a premium, Evennou advocates for an arrival spot to \u201ccreate a transition between the outside world and your private sphere\u201d\u2014 and, of course, to provide a place to stow coats, bags, and shoes. The tropical wallpaper is from Ananb\u00f4: \u201cThey have a large choice of panoramiques, a very efficient way to make an entrance personal.\u201d <\/p>\n

Evennou figured out how to reorganize the setup by downsizing the bathroom: \u201cThis enabled me to change a one-room apartment into a real apartment with different spaces. We now have an entrance, a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom with a desk. The price for this reorganization is a smaller bathroom, but just as efficient as the previous one.\u201d<\/p>\n

,<\/p>\n

2. Use bands of color to add depth and nuance.<\/h3>\n


Above: Evennou points out that rooms are much more dynamic when you use more than one shade of paint. In this project she worked with a palette of foggy blues and delineated the spaces by painting them in different tones: \u201cI treat the colors like imaginary borders, so each space feels like a specific world,\u201d she tells us. \u201cThat\u2019s how I push back the walls in a small space and prevent it from feeling like a narrow box.\u201d <\/p>\n

All of the paints are from French line Ressource, which is now available in the US. Note the colored ceilings: \u201cThe ceiling is like the sky,\u201d says Evennou. \u201cDon\u2019t you find that always seeing a white or gray sky is boring?<\/p>\n

3. Downsize your kitchen components (but don\u2019t skimp on storage).<\/h3>\n


Above: To keep the space from feeling crowded, Evennou stocked it with above- and below-counter cabinets and compact appliances, including an induction cooktop, a wall oven, and under-counter fridge. On the entry side, she even fit in a washing machine concealed behind a door. <\/p>\n

The caf\u00e9 table and folding chairs are from Maison Gatti. For more sourcing ideas, see 10 Easy Pieces: French Bistro Chairs, High to Low.<\/p>\n

4. Display beautiful objects and hide the rest.<\/h3>\n

,

Above: Plentiful enclosed storage enables the owners to be selective about what goes on the open shelves. Evennou advocates editing out the extraneous and in small dwellings \u201cchoosing only useful and at the same time beautiful stuff.\u201d
\n

Above: The ceramics are by Parisian artist Catherine Magdelaine. \u201cI like to have art in all the rooms, especially the kitchen,\u201d says Evennou, <\/p>\n

5. Invite the eye to travel.<\/h3>\n


Above: As mentioned, Evennou loves interior windows\u2014we have yet to see a project of hers that doesn\u2019t incorporate inside glazing. And every example sells us all the more: why don\u2019t all remodelers introduce indoor vistas? In this formerly dark apartment, custom steel-framed interior windows draw light into every room and there\u2019s also a balcony. <\/p>\n

6. Combine built-ins with flexible furniture.<\/h3>\n

,

Above: A banquet (that opens up as a bed), plus \u201cflexible furniture\u201d\u2014pieces that can move around and serve as seating or side tables (or fold up)\u2014enable the apartment to have a nook-size living room. The Oak and Straw Stools are from Ailleurs Paris and the rug is from Kilims ADA. <\/p>\n

Another space saver: energy-efficient under-floor heating. Evennou added it before the chevron-patterned oak parquet flooring was installed.<\/p>\n

7. Multiple light sources make a room feel bigger.<\/h3>\n


Above: Lighting introduces \u201coptical depth,\u201d says Evennou. Here, she paired sconces\u2014Atelier Areti\u2019s Sliver Wall Lights\u2014with a patterned and fringed ceiling light from Maisons du Monde. <\/p>\n

8. A bathroom doesn\u2019t have to be big to do its job.<\/h3>\n


Above: Evennou says that organizing a small space is about finding the right balance for all the \u201cindispensable activities: sleeping, relaxing, eating, working and washing up.\u201d The bathroom, she points out, \u201cdoesn\u2019t need to be spacious to be efficient.\u201d,<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tinier it is,\u201d Evennou adds, \u201cthe more important it is to make it look nice by working on the small details, such as storage under the sink, a good light, a place to hang towels, and a niche in the shower for the soap and shampoo.\u201d Here, Evennou went with a black-and-white theme. The tiles are Moroccan zellige with a border that she cleverly also used to frame the mirror. Note the linen window shade set off in black.<\/p>\n

9. Rather than taking down walls create indoor vistas.<\/h3>\n


Above: Views from one room to the next make the small spaces feel much more open. \u201cBoth the gaze and the light can escape and push back the walls,\u201d says Evennou. Here, a glimpse into the bedroom, which has a linen shade. The black Bakelite light switches are an Evennou favorite by German brand THPG. <\/p>\n

10. Stripes add order.<\/h3>\n


Above: The underpinning of structure in the apartment partly comes from the fact that all of the patterned surfaces are striped. The blanket and Raana cushions on the bed and in the living room are from Caravane. <\/p>\n

Note that for visual interest, the bands of paint color in the bedroom are the reverse of what they are in the living room: \u201c\u2018This helps to both distinguish and link the two spaces,\u201d Evennou told British House and Garden<\/em>. The colors are Midi Medici Blue, a thin band of Dark Stone, and Maya, all from Ressource.<\/p>\n

,<\/p>\n

11. A desk can be slotted into a tiny spot.<\/h3>\n


Above: Evennou always finds a place for a desk, and notes that built-ins take up very little space. This one is slotted between two wardrobes that also conceal the water heater. <\/p>\n

12. Small rooms can be more exciting than open space.<\/h3>\n


Above: Open spaces are the default these days\u2014and often for good reason. But taking down walls needn\u2019t always be the solution. Thanks to Evennou\u2019s masterful planning, this tiny apartment feels both cozy and dynamic, and like a true retreat. \u201cYou have the impression of moving around, rather than being stuck in a box.\u201d <\/p>\n

Floor Plans: After and Before<\/h3>\n


Above: Previously, the kitchen was situated right off the entry, the bedroom was open to the living area, and there was a large bathroom. By inserting glazed partitions, Evennou entirely transformed the look and functionality apartment. <\/p>\n

Take a look at three more Marianne Evennou projects:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The Ultimate First Apartment in Paris: A Brother and Sister\u2019s Share Quarters<\/li>\n
  • Home at the Office: Designer Marianne Evennou\u2019s Paris Work Quarters and Pied-\u00e0-Terre<\/li>\n
  • Blue Streak: A Tiny, Inventive Flat in the Center of Paris<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    For small-space ideas, also see:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • 9 Design Ideas to Steal from a Tiny Paris Apartment<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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