Before / after. how a large plush apartment reconnects with modernity and light

Alexandra Busagol did well to change her life and quit her career in finance to devote herself to her passion for interior design. Leaving nothing to chance, he trained at Bull’s school. Then the projects continued. He thus became an ambassador of Parisian luxury. It is enough to open the door of this 185 m², which he completely renovated in 17.^e district of the capital, to make sure.

The starting point

“My client was a divorced man with two daughters, one 16 and the other 12. He had lived in a “temporary” apartment for several years and finally found a suitable space, 185 m² in the Haussmann style. 17th arrondissement of Paris, beautiful volumes, old Hungarian parquet floors, mouldings, large French windows. After all, there was not so much work to plan. A lick of paint and updating the bathroom and kitchen might have been enough. But my client, having found his “home base”, wanted to have an interior that really suited him. So we started this project on a simple basis, thinking that the site would be more “cosmetic”. But, the more we progressed in the reflection, the more we realized that deep reconstructions are planned around poorly placed partitions, rooms that need to be completely redone in order to make this apartment fully suitable for this family unit of 3 people: three bedrooms, two a bathroom, an office for remote work and a nice and easy living double living-dining room. »

The entrance

“The entrance was very large and originally had no other function than to serve the rooms. I decided to use it to add storage, serving both the dining room and the kitchen, which is quite small. I created a dining room that was a little less formal than the dining room, opening up the kitchen. A bench runs through the entryway, which brings fluidity to the space. Using the same type of wood for this bench and kitchen cabinet that we see in this dining room perspective, I played on the idea of ​​echo, quite the aesthetic. »

The kitchen

“The kitchen was a bit rustic. I redesigned it in a modern and refined spirit, playing with walnut and black. My client doesn’t cook much, so she wanted a beautiful and functional living room for preparing simple meals and sitting down to drink coffee. To complement the wall, which I found a little white, above the sink, I played with tube lights. Lighting fixtures are very important in this apartment, they are all carefully selected and are like a common thread. Finally, there is a window in this kitchen that looks out onto the church. The windows were cloudy, which was a shame. So I chose to install clear windows to enjoy the view. »

Dining room

“It was already a dining room with moldings and a fireplace that had to be preserved. In contrast, there was originally a massive floor-to-ceiling bookcase that choked the space. I imagined another one, lighter, in walnut, hanging on the wall. This wall is green and bright. The idea of ​​this color came quite late. He really brings something nice and fresh, a real personality. I also created a custom oval marble table. It was designed to be as large as possible and therefore designed and manufactured to the millimeter. Accompanying furniture has also been specially chosen to match this as well as the environment, such as the green armchairs that are matched with the wall. »

Living room

“My client wanted to keep his couch. So we organized everything around that. To bring out its designer and refined side, we chose a faux textured rug with broken lines in white, black and gold from Beldy. I designed the coffee tables, which were made by a French craftsman. They are made from walnut, polished and polished to get organic shapes. Very clean ball feet add a sculptural aspect. Everything is sensual. We examined every detail, from the Flos floor lamp to the Elitis fabric curtain to the Charles and Ray Eames lounge chair. »

Office

“There was already a working space there. But I completely revised it. This office space faces the entrance, from which it is divided by a wood and abaca fiber screen that I designed and made. The piece of furniture I also designed is very elegant, in walnut with touches of purple lacquer. I created a frame to “ratchet” the moldings on the left side and have a trench effect.’

Master suite

“Undoubtedly, it is the area that has been the most troubled. It is also thought out down to the millimeter. It was necessary, in fact, to combine the bedroom, the bathroom and the dressing room. My idea was to create a sort of cube in the back of the hood where the old tub used to be. Here I placed a bathroom and a dressing room. This cube is decorated with posters that evoke men’s costumes. Unlike the rest of the apartment, where I kept the parquet (renovating it), I installed carpet in the bedroom for extra comfort. The headrest also plays a structural but also functional role with its storage niches and its DCW edition reading lights that evoke cameras. I really had to optimize the bathroom because it was reduced. Installing a shower, sink and toilet was a challenge. But the result is pleasant. »

Girl’s room

“The youngest daughter chose the biggest room. We created custom furniture on an entire wall section, including storage, cabinets, a desk, an open bookcase, and a window seat for reading and daydreaming. We chose the color green from Casamance to liven it all up. In her sister’s room, we chose ocher.”

Contact Alexandra Boussagol: aboussagol.com