Name: Marianne
Location: Paris
Rent or own: Rent
Size: 430 sq/ft
Years lived in: 5
Marianne works in a law office, but she lives in the 1 % of French public housing that's funded by corporations, meaning that she lives in an incredibly cheap rent-controlled one-bedroom apartment in a 1958 building in the 11th arrondissement. She's cheered up the simple space with white paint, bright fabrics, simple furniture and a taste for old French memorabilia.
"I love French culture," Marianne says, pouring San Pelegrino into a Coca-Cola glass, and pointing out that she painted the wooden wall slats in her Parisian apartment white, because it reminded her of Nantucket. She takes photos in her spare time, and her Nantucket-inspired walls are covered with romantic black and white photos of Paris.
Her furniture is a mix of IKEA and street finds, and she has built shelving and painted artwork to blend in with the decor. Her bathroom has a beachy feel. "I like to take time to get ready," she says, "For me, the bathroom is a place to relax."
In the kitchen, she's drilled a bunch of wooden wine crates into the wall to make shelving. She's decorated the walls with a jumble of old restaurant signs found on the street, and plenty of nostalgic French café memorabilia that you'd normally find in the home of a Francophile, not a Parisian. "I love France, I'm a real fan," Marianne says. "But I also love Massachusetts, to go to the brocantes in Nantucket as much as in Paris."
- 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
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
I love this- quirky and cute!! Says a lot about her personality.
view simpleshelly's profile
So well done! And cosy! Love the wine crates idea!
view Passerby's profile
What a pretty little place - I like the casual way about it.
view blackbird's profile
It is cute, and I like the slipcover idea on the couch, but I hate white paint. Landlord's delight, can't stand it. I need color on the walls. But otherwise, cute and Paris makes up for it!
view indiasoup's profile
i love it. is that a full collection of books above the toilet? a water closet/library?
view Lady J's profile
I want the desk/side table that they have? Does anyone know were I can find it?
view surferartchick's profile
any details on the painting hanging over the coch? i love it!
view lsk's profile
@surferartchick -- that's from IKEA. It normally goes at the foot of the bed and can be rolled up to make a work-in-bed station. Marianne uses it as a desk and as a buffet when she has people over for drinks.
view Kristin Hohenadel's profile
@isk -- Marianne painted it herself, as well as the painting in the bedroom.
view Kristin Hohenadel's profile
@Kristin - Awesome thanks!
view surferartchick's profile
c'est magnifique! great color pallate!
view Kat G's profile
wow...love it. I really like the kitchen and the bathroom.
view inkstainedwriter's profile
C'est charmant! J'adore les "kitchen cabinets" ;-))
view Charlotte's profile
I love white walls! In my earlier years I experimented with colors on my walls but I got tired of them really quick. I like the freedom to change stuff around too much. Including color. Also, I think good art always looks better against a white background.
view citygirlincountry's profile
oops, the apartment is really cute ;-)
view citygirlincountry's profile
Very nice! This place is adorable! Love it!
view suzy8track's profile
its just so cute and lovely..
view LoriSF's profile
Evidence that not all Paris apartments are chic. Nice use of color, but the space is disjointed and dizzying.
Also, the wine crate thing? Nice idea, but not very well executed.
view sadia's profile
and that's what she gets for letting us into her home. way to be gracious.
view Lady J's profile
Cute place! I love the wall mounted magazine rack by the bed, does anyone know where it came from?
view Miss A's profile
Probably a lost cause, but anyone know where the sofa slip-cover is from or is it custom? I like it a lot and it looks like it might do the trick for my small sofa. Thanks.
view JMBnewsgirl's profile