Houzz Tours
Paris Houzz Tour: Converted Garage Makes the Perfect Family Home
Before and after pictures reveal how an empty concrete shell has been transformed into a stylish, two-bed flat
Looking to buy their first home, this family discovered a rare gem: the empty expanse of a former garage built in 1958, just behind Montmartre in Paris. The building still bore traces of access ramps and raw concrete surfaces, but, attracted by its industrial feel, the new owners saw the opportunity to tailor it to their needs and create a contemporary, loft-style home.
To ensure their purchase would be in safe hands, they called on interior designers Céline Pelcé and Géraud Pellottiero to brave the renovation with them. “They chose us because we’re a team,” says Géraud. “They didn’t hesitate to tell us about their lifestyle, and we got the chance to work on a project that fully corresponds to the kind of architecture we believe in,” which is centred on bespoke solutions to create the perfect space for the owners.
To ensure their purchase would be in safe hands, they called on interior designers Céline Pelcé and Géraud Pellottiero to brave the renovation with them. “They chose us because we’re a team,” says Géraud. “They didn’t hesitate to tell us about their lifestyle, and we got the chance to work on a project that fully corresponds to the kind of architecture we believe in,” which is centred on bespoke solutions to create the perfect space for the owners.
With a ceiling that’s 3.2 metres at its highest point, it wasn’t hard to imagine adding a mezzanine.
The owners also liked the beams, ramps and small concrete vaults – testaments to the building’s past as a garage – and wanted to keep them.
The owners also liked the beams, ramps and small concrete vaults – testaments to the building’s past as a garage – and wanted to keep them.
The designers relax in the apartment
After
The plan for the layout quickly took shape: a large living room/kitchen facing the glazed facade, two bedrooms with glass walls – in order to benefit from natural light – and a hall leading to the bathroom and utility room at the very back of the apartment (scroll to the bottom to see the floor plan).
Despite the quick work, it took four long months of planning to optimise every centimetre of the apartment. “To gain some space, we designed every wall and partition so as to conceal items such as the heating system, electrical wires, etc,” says Géraud. “We used partitions to hide both the electrical system and the ducts for the mechanical ventilation system, and also to provide storage space wherever possible.”
Another interesting aspect of the design is water-based underfloor heating, which is connected to the central hot-water system. “The remote-controlled heated floor is divided into five separate areas to maximise comfort,” says Géraud. “The heat exchanger integrated at the entrance of the network makes it possible to get heat from the main network while being able to control [each section] independently.”
After
The plan for the layout quickly took shape: a large living room/kitchen facing the glazed facade, two bedrooms with glass walls – in order to benefit from natural light – and a hall leading to the bathroom and utility room at the very back of the apartment (scroll to the bottom to see the floor plan).
Despite the quick work, it took four long months of planning to optimise every centimetre of the apartment. “To gain some space, we designed every wall and partition so as to conceal items such as the heating system, electrical wires, etc,” says Géraud. “We used partitions to hide both the electrical system and the ducts for the mechanical ventilation system, and also to provide storage space wherever possible.”
Another interesting aspect of the design is water-based underfloor heating, which is connected to the central hot-water system. “The remote-controlled heated floor is divided into five separate areas to maximise comfort,” says Géraud. “The heat exchanger integrated at the entrance of the network makes it possible to get heat from the main network while being able to control [each section] independently.”
The living room faces the floor-to-ceiling glass facade overlooking the street. In it is the only furniture the couple bought new for this apartment: the comfortable, iconic Togo sofa and a geometric wall shelf. All of the other furniture is built-in. For example, the oak frame of the master bedroom’s glass wall doubles as a desk for the living room.
The apartment’s two bedrooms are separated from the main space with picture windows.
“The building on the opposite side of the street is less than six metres from the apartment. We could have tried to conceal private areas such as the bedrooms, but we decided to highlight them and make these spaces more dramatic instead,” says Géraud.
Still, curtains in the bedrooms can be pulled shut for privacy.
“The building on the opposite side of the street is less than six metres from the apartment. We could have tried to conceal private areas such as the bedrooms, but we decided to highlight them and make these spaces more dramatic instead,” says Géraud.
Still, curtains in the bedrooms can be pulled shut for privacy.
The family wanted to be able to seat up to fifteen people in the kitchen. The island’s solid oak top unfolds to double the table length to 3.5 metres. The details were meticulously crafted by hand by a metalworker.
The kitchen cabinet fronts are made of Valchromat and oak veneer, and the benchtop is Zimbabwe black granite. “We ended up spending €13,000 [about AU$20,000] on the kitchen despite the original budget of only about €3,000 euros [about AU$4,700],” says Géraud.
Kitchen furniture: Ikea
The kitchen cabinet fronts are made of Valchromat and oak veneer, and the benchtop is Zimbabwe black granite. “We ended up spending €13,000 [about AU$20,000] on the kitchen despite the original budget of only about €3,000 euros [about AU$4,700],” says Géraud.
Kitchen furniture: Ikea
You’ll notice a yellow line running along the top of the kitchen cabinets. The designers wanted to highlight one of the baselines of their designs. This large diagonal beam that extends into the children’s room and the bathroom was original to the space and served as a benchmark for the placement of the upper kitchen cabinets, as well as the coat rail in the children’s room and the yellow pendant light in the bathroom (see below).
The cords of the hand-blown glass globes hanging from the ceiling were modified to create a suspended design.
