As she had a limited budget, Marie decided not to undertake any structural work in the 325-square-foot space, but she did rearrange the rooms within the existing plan. She moved and reduced the size of the shower, the former bedroom became a living room, the former living room became a kitchen, and the former kitchen became a bedroom. Where she could have opened up the apartment, the architect instead kept it as a succession of rooms, giving the impression that you are moving through a larger area. “With several different routes for your eyes to move through the space, segmenting it gives it an extra depth without changing the underlying floor plan.” Having assured that the new layout of the apartment functioned well, Marie turned her attention to its decor. She designed a soft arch for the alcove bedroom and, above all, paid particular attention to the color palette: sharp, contrasting, acidic, and pastel. These interactions give the apartment its identity.
The colors are combined with a striped pattern on the curtains and a number of small objects, as well as vintage pieces that Marie is particularly fond of, both because they are often less expensive and they have the added bonus of having character and soul that comes with age. “It’s the choice of light fixtures and certain pieces of furniture that give the apartment its retro, 1970s style, which brings with it a certain familiarity, like the Formica table from our childhoods. These are inexpensive tricks that provide an overall coherence to the tones and materials used,” the designer explains. The walls of the apartment are white except for the bathroom, which is a pale pink complemented by small gray tiles in the shower. These tiles are also used on the kitchen credenza, creating an overall harmony within the succession of rooms, full of reminders of materials and colors—the common themes of an interior that has been thought out down to the smallest detail.
