How Smart Design Turned This Small Paris Apartment into a Gallery-Like Home

Designed by Alexandre Moret and Lola Guicheteau of STUDIO IDA, this 19th-century workers’ apartment in Paris’ Charenton district was reimagined as a spatial journey rather than a series of enclosed rooms. Organised around a central technical block built over the original chimney flues, the layout progresses from public to private through subtle thresholds, level changes, and framed views. Raw screed floors, oak joinery, mirrors, and restrained white surfaces form a calm backdrop for the client’s artworks, while moments of colour and sculptural elements punctuate the space. Below, we highlight five design details that reveal how the apartment’s gallery-like logic comes to life, balancing everyday use with a carefully choreographed sense of progression.‍

1. A Central Technical Block That Organises Everything
‍2. A Sculptural Kitchen Island That Reads as an Artwork
‍3. A Bench and Bookshelf That Guide Movement and Daily Life
‍4. A Bedroom Revealed Through Light, Not Doors
‍5. A Bathroom Designed for Light, Not Harsh Shadows

1. A Central Technical Block with a Hidden Kitchen

At the heart of the apartment sits a compact white block that conceals the kitchen, bedroom storage, technical systems, and services. When closed, it reads as a calm, continuous surface, allowing the surrounding spaces to remain open and fluid. When needed, the kitchen is revealed behind doors that open to 180 degrees and lie flush with the wall, turning the block into a fully functional workspace without disrupting the overall visual order. Discreet storage is also integrated above the kitchen, making use of the full height of the block while keeping the composition clean. This centralised approach frees the perimeter for light, art, and movement.

2. A Sculptural Kitchen Island That Reads as an Artwork

Rather than a conventional kitchen centrepiece, the island is treated as a sculptural object that also doubles as the dining area. Made from stainless steel, marble mosaic tiles, and fluorescent yellow plexiglass, it introduces colour and graphic contrast within an otherwise restrained palette. Set at table height, it accommodates seating, dining, and the sink - a piece of functional furniture that belongs as much to the apartment’s art collection as to its daily routine.

3. A Bench and Bookshelf That Guide Movement and Daily Life

Running along the street-facing façade, a low oak bench defines the living area while subtly guiding movement through the space. It conceals radiators, provides storage, supports seating, and acts as a surface for everyday use, all while keeping sightlines open toward the street. Between the windows, the architects extended the oak up from the console, cladding the wall to create a continuous vertical element that frames the living area and visually connects furniture with architecture. Slim white shelves are layered into this backdrop to display - and easily rotate -favourite objects and artworks, reinforcing the feeling of a lived-in gallery.

4. A Bedroom Revealed Through Light, Not Doors

The sleeping nook is hidden from the apartment’s public zones and revealed gradually as you move deeper into the plan. A softly lit niche houses the bed, with an internal opening that allows daylight to filter in without exposing the space to view. Storage is integrated both above and below the bed, with discreet overhead cabinetry that also incorporates a dedicated spot for the projector, and under-bed compartments that keep belongings out of sight. A narrow side niche provides space for personal items and books, reinforcing the bedroom’s sense of retreat. 

See our see Bedroom in a Box for more examples of compact bedrooms designed as integrated “boxes”.

5. A Bathroom Designed for Light, Not Harsh Shadows

The bathroom is concealed behind a mirror block visible from the sleeping area. Rather than relying on ceiling downlights, the bathroom lighting is carefully integrated into the mirror to provide soft, even illumination at face level. This avoids harsh shadows and makes everyday tasks like washing up or applying makeup far more comfortable. Beside the vanity, a floor-to-ceiling mirror amplifies light and visually stretches the compact space, creating depth without adding bulk. 

Together, these five design details show how STUDIO IDA worked within a fixed 34sqm footprint, shaping the apartment not through major structural change but through a carefully choreographed sequence of spaces. Materials do much of the work: mirrors extend sightlines, raw concrete and oak establish rhythm and continuity, and moments of colour and texture punctuate the journey without overwhelming it. Concealed functions, subtle level changes, and framed views allow art, light, and daily life to coexist in balance, revealing the apartment gradually as you move through it. The following images by Denys Vinson of Galerie Icare offer a closer look at the material nuances and spatial relationships that define this compact yet expressive home.