Spot All the Hidden Storage in This Glam Parisian Hideaway

Shoko Wanger
Updated
Spot All the Hidden Storage in This Glam Parisian Hideaway

The words “1920s glamour” are likely to conjure images of Gatsby-esque excess, steeped in deep color and brimming with lavish embellishments, all shine and luster and cigarette smoke. What may not come to mind is a tidy, 590-square-foot apartment with white walls, sparse decor, and an emphasis on efficient storage—that is, until you look a little closer. Yes, that is molded plinth, made using three layers of wood to achieve a geometric look, that you see lining the floor. Those headboards and the tile backsplash in the kitchen were indeed custom-designed with a nod to period-appropriate shapes. And that interior door, made of black steel and glass? It’s 20s-meets-21st century to a tee.

“In a small space, storage is the most important thing,” says Rebecca, who incorporated blink-and-you’ll-miss-them closets throughout the apartment. The original kitchen floor was stripped to its concrete base then retiled in black terrazzo.
“In a small space, storage is the most important thing,” says Rebecca, who incorporated blink-and-you’ll-miss-them closets throughout the apartment. The original kitchen floor was stripped to its concrete base then retiled in black terrazzo.
Photo: Giaime Meloni
“We wanted the bedrooms to look like hotel rooms,” she says. In each, 1920s-inspired wooden headboards were custom-fit to their tight quarters and finished with a coat a satin paint. (Their black outlines feature the same glossy black as the baseboards.)
“We wanted the bedrooms to look like hotel rooms,” she says. In each, 1920s-inspired wooden headboards were custom-fit to their tight quarters and finished with a coat a satin paint. (Their black outlines feature the same glossy black as the baseboards.)
Photo: Giaime Meloni

But for Rebecca Benichou, principal at the French firm Batiik Studio (and mastermind behind this cheerful aerie), incorporating hints of the decade’s signature sophistication—an homage to the era during which the building was constructed—was only half of the design challenge at hand.

Artwork in neutral tones—like this engraving by Elisa Carutti—keeps the space feeling fresh and uncluttered.
Artwork in neutral tones—like this engraving by Elisa Carutti—keeps the space feeling fresh and uncluttered.
Philippe Respaut Luca de Paris
A glamorous light fixture is the crowning touch on a central pillar.
A glamorous light fixture is the crowning touch on a central pillar.
Photo: Giaime Meloni

Located in Paris’s 9th arrondissement, the apartment was originally a one-bedroom residence with a large living room and kitchen, and a single, spacious bathroom. By the time its owners approached Rebecca, however, they had bigger (or, perhaps more accurately, smaller) plans for the home. Reimagining it as a stylish short-term rental, their Airbnb-friendly vision entailed not only a decorative overhaul, but the addition of multiple rooms within the existing space.

Her favorite detail of the space? It’s an easy choice, Rebecca says. This interior door, which separates the common area from the bedrooms, features angular steel detailing and ribbed glass for added privacy. A fold-out couch from Habitat sleeps two additional guests.
Her favorite detail of the space? It’s an easy choice, Rebecca says. This interior door, which separates the common area from the bedrooms, features angular steel detailing and ribbed glass for added privacy. A fold-out couch from Habitat sleeps two additional guests.
Photo: Giaime Meloni
In contrast to the subdued palette in the living room and kitchen, Rebecca opted for Nobilis wallpaper in both bedrooms: playful palms in one; bold, black-and-white florals in the other.
In contrast to the subdued palette in the living room and kitchen, Rebecca opted for Nobilis wallpaper in both bedrooms: playful palms in one; bold, black-and-white florals in the other.
Photo: Giaime Meloni

“My clients wanted six people to be able to stay here,” Rebecca says. “So we needed to transform it into a two-bedroom, two bathroom apartment. And after three-and-a-half months of construction, we did!”

“This pillar was impossible to demolish,” Rebecca says. “So we had to play with it.” Among her eye-catching additions: textured wood and a spectacular terrazzo base that continues onto the floor.
“This pillar was impossible to demolish,” Rebecca says. “So we had to play with it.” Among her eye-catching additions: textured wood and a spectacular terrazzo base that continues onto the floor.
Photo: Giaime Meloni

With the help of colleague Sarah Chayeb, Rebecca reconfigured the flat to retain its open, airy feel by maximizing its natural light and taking advantage of every opportunity to incorporate subtle storage. And while “function came first,” as the designer explains, it was never at the expense of style: Look closely and you’ll see the outlines of closets set discreetly in the walls. Glass doors, including the aforementioned Art Deco-inspired beauty, distribute sunlight to cramped corridors. An open kitchen keeps a host of appliances and other necessities, including a microwave, refrigerator, and trash, hidden behind sleek black cupboards.

The kitchen’s backsplash balances practicality and aesthetic appeal: “The geometric shape helps the room look less like a kitchen and more like a bar or restaurant.” Plus, thanks to ample cabinetry below the countertop, appliances stay out of view, giving way to generous prep space.
Glass doors brighten areas that otherwise don’t see much sunlight.
Glass doors brighten areas that otherwise don’t see much sunlight.
Photo: Giaime Meloni

The goal, Rebecca says, was to create a space that borrows from the past, yet still manages to suit an ultra-modern purpose. Fittingly, the finished flat pulls this off with the same effortless elegance all Parisians seem to have mastered—never giving away all its secrets at once, but revealing just enough (a glint of gold here, a flash of gloss there) to beg a second look.

See the videos.