Name: Pierre & Masa
Location: Paris
Rent or own: Own
Size: 925 sq/ft
Years lived in: 2
Pierre and Masa live in a nondescript 1960s building with a panoramic view of Paris that you usually only see in the movies. "I'm claustrophobic," says Pierre, who rented an apartment in the building 15 years ago before moving back in two years ago. "I loved the view, so I moved back in. The whole point of living here is for the view."
They renovated the apartment from top to bottom, eliminating one of the bedrooms to make the living room/dining room space airy and open and take advantage of the view. They narrowed the large entryway, decreased the size of the still-spacious kitchen to add storage in the bedroom and improved circulation so that light would shine from both sides of the apartment.
They redid the floors, added small gray Moroccan tiles in the bathroom and installed an orange neon light in the bedroom.
But Pierre and Masa say that decorating has been a challenge. "We never agree on anything," Pierre says with a laugh. "It's true," Masa says. "His taste is more pop," continues Masa, who is from Hiroshima. "He likes things that are more colorful. But I like things that are more subtle. I'm Japanese, so..."
Masa likes old things, and Pierre likes things new. "I like modern because I've grown up in old buildings around old things," says Pierre. The apartment is a compromise of the modern and colorful -- like a deep blue Tom Dixon chaise poised in front of the windows or modern lighting from the Tools Galerie in the Marais -- and the old, like their giant dining room table found in the French countryside. "It took us 2 years to find a table we could agree on!" says Pierre.
- 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
© 2010 Apartment Therapy
That ceiling light is absolutely brilliant... does anybody know it?!? Beautiful apartment as well. The mix of new (guessing 80s) and old (really old) antiques is great.
view Cassian's profile
Cassian: The ceiling light is by Laurent Massaloux.
view Kristin Hohenadel's profile
Thank you! :-)
view Cassian's profile
This seems lovely, but I'm afraid that with the new house-tour format I just can't be bothered :-/
view nadyamadrid's profile
ditto tour format--giant pain
view southender's profile
Ditto, it seems to exclude everyone who isn't using a mac. Who in Paris uses mac???
view EAM's profile
I'll pile on the dittos.
view Pixie's profile
Salivating. Great space; nice cuisine; fabulous views.
Don't much care for the decor and furnishings, but wow, location, location, location.
view tahitianpearl's profile
What about going back to the old slideshow format until the bugs are worked out on this one?
view Pixie's profile
ditto.
and don't kid yourself -- the format is crappy on macs as well.
view mschatelaine's profile
house tours are one of my favorite things to do, or were, it's really too much work now.
very frustrating.
view sassydo's profile
I can't see the photos. Actually, on all the house tours, I'm unable to see the photos. I click on the "slideshow" link and then nothing. Grrrr....
view leahgreen's profile
Very nice views. Why not give a little background as to location (I'm assuming boulevard de la bastille in the 12th)?
view clemoni's profile
lovely place, but the slide show format is quite time-consuming and frustrating. do love the light fixtures tho!!!
view k in ditmas's profile
Glad it's not just me that can't seem to get many photos in the tour.
view jen_g's profile
I hate to say it but AT has become less and less user friendly as it's grown.
view campari's profile
I hope everyone is sending the complaints to AT about the format.
The apartment is very casual chic, love the floors and the feel..also nice not to see the same usual suspects of furniture and accessories.. GOD I need to travel again.
view LoriSF's profile
Apartment is OK. I like the photos of the view more than the pics of the apartment, though.
If this apartment was in the U.S., with the same furnishings minus the view, would it have been featured on AT?
view glassesgirl's profile
Very nice place. I'm surprised to see so many French apartments on the site. Having lived there for many years prior to moving to San Diego, I can tell you that it's rare for a French person to want to open up their home to people they don't know very well.
(En tout cas, bravo a Masa et Pierre! Ca fait plaisir de voir des appartements a Paris ici. Paris nous manque un peu ! )
view DarrenB's profile