This Small French Apartment Packs Historic Frescoes, Vintage Finds, and a Surprisingly Luxe IKEA Kitchen
This apartment, located in an early 20th-century building in Nice, France, may have come with gorgeous historic frescoes, hexagonal terracotta floor tiles, and other architectural delights, but it was on the small side at 484 square feet, and it would take work to make it a modern home for a family of three.
Creatives Arseny Brodach and Katya Rostova created style and function in the small historic space that they share with their daughter. One of the biggest updates was that they removed a wall to merge two rooms, creating a large and open kitchen/living area. They used IKEA to create a long, wall-to-wall kitchen with custom details, and the countertop and backsplash are made of red travertine that was selected and ordered directly from a quarry in Italy, near the French border.
“Our favorite part of the home is the open kitchen and living area,” Arseny writes. “It is the heart of the apartment and the place where we spend most of our time together as a family. We especially love how the kitchen, dining, and living spaces are connected, while the combination of red travertine, warm wood, amber velvet, and carefully chosen lighting makes the space feel both functional and personal.”
A similar attention to detail is seen in all the rooms of the home. The living room’s lovely ceiling frescos were left intact, and are complemented by modern furniture pieces — some from the couple’s own line, Delo Design. Using their own designs, plus how they’ve customized the space, has created a very personal home for the family, which also includes their young child.
“Our identity as architects and designers is very much reflected in the home,” Arseny writes. “The interior is shaped by an appreciation for materials, technology, functional design, and carefully considered details. We combined pieces of our own design with vintage finds, art, and objects collected in Nice and Milan. The palette, natural materials, furniture, and lighting also reflect our personal connection to the Côte d’Azur and its visual language.”
“Choose pieces that you genuinely love rather than trying to follow a particular style,” he advises. “Mix new designs with vintage finds and objects collected over time. Pay attention to materials, proportions, and lighting — these details can make even a compact space feel personal and complete.”
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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