This bright two-bedroom apartment sits in a residential area to the west of Paris in a building that was built in the 1970s. For architect Agathe Marimbert, the departure point for the project was to retain the existing architecture and to exploit its strengths: the concrete construction, large openings onto the outdoor area and a limited number load-bearing walls, which allowed for greater freedom for the renovation.

Designed as one extended living area, the entrance, kitchen, living room and dining room are connected by the exposure of a section of the concrete wall. A metal bookshelf creates a sort of hallway leading to the parent’s and children’s bedroom, whilst the open frame prevents the passageway from feeling closed off from the rest of the space. Instead of a traditional dining room setup, Marimbert created a custom bench that also holds extra storage, which is always an added bonus! Due to the depth of the apartment, certain areas don’t benefit from direct sunlight. To combat this, the architect installed glass partitions in strategic spots such as the bathroom to bring in the natural light, where possible.

The bedrooms and bathrooms have a common identity, painted mostly white with a splash of colour – blue for the parents, yellow for the kids. In the parental suite, a wall to ceiling wardrobe hugs the bed, providing a practical and aesthetic solution for the couple’s affairs.