A Tiny Paris Apartment with a Subterranean Surprise

What’s cooler than a tiny, hyper-efficient studio apartment in Paris? Well, how about a tiny, hyper-efficient studio apartment in Paris with a secret basement hangout?

The above-ground part of the apartment is pretty cool on its own. Although it measures only 260 square feet (24 square meters), architect Anne Rolland made the very best of the small footprint with some very clever built-ins. The raised platform that contains the bed is connected to a room divider that comprises a built-in desk and storage. It’s a very efficient solution that adds a little privacy in the bedroom while providing plenty of places to put your stuff.

But where this place really starts to take off from its tiny apartment peers is on the lower level. The apartment, located in a townhouse that dates back to the 17th century, was once the kitchen and stables. During the renovation builders ran into a surprise: underneath the floor they found a slurry pit, a structure that farmers once used to store animal waste and turn it into fertilizer. (Sort of like an old-school compost bin.) The slurry pit, once excavated and restored, was turned into a basement hangout space.

The basement room is accessed by a trap door, and lit by a glass window in the kitchen floor (which you can see in the second photo). The apartment’s owner plays the guitar, so the little room, which measures about 100 square feet, is a great spot to have late-night jam sessions without drawing the ire of his neighbors.

You can read more about the project, and see more photos, at Dezeen.