After hanging out on a friend's Parisian terrace, Raphaëlle and François decided they wanted their own. Their realtor shrugged and told them not to get their hopes up. But a year and a half later, she finally showed them a lovely 100m2 flat in an 1850s building near République with a rare private terrace. "It was love at first sight," says Raphaëlle. "It was the first place we saw, and luckily, we got it. Our friends said 'You don't buy the first place you see.' But when it's love at first sight, you have to go for it!"...
She and François live in the flat with their young daughter and son, who each have perfect rooms of their own. "We wanted them each to have their own space," says Raphaëlle, explaining that the handsomely made-up daybed in the spacious living room is actually their bed. "It's great because when the kids go to sleep, we close the door and have this space all to ourselves." In summer, the now-wintry terrace becomes like an additional room.
The apartment is painted white and a number of mirrors -- including two period mantel mirrors in the dining room that a neighbor was carelessly throwing out -- bounce light around and off the original parquet floor. And the kitchen is a study in compactness and charm, everything within reach, and includes a slim built-in bar. They've built in storage throughout the house so seamlessly that it looks like it was always there.
Raphaëlle is a graphic artist who produces interactive books for children about art from an office on the ground floor. Most of the house is furnished with finds from brocantes -- especially in Belgium -- and wherever the family travels for an apartment swap. In addition to large olive oil jugs from Africa and the South of France and a mercury light fixture from Canada by the bedside, Raphaëlle has made a number of lamps and sconces throughout the house from finds like old train car gas lamps.
"People think that decoration has to be expensive," she says, pointing out her grandmother's "Louis something" chairs that she self-upholstered in plain linen. "But it doesn't. You can do very simple things. You just have to find an idea."
- Kristin Hohenadel blogging from rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, France. If you have an idea for a European house tour, please write kristinh @ apartmenttherapy . com
Stunning. This is so much more of a home to me than the perfect glossy pads featured in so many design magazines. The fact that they've given up a bedroom so their children can have their own space makes it even more so. For me it's these types of accommodations and acts of love which make an (already beautiful) house a real home. Also, it's nice to be reminded that people everywhere don't simply aspire to having more of and bigger everything.
view sherry2's profile
so beautiful! the floors themselves are simply amazing. i love it.
view eebnyc's profile
I absolutely love your balcony/terrace space. I bought my place just for the balcony and is nowhere near as awesome as yours but I love it. Beautiful space, love the floor and the old fashioned sinks. Congratulations!
view monikatini's profile
Love this place. There is nothing stuffy or tortured about it; it is lively and interesting, and looks as if assembled through the course of an interesting life.
I was just scanning the housing market back home in Canada (I am in Europe), and became quite depressed. Nothing has bones as good as this.
I like the kitchen in this apartment, but love the one here http://www.parisattitude.com/apartment.asp?numProduit=1688# which we are considering renting over the upcoming school holidays.
view monika1's profile
Good bones indeed. The windows and original floors are spectacular!
view bumblebeechicago's profile
I love those floors
view design milk's profile
Love this!
view J's profile
my god...it's full of stars!
seriously, the kitchen is pretty claustrophobic but i like what they've done with it. (i saw that headboard screen at Pier Imports near Les Halles last May, and our own worldmarket.com is selling it too: http://www.worldmarket.com/Manjari-Room-Screen/lev/4/productId/4965/Ntt/manjari/Ntx/mode matchallpartial/Ntk/Def/N/0/Nty/1/index.pro)
view Lady J's profile
Huh. I guess it's the "French accent" that makes people here not complain about a monochromatic scheme and some seriously "rustic" floors like they might ordinarily.
But you do have a lovely style.
view patrick (the other one)'s profile
You really can't go wrong with wood, white and a touch of gold. Elegant and classic.
view Blandwagon's profile
I really like the floor color and how items like that big terracotta urn work so well with it. It reminds me of pecan shells, one of my most favorite natural colors and textures.
view mattplantguy's profile
J'adore!
view chris_94131's profile
i have got to make my white sofa work! u have inspired me.
view SD913's profile
Most parisian interiors I've seen have this wonderful use of white, very ethereal. I would never think of leaving a room white. I hate white walls. However this tour is causing me to rethink that idea.
view DD104's profile
I will do absolutely everything in my power to have at least one room with floors like that. I have fallen in love with the French chevron-like parquet floors. Just to die for ... I live in New England and don't understand why our wooden floors are just in straight lines!
view clatimer07's profile
This is a lovely apartment. I would love to stay there just one day. I especially like how the white set off the wood furniture. This couple have class!!!! I am going to try this idea in my bedroom.
view jaudre's profile
I love it! How cozy, comfortable and inviting. I painted my narrow kitchen three times and was not happy so I painted it white with black accents and I love it. Thanks for giving me more ideas.
view grandee's profile
So casually chic and modern in an old world way. I always find white interiors to be so inviting and warm in older spaces with architectural character. Especially love the time weathered chevron-patterned floor. Have definitely had fantasies of moving to France for the floors alone. ha.
view reb's profile