Tour a Bold 323-Square-Foot Paris Rental Studio Apartment

This 323-Square-Foot Paris Studio Is So Good, Its Renter First Thought It Was a Scam

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Home Type

Studio Apartment

Location

4th Arrondissement (Le Marais), Paris, France

Style

Colorful

Contemporary

Bedrooms

0

Square feet

323

Sq ft

323

This rental apartment in Paris’ Le Marais area is so amazing, it literally seemed too good to be true at first glance to photographer Fabiola Paccieri. When she saw the studio’s listing on Le Bon Coin (France’s version of Facebook Marketplace), she “genuinely thought it was a scam.”

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Credit: Leela Cyd

Fabiola's main Instagram account is @fabiolapaccieri, and you can find her photography work at @stu.dio7th and her clay creations at @clayyygirl.

“I almost didn’t believe it existed until I went to see it in person,” she admits. “I still remember the exact moment I found out — I was so happy I literally screamed in the bathroom.”

Credit: Leela Cyd

Fabiola shares the space with her incredibly beautiful sphynx cat, Boulette.

Fabiola was immediately struck by the atmosphere of the 323-square-foot studio apartment. “As soon as I walked through the front door, I was hit by the natural light and the ceiling height — it was an instant feeling of calm,” she writes.

Credit: Leela Cyd

“The entrance opens directly onto the living space, so you immediately get that ‘wow’ effect. I knew right away that I felt good there,” she continues of the space she’s rented for five years.

Credit: Leela Cyd

Something that makes the apartment truly special in Fabiola's opinion? She's made most of the artwork herself. "Whether it’s photography, paintings, or clay pieces, almost everything displayed in the apartment is something I’ve created," she writes.

It wasn’t just the impeccable vibes that caught Fabiola’s attention; the studio’s layout was also a huge plus and was something she had never come across before.

Credit: Leela Cyd

"I don’t really believe in design rules — I prefer to follow instinct," Fabiola admits. "Decorating my apartment feels a lot like working on a blank canvas. I start with a few key pieces to create a cohesive base, especially in terms of color, but beyond that, everything comes from emotion and intuition."

“The entire space is structured around a central ‘box’ that contains the kitchen, with the bathroom integrated inside and a lofted sleeping area above,” Fabiola explains. “It almost feels like a small architectural structure placed within the apartment, creating a very unusual and functional flow.”

Credit: Leela Cyd

"Most of the objects I’ve added are the result of a spontaneous connection, almost like creating an artwork over time," she explains of her decorating technique. "Because there are already many colors in the space, it actually becomes easier to integrate new ones — they naturally find their place within the existing palette."

It’s not just the clever architecture that makes her home feel so lovely and lived-in, Fabiola uses color cleverly to define areas in the one-room space. She also worked with Laura Markman of Atelier Noun to improve the space, like adding a custom storage space for laundry appliances, custom shelves in the sleeping area, and more.

Credit: Leela Cyd

"Most of the small objects — especially the ones on higher shelves — are actually stuck down with double-sided tape. My cat has destroyed quite a few pieces, so now everything is secretly secured," Fabiola admits.

“When I first moved in, the apartment was furnished with a slightly ‘Airbnb-like’ feel — quite minimal, with a mix of neutral and slightly vintage pieces,” she writes. “The structure itself had already been thoughtfully designed by an interior architect, so the space felt functional and well laid out, but not very personal yet.”

Credit: Leela Cyd

Fabiola says she's never made a moodboard or even used Pinterest for inspiration. "The only thing I sometimes do is take a photo of my apartment and quickly test how a new piece would fit, just to see if the colors work together."

Fabiola removed all the existing furniture that was in the unit, replacing it with her own stylish picks, and it all started with the pink sofa and the green wall. “I knew I wanted to build a strong color identity, and even the rug was chosen to match that vision,” she writes. “From there, the space naturally evolved into something much more colorful, eclectic, and personal, while still keeping a sense of balance and intention.”

Credit: Leela Cyd

Fabiola describes her design process as very organic: "build the space gradually, adjusting and evolving it until it feels right. I don’t follow strict rules — I just know when it works."

Fabiola, who grew up in Canada and has been living in Paris for over 10 years, says that the entire home is a mix of different worlds, “some designer pieces, often from smaller or emerging designers, with vintage finds or thrifted objects that I sometimes reinterpret or transform myself.”