Head to Boulogne-Billancourt for a style lesson with Barbara Ballou. This architect tells us how he turned two small trays on two floors into a loft-style duplex, bright and very tidy.
Barbara Ballou has been an architect for almost 10 years. After graduating from École Saint-Luc in Brussels, he worked for six years at a major Franco-Moroccan agency specializing in major urban development projects. He left this establishment to set up on his own and founded the Ginko studio, collaborating in particular with three architect friends he met at school. At first he focuses on small projects for more knowledge. Then the word of mouth did its job. he chained apartments, showrooms, including for the Levi’s brand, renovation of small apartment buildings, joint projects in the Paris region… Always attentive to his clients, he knows how to propose. they are customized solutions. For example, this 84 m² duplex is designed for a family, a couple with children, who are looking for charm and order.
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The starting point
“This couple contacted me with a child who was returning to Paris after living in London. They lived in a small house in Britain and tried to find the same atmosphere in France. That’s why they fell in love with these two 42 m² apartments, spread over two floors of a small building in Boulogne, in the spirit of a “mansion”. The place, however, required real reflection. First, because of the frame, part of which was visible and the other part was hidden under false ceilings. At first it was covered with a very black varnish, which gave the impression of smallness and lack of light. But also because of the many chimneys. the fact that we discovered at the beginning of construction that all the floors were very damaged and needed to be replaced was finally an opportunity for us. We had to redo the floors and so we were cleaning up the past. These two trays were like blank pages.’
the entrance
“Our clients wanted a ‘wow effect’ as soon as they entered the apartment. In the plateau of the second floor, this was possible thanks to the frame. So we decided to create the entrance on the second level, which was also very simple. It is reached by the general staircase of the building. The problem was that in the reduced space of 42 m², where we had to fit a living room-dining room and a kitchen, the entrance could not take up much space. And yet, it should be marked in such a way that one does not have the impression of arriving directly in the living room. Hence the idea of creating a colorful mural with a flat surface that goes over the front door. Our clients had told us that in terms of colors we should only focus on green and terracotta. Therefore, we have chosen this mural in very subtle shades of terracotta. This paint also hides the cupboard and the door leading to the kitchen.’
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The kitchen
“At first, our clients wanted an open kitchen because they do a lot of entertaining and cooking. They saw a more pleasant way to meet in this configuration. But, very quickly, we turned to a bigger kitchen, which is closed for practical reasons. to be able to feed the baby without disturbing, for example, someone who might be working in the living room or watching TV, while maintaining eye contact. Therefore, we worked on the masonry in the continuity of the entrance, integrating the alcoves on the living room side and the closet on the kitchen side. It supports a canopy that opens like an accordion with a serving hatch alcohol. The interior layout of this kitchen was limited. First, the presence of two windows, which, taking into account the reduction of the area, meant designing a full-length space. Technically, we were also limited to water access and evacuation, as well as the boiler below. So all the technical elements are grouped in this part.
As in the living room, our client particularly likes the mural and rounded alcoves in the spirit of Ibiza.
Finally, our clients absolutely wanted a table and chairs for 3 or 4 and a large cooking table. We integrated high cabinets on the back wall and instead installed shelves on the right thinking of the future; indeed, since the neighboring apartment is free, we thought that this wall could, if our customers buy it, put a glass roof; therefore, it seemed pointless. to hang cupboards on us. Cabinet doors are available in a green color that our customers love. As in the living room, our client particularly liked the Ibiza-inspired, rounded alcoves that accommodate coffee and breakfast equipment. The refrigerator is hidden in the closet, and there is also a storage space under the windows.
The rest
“The first thing we did during this stay was to paint the frame white. The beam has a height of 1m92, which is not very high, and its presence can give the impression of smallness. White corrects this feeling and brings a sense of space. This stay is divided into two parts. The living room, which overlooks the dining room, but also the kitchen, is the desire of our customers. The dining room overlooks the living room. Of particular interest in this paper is the constraint drift. We had a pipe between the two windows that we couldn’t remove, as well as the corners. We made do with this by creating a wall to hide them which includes storage for all the TV cables, box etc. It is accessible through small side doors. On this wall hangs a TV screen that looks more like a painting. This molding work is very present in this room, particularly the dining room bench, which hides storage where computers and files can be stored, for example, when one is working remotely.
Ladder
“Since the space is limited, we chose a compact staircase that has nothing to do with the architectural object. Its balustrade is glazed to allow light to circulate, especially to the darker first floor. The stairs are in solid oak like parquet, so that there is continuity in the space.
The bathroom
“We had the same problems as in the kitchen. It is the same surface with two windows. On the scale of the apartment, it’s a large spa-designed bathroom, also with masonry, which begins under the first window with a large bench that also doubles as storage, then transforms into a sink to become a walk-in shower, then a shower. Next to the shower, with a glass wall to take advantage of the light, there is a large closet that serves as a laundry room, where the washer and dryer are hidden. Our customers were very concerned about storage, that’s why everything is thought out. The bench, for example, we designed imagining children sitting on it to undress before bathing and can easily put their dirty laundry in the baskets hidden inside.’
Child’s room
“It’s a small full-length room, 2m 80 wide by 4m 20 long, with the same chimney we had in the living room as well, and an alcove where we used to have a window. A small challenge was to capture these angles with these elements with a mortar that lends itself well to this type of exercise. This explains the hood with its two green bookcases for storing books. In this children’s room, we can clearly see the radiator cover of the bench in the back, which was turned into a library, which we used throughout the project. Finally, we had to dress up the 4m20 wall facing the windows, and we came up with the idea of bringing it to life with this colorful mural of animals that make children dream.
Parents room
“The main desire of our clients for this room was that everything be perfectly tidy. We also had to consider the chimney pipe. We chose to hide it with shelves and low storage niche, as well as a large set of fitted wardrobes that serve as a dressing room. On the opposite wall we find the same cabinets. Two large windows face the bed. We chose shades of beige and brown to promote calmness. For the headboard, we had originally envisioned a piece of joinery that would “eat up” the space, so we went with this flat painted section, bordered by a strip at the top.
Studio Ginko, 17 rue de Lancry, 75010 Paris.
Source: Le Figaro
