the metamorphosis of a 16 m² concierge lodge into a colorful refuge in the heart of

the metamorphosis of a 16 m² concierge lodge into a colorful refuge in the heart of
the metamorphosis of a 16 m² concierge lodge into a colorful refuge in the heart of Paris

Interior designer Nicolas Payet transformed a dilapidated 16 m² concierge lodge into a house dressed in Majorelle blue. Enough to feel like you’re on vacation in the heart of .

Nicolas Payet has something of a magician. Without a magic wand but with a restructuring thought out to the millimeter, a good dose of colors – the signature of his agency, Marn – and careful work around light, this interior designer transformed a 16 m² concierge lodge and shared shared toilets of 1 m² in a micro-house on two levels.


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Light source

“The lodge was very dilapidated, abandoned. It consisted of a large room and a tiny kitchen area, there was no toilet or bathroom. Everything was in a faded 1950s style, he explains. But there were some great assets. First of all, the ceiling height of 3.55 m, which we immediately decided to exploit. Customers were also able to recover the courtyard which until then served as a garbage room. We have privatized it by creating a wall and it is now accessed via the door of the old common toilets, which were also acquired by the owners. This small outdoor space is enclosed between three buildings. So it’s not very clear. But it is a godsend, because it is the source of light in the apartment. All my work has been to think about the different living areas according to this source. It particularly illuminates the small desk/dining table, which folds down along the wall, and the chaise longue, two important pieces of furniture in the studio.”

Before: the living room without the work.
Nicolas Payet
After: Welcoming. The custom-made chaise longue structures the main room. Serpentine rug, hand-tufted wool, Tapicheri. Radian stool, in blue ceramic, design Cédric Ragot, Roche Bobois. Fani side table, in ash, Margaux Keller Collections. Madalena blue vase and Parasol blue glasses, Margaux Keller Collections. Linen sheet, Hemp Color. Old khaki linen throw, Lissoy. Vice Versa cushions, in linen, Maison de Vacances, round velvet cushion, La Redoute Interiors. In the niche, pink vase, terracotta bowl and green ceramic vase, Roche Bobois.
Benedicte Drummond

Daily life

Indeed, the happy couple who own this sublime lodge are currently using it as a work space, before housing their son there or renting it out. She is a hypnotherapist, a long armchair was essential to receive her patients. He works in television and cinema production: he needed an office.

“Everything here has been designed with the functions necessary for daily life and not for purely professional use,” insists Nicolas. This is how a mezzanine with a half guardrail allowing light to circulate was created in the part opposite the windows. Under 1.25 m of ceiling height, it accommodates a double bed and a clever headboard which serves as both storage and bedside tables. At this level, a hiding place has even been integrated to camouflage the water heater and electrical connections. This bedroom is accessed via a staircase in Majorelle blue, from Ressource, a color that punctuates the entire studio.

Before: the kitchen without the work.
Nicolas Payet
After: Compact. Nestled under the mezzanine, the kitchen is as charming as it is practical. Everything has been thought out to the millimeter. The IKEA cupboard modules have been recut and decorated with Plum fronts. Very clever: the back of the chaise longue has been optimized and transforms into a server on the kitchen side. Blue ceramic cup with handle, by Pia Chevalier, Petite Friture. Khaki tea towel, Haomy. Pink vase, in matt lacquered metal, Fleux. Cutting board, H & M Home. Green ceramic vase, Roche Bobois.
Benedicte Drummond

Sliced ​​colors

“I am a supporter of strong colors in dark spaces,” explains Nicolas Payet. Unlike white, this allows you to cope with the lack of light and bring personality. This staircase, whose wall is covered with wallpaper with a floral pattern, a wish of the client who wanted to add touches of romanticism, is really a strong element. Especially since it starts from the front door. It is immediately visible.”

Under the mezzanine, Nicolas has fitted out a bathroom with comfortable toilets. “The shower is 80cm x 120cm, which is large for a studio of this type. We opted for a pocket door which slides in the partition when it is open and therefore does not obstruct traffic.”

Before: the entrance without the work.
Nicolas Payet
After: Retractable. The window overlooking a courtyard is the main source of light. All living areas have been organized according to this opening. It allows in particular to illuminate the desk-dining table positioned at the entrance to these 17 m² and which folds down along the wall. This very clever option is accompanied by real aesthetic work. The retractable piece of furniture is reminiscent of the rounded shapes of the bookcase niches facing it. Serpentine rug, hand-tufted wool, Tapicheri. Blue ceramic stool, Roche Bobois. Old linen placemat, Lissoy. Plates and bowls, Caractère collections, Revol. Parasol glasses, in khaki glass, Margaux Keller Collections.
Benedicte Drummond

Aesthetics and practicality

On the same side as the bathroom, still nestled under the mezzanine, the kitchen with its hotplates, its fridge, its oven, and even its washing machine also combines aesthetics and practicality.

“With so few square meters, it is necessary to opt for tailor-made. But we were still able to use IKEA cupboard modules which we recut and dressed with Plum fronts, a delicate pink. There is even, in this small kitchen, a server which has several functions. It serves as a bar in the kitchen, serves as a backrest for the chaise longue on the living room side and has a role as a privacy screen, because it allows household appliances to be concealed when my client’s patients are seated on the chaise longue. As an extension of this sofa, we were able to create a large storage space in which niches are integrated thanks to the annexation of the common toilets.

Before: the bedroom without a mezzanine.
Nicolas Payet
After: Perched. The high ceilings of this lodge were a real asset. The 3.55 m were immediately exploited with the creation of a mezzanine equipped with a half-railing which allows light coming from the lower level to circulate. This mezzanine accommodates a double bed and a custom-designed headboard to serve as a bedside and storage area. A blue staircase leads to this bedroom, a serene and also very functional space of intimacy, which overlooks the living room area and its comfortable daybed. La Redoute Interior Carpets. Sand pink linen sheets, Hemp Color. Velvet cushions, HK Living. In the blue Klein niche, pink vase, Jars Ceramiste, lacquer bowls, CFOC.
Benedicte Drummond

Attention to detail

Nothing was left to chance and this attention to detail, which required four months of work, is also very present in the decorative elements. Everywhere there are curves, arcades, very sensual alcoves…

“The initial volume was very rectilinear, there was a blocky appearance which was not very warm. So I broke this cube by integrating rounded shapes. In short, I softened the angles!” As a result, everything here exudes sweetness and joy of living and, a few steps from Place des Ternes, in Paris, you almost feel like you are in a tiny house near the Mediterranean, a mini-refuge far from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Before: the bathroom without the work.
Nicolas Payet
After: Comfortable. At the time of acquisition, there was neither toilet nor bathroom in this dilapidated lodge. Under the mezzanine, a bathroom with toilet and shower measuring 80 cm x 120 cm was therefore created from scratch. To avoid losing a single square meter, a pocket door that slides in the partition was installed. Circulation is thus facilitated and space optimized. Caramel honeycomb bath towels, Good evenings.
Benedicte Drummond

marn-deco.com

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