5 Small Space Design Details inside an Interior Designer’s Compact Paris Home

Built in 1975, the corner apartment’s original layout was bright but overly compartmentalised, with six separating doors and a makeshift partition dividing the kitchen and living room. By removing internal barriers and opening sightlines, Berck improved circulation and cross-ventilation without touching load-bearing walls. The renovation focused less on structural transformation and more on atmosphere: honouring the building’s 70s roots while keeping the design contemporary. Raw concrete, earth plaster and bold yet controlled colour sit alongside modular shelving and practical DIY solutions. Each intervention balances spatial clarity with personal expression. Below, we highlight the design details that make Pasteur feel larger, more fluid and uniquely lived-in.

1. A corner bookshelf turned study nook
2. Lighting for a 2.5m ceiling: look up, not down
3. Vertical bathroom tiles that elongate space
4. TipToe shelves: flexible, removable, practical
5. Curtains for doors: soft, affordable, adaptable

1. A corner bookshelf turned study nook

A recessed wall in the living room became the perfect opportunity for a built-in bookshelf and naturally evolved into a compact office nook. Rather than facing a wall, the desk is positioned outwards, maintaining visual connection to the living space and windows beyond and keeps the work zone feeling integrated rather than isolated. Custom joinery wraps the nook, with a combination of drawers and shelves creating a practical working circle where tools, books and materials are within arm’s reach. The combination of open and closed elements allows for the display of personal objects, whilst keeping the space organised and clutter-free. Above, a pull-down projector screen transforms the niche into a cinema corner by night. Defined by joinery rather than walls, the study nook becomes both a productive workspace and an eye-catching architectural feature.

2. Lighting for a 2.5m ceiling: look up, not down

With ceilings measuring 2.5 metres in height (the standard ceiling height in most apartments worldwide), Berck felt that hanging conventional ceiling pendant lights would feel overbearing and visually heavy in her apartment. Rather than hanging fixtures down into the room, she opted for a series of wall sconces that cast light upwards to subtly lift the space. In bouncing light upwards, the room feels softer and more expansive, which can be a particularly important element in compact homes where harsh overhead lighting can often flatten spaces. Instead of centring the room around one or two dominant fixtures, lighting is layered throughout the apartment, with highlights including: two plaster wall sconces shaped like seashells designed by Axel Chay and made in France, a re-edition table lamp by Stilnovo of the original 1981 design by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni and a washi paper floor lamp beside the sofa. Elsewhere, chrome wall lights in the entryway and kitchen, an orange spotlight in the toilet and a table lamp on the USM sideboard are all vintage 1970s second hand finds.

3. Vertical bathroom tiles that elongate space

In the compact bathroom, colourful glossy striped tiles from Italian brand 41zero42 run floor to ceiling within the shower and continue behind the basin, creating a strong vertical pattern that draws the eye upward. In a space where ceiling height is modest, this directional choice subtly exaggerates height, making the tight corner shower feel taller and more generous. Because the shower is also partially visible from outside the bathroom, the tiles act as a visual anchor within the broader apartment. The colour spills beyond the room itself, giving depth and identity to what might otherwise feel like a purely functional corner.

4. TipToe shelves: flexible, removable, practical

Behind the bathroom door, floating cherry wood shelves provide much needed additional storage, mounted using clamp-style steel support TipToe brackets that hold timber without heavy carpentry. The beauty of this system lies in its flexibility: shelves can be removed, resized or repositioned without damaging the wall. In a small apartment where needs evolve, this adaptability matters. DIY-friendly solutions also don’t have to look temporary, they can be deliberate and refined.

5. Curtains for doors: soft, affordable, adaptable

Rather than installing hinged wardrobe doors, Berck enclosed the bedroom storage with pale wool curtains. The same approach appears in the laundry zone, where a curtain conceals appliances while remaining easy to access. Beyond aesthetics, the choice is spatially strategic. Curtains eliminate the need to account for a door’s swing arc — a crucial saving in compact rooms where every centimetre matters. Without a door projecting outward, circulation remains clear and furniture can sit closer to the storage zone. The fabric also softens the room visually, adding warmth and texture where hard joinery might feel heavy. In tight spaces and tighter budgets, curtains offer flexibility, affordability and a lighter architectural touch than fixed doors.

Together, these design moves show how Pasteur transforms a modest 51sqm/548sq apartment through atmosphere. By combining raw material honesty with colour, vertical emphasis and adaptable storage, Sophie Berck has created a home that feels spatially generous while remaining deeply personal. It’s a renovation that balances craft and clarity and innovative solutions with lived-in warmth.

Scroll on to explore more images by Jean-Baptiste Thiriet and see how light, texture and proportion shape this carefully considered Parisian apartment.