In a 200-year-old Parisian building, PS Studio transformed a cramped 45sqm/484sqft Paris apartment into a connected and flexible home. The renovation of Apartment Chatelet addressed issues with poor natural light and awkward circulation through a strategy that moves the home’s technical functions to the center.
Centralizing the Layout
When architect Pierre Savajol began work, the space was difficult to handle. An oversized entrance created a bottleneck, while a large kitchen counter divided the living area. The bathroom was only accessible through the bedroom, limiting privacy. Rather than shifting these elements around a static room arrangement, Savajol brought the plumbing to the heart of the floor plan.
This approach established a loop where the kitchen, bathroom, toilet, and laundry form a compact core. The living room, bedroom, entrance, and storage arrange themselves around this hub. The result is a continuous flow that allows residents to move through the space without feeling boxed in. Even the bathroom expands into the corridor, becoming a larger private area when pocket doors are closed.
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Hidden Functions and Flexible Zones
Storage solutions are designed to work hard. Just inside the front door, a full-length wardrobe sits at the end of the corridor. Behind its mirrored doors are shelves for shoes and umbrellas, along with the electrical panel and intercom. The mirror reflects natural light, helping the narrow entrance feel longer and brighter. This single element solves multiple problems: utility storage, visual relief, and lighting.
The kitchen, dining, and living areas share one open space. Furniture and lighting are used to define each zone. A dining table positioned perpendicular to the kitchen creates a natural transition between cooking and living. A long industrial pendant light salvaged from an office hangs above it, reinforcing the dining area without interrupting views across the room.
The bedroom layout prioritizes wall space over freestanding furniture.
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A walk-in wardrobe sits between the bedroom and entrance corridor. Rather than a dead end, it acts as a passage accessed from either side.
Inside the bathroom, Savajol used standard-sized fixtures to maintain cost consciousness. A prefabricated basin sits in a tiled surround, appearing as a custom vanity. Small niches in the shower wall hold toiletries, and even the towel rail fits into a narrow gap between the shower and basin.
The original timber beams at the windows presented a technical challenge. A conventional ceiling-mounted curtain track was difficult to install, so the architects suspended a slim rail from thin metal rods. This created a feature out of a practical solution, supported by sheer curtains that allow light to filter through while maintaining privacy.