Ballroom pendant light: Design By Us; Tierras floor tiles: Patricia Urquiola for Mutina
The cords of the hand-blown glass globes hanging from the ceiling were modified to create a suspended design.
Ballroom pendant light: Design By Us; Tierras floor tiles: Patricia Urquiola for Mutina
Just behind the kitchen, to the right of the white MDF column that hides the fridge-freezer, is the children’s room’s sash window. The 60-centimetre-wide frame made it possible to put storage in its base.
The children love to perch on the ledges on both sides of the glass wall. “Our idea was to open the spaces up as much as possible and transform this window into a fun structure,” says Géraud.
The children love to perch on the ledges on both sides of the glass wall. “Our idea was to open the spaces up as much as possible and transform this window into a fun structure,” says Géraud.
The children’s room was designed to have two levels: a playroom at the bottom and a nest-like sleeping area at the top.
The yellow line that runs from the kitchen has been highlighted by a light wooden coat rail. Wallpaper by Alexia de Ville, an artist from Brussels, brightens the space with pink parakeets on a grey background.
As the playroom is small, it was necessary to think of a way to reach the mezzanine without sacrificing any storage units or taking up too much floor space. Thus, this double ladder was designed to run over storage boxes. The first section is high enough to allow an adult to give out goodnight kisses. The children nimbly climb the four remaining rungs to get onto their perches.
On the mezzanine are two twin beds, protected by safety nets. It’s a post-and-beam construction made out of steel welded on-site. The designers built a 1:50 scale model of the set-up and checked its structural alignment before building the real thing.
A hall leads from the children’s room to the back of the home. A family of four in a small apartment requires plenty of storage space, which is why part of the 4-metre-long hall has been retrofitted with cupboards.
The small off-centre window near the top of the cupboard wall sits above one of the children’s beds and lets a little light into their room.
The small off-centre window near the top of the cupboard wall sits above one of the children’s beds and lets a little light into their room.
The semicircular door in the master bedroom is similar to those in ferry cabins. “We designed this arched pocket door ourselves and had it made by a craftsman. It was one of the biggest challenges of this project for Céline and I, because the drawing is quite technical,” says Géraud.
In the master bedroom, the old coffered ceiling, with its rounded beams, was carefully preserved. On the floor, a cosy loop-pile carpet has replaced the laminate flooring of the rest of the home.
The glass wall was designed to let in as much light as possible. “We didn’t use a classic glass wall to partition the rooms because we already had a facade that imposed a marked pattern. We did not want to impose a second pattern of positive and negative spaces with narrow, high windows. In addition, they would have blocked part of the light,” says Géraud.
The bed in here is a storage one. The carpenter designed it to flip up to reveal a roomy space that the owners call their ‘cellar’.
Storage bed: Ikea
Storage bed: Ikea
The bathroom is in the lower-right portion of the apartment. The walls still retain some of the architectural features of the old garage, which did not make the design easy. Despite the lack of space, the owners wanted both a shower and a bath.
To save on space for bathroom fixtures, nothing beats custom-made. “We hired craftsmen that only do this type of work,” says Géraud.
To bring light into this room while still turning it into an exceptional little corner, one side of the shower has been fitted with glass tiles back-painted in gold.
Ceramicist Marie Lautrou (PMPM workshop) made the powder room’s basin and vanity to measure out of enamelled sandstone and solid oak respectively. The green feather wallpaper is another Alexia de Ville creation.
Next to the bathroom is a small utility room, which also serves as a place to hang coats and bags. There are two different peg rails at comfortable heights for both adults and children.
From the entrance of the utility room, a ladder leads to a second mezzanine, an extension of the one in the children’s room.
Protected by safety nets and equipped with two mattresses one on top of another, it can accommodate up to two adults at night. Most often it serves as a play area for the children, almost like a treehouse.
The floor plan shows how cleverly everything has been fitted into this one space.
“This project developed perfectly. The owners knew how to convey their wishes, so we could design to their needs, so our work was built on a solid foundation,” says Géraud. “Their trust allowed us to work as we like: doing things right and allowing our clients to discover artisanal work, which is something we hold dear.”
Tell us
What do you love about this garage conversion? Share your thoughts in the Comments section. And don’t forget to like, share or save this story. Join the conversation.
More
Check out last week’s Milan Houzz Tour: Caring Updates to a Zaha Hadid-Designed Home for more international interiors
“This project developed perfectly. The owners knew how to convey their wishes, so we could design to their needs, so our work was built on a solid foundation,” says Géraud. “Their trust allowed us to work as we like: doing things right and allowing our clients to discover artisanal work, which is something we hold dear.”
Tell us
What do you love about this garage conversion? Share your thoughts in the Comments section. And don’t forget to like, share or save this story. Join the conversation.
More
Check out last week’s Milan Houzz Tour: Caring Updates to a Zaha Hadid-Designed Home for more international interiors
Who lives here: A couple in their thirties and their two young children
Location: The 13th arrondissement of Paris, France
Size 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom; about 65 square metres
Duration of work: Planning: 4 months; work: 6 months; completed July 2016
Budget: €1,800 (about AU$2,861) per square metre, all included; kitchen: €13,000 (about AU$20,000)
Interior designers: Céline Pelcé and Géraud Pellottiero of Atelier PelPell
‘Before’ photos by Géraud Pellottiero
‘After’ photos by David Foessel
Before
The place was originally a huge rectangle with a large floor-to-ceiling window, which faces the street, as its only light source. The designers immediately decided to lay out the space so, as in an artist’s studio, all living areas would face this luminous facade.