AD Small Spaces: A 335-square-foot apartment in France is bathed in sunlight

Adjacent to the Grand-Théâtre in Bordeaux, on the third floor of a listed building, this small apartment in France manages to fit all the features of a large flat—a kitchen, bathroom, and separate bedroom, as well as lots of storage space—into only 355 square feet. Pulling this off, however, was not an easy feat. “We had to make the space more fluid, allow as much light in as possible, and address the issue of the low, 2.25 metre-high, ceilings”, explains architect and designer Matthieu Récopé de Tilly, who was entrusted with the renovation along with interior designer Margot Le Métayer. Past the entrance to this L-shaped flat, the architects divided the long unit into three equally sized spaces: a living room; a wood-panelled box containing the kitchen, storage space, dressing room, toilet, and bathroom; and, finally, the bedroom. The box—the central core that organises the apartment—is finished in stained oak and covered in mirrors that reflect light and make the space appear larger.

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Building On What Was There

To create a greater sense of height of this apartment in France, the architects drew an imaginary line two feet from the floor, which is reflected in the shelving and the built-in furniture, particularly the desk to the right of the entrance. “This rather low height acts as an anchor point for the eye as soon as it enters the room, giving a sense of vertical space,” Récopé de Tilly explains. This is also true of the bedroom, where the bed and the fluted bottom sections of the storage units are also 60 centimetres tall. To make the space both brighter and more seamless, the existing rectangular formwork containing various ducts has been transformed into a rounded cornice, just like the furniture with its rounded corners provides the apartment with a more fluid circulation.

Bordeaux Stone Plays A Starring Role

During the restoration of the flat, a section of wall made of Bordeaux stone was uncovered. The architect and client decided to keep it, of course, and to use it as the inspiration for a palette of materials while adding a certain softness too. Travertine, lime, and waxed concrete coexist in harmony with the limestone. Mirrors and fluted glass were combined with the dark oak of the built-in furniture and the central oak box, to “lighten things up” and give a sense of verticality as well as privacy to the wet rooms without blocking natural light. Because the goal was to make the most of the old stone wall, Récopé de Tilly and Le Métayer opted for light, luminous tones that contrast with the wood and create a sense of volume. The beige waxed concrete floor is just a shade or two darker than the off-white lime walls and ceiling.

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True Colours

The flat’s timeless, softly curving built-in furniture matches the hues of the raw concrete and natural lime finishes, and both are complemented by the mirrors. “We don’t like to use too many colours and we prefer raw materials. Here the colour of the floor matches that of the stone.” The waxed concrete floor is found throughout the entire apartment while the kitchen cabinet doors are treated with a lime finish and the splashback and worktop are travertine. In the bathroom, the waxed concrete niches are subtly paired with the wooden vanity, while in the bedroom, the storage units complement the colours and textures of the wood and lime headboard. In this understated apartment, nothing stands out demanding attention, and instead all the different elements meet in a relaxed exchange.