Renovating an apartment in a 1950s Parisian building, architect Camille Hermand took care to preserve its modernist spirit and make it more functional. A tour de force that shows how to combine style and practicality.
After graduating from architecture school in 1998, Camille Hermand created his agency. And he did well, because the projects, often very different, followed one another. One of his last creations, the rue de la Croix Faubin in Paris, shows his know-how, or rather his ability to completely renovate a space while preserving its the soul “I am an architect by training and therefore like to stick to the original architecture. This is not always the case with interior designers who rely less on the building, explains Camille. When I arrive at a place, I never say to myself, that I will delete everything. I understand from the hall that something is happening, there is an atmosphere to preserve the past.”
This approach was all the more important for this particular project, as the client, a young man in his thirties, had lived in this 90 m² apartment since he was a child inspiring and focusing on very modern functionality in five completely remodeled rooms: guest bedroom, living room, dining room – kitchen, master bedroom and office.
The entrance
Camille Hermand
Pauline Le Goff
“It is a very important circulation space, because this entrance serves all the rooms of the apartment. So we basically opened up the partitions to make it easier to come and go, but also to let the light that comes through the glass frames come in. The apartment is bright because it’s on the upper floors, with windows on both sides, so you can also take advantage of it. However, we wanted to create a contrast between this central entrance and the other rooms. So we decided to paint it midnight blue. This creates a sense of volume in the other rooms. We also designed a bench that fits perfectly sense of comfort, making it easy to remove the shoes when needed. The whole thing is quite masculine and graphic, which is what our client wanted.”
The living room
Pauline Le Goff
“In this show, we have favored simplicity without any compromise in terms of comfort and practicality. We have created an individual bookcase to facilitate storage, but also to display beautiful objects. The furniture chosen by the owner confirms the modernist aesthetic choice, but also brings a modern touch.We wanted to focus on a French design available in a very natural color palette that also matched our client’s wishes.Therefore, the two armchairs are a tribute are to Pierre Genneri.The black window frames surround the views of Paris, drawing the gaze to the outside and the beautiful balcony.
Dining room-kitchen
Camille Hermand
Pauline Le Goff
“This old dining room is now a kitchen-dining room. It is accessed from the living room through a window that allows light to circulate. The entire technical and practical part of the kitchen is placed along one of the supporting walls of the room, which allowed us to free up space and lighten it up: while providing a very functional dimension.The decoration is also central to the choice of elegance and sobriety of the 1950s spirit, perfectly symbolized by Jean. With Prouvé’s standard chairs designed to equip schools and arranged here around the table.
The office
Camille Hermand
Pauline Le Goff
“We set up the office in the old kitchen, which was very narrow. It is adjacent to the bedroom and looks out onto the courtyard, which provides tranquility. We have redesigned the space to be practical and easy to live in, given the limited space. Thus, we have created a customized library for the archiving and storage of documents and files. By Ligne Roset under the name Tanis, this desk is placed under the window, framed by black frames that emphasize the view of the sky; just by lifting your head, you can let your mind wander.”
The master bedroom and its reading nook
Camille Hermand
Pauline Le Goff
Pauline Le Goff
“In the beginning there were two small rooms, each with a window. We opened them up to create a more spacious bedroom and a more comfortable bathroom. The old carpentry of the bed bridge was removed to create an entire wardrobe wall. A series of shelves extend this wardrobe by one of the windows by the addition of a Pacha armchair in this area made it possible to create a reading corner.
Finally, we extended the bookcase between the two windows that illuminate the bedroom, while the low furniture behind the bed serves as a headboard and bedside table. The decision was to keep the space uncluttered and the whole thing airy and relaxing.”
Contact Camille Hermand. camillearchitecture.com:
Source: Le Figaro
