Small Wonders in the City of Light
Bound by the past and built for the future, Paris doesn’t often change its face. Strict preservation laws freeze façades in time, pushing much of the city’s creative energy indoors. Within these constraints, architects are getting inventive – carving out homes in attics, slicing up old apartments, and coaxing new functions into overlooked spaces. In a city where space is tight – and expensive – design becomes the ultimate tool for making more with less. These eight NTS-loved Parisian apartments reveal how playful design thrives when the rules are strict and the spaces are small.
In with the Old, In with the New
“We were inspired by the client’s ‘70s furniture, like the smoked-glass USM cabinet and Togo sofa,” says architect and ovo/studio founder Bertille Bordja of Panama, a 47sqm/505sqft apartment in Paris’ 18th arrondissement. Bordja was drawn to the project’s 20th-century neo-Haussmannian shell, but not to its dark, demarcated original layout. The team tore down the kitchen walls to create a calm, light-filled space with retro inflections – a home that’s grounded yet flexible enough to adapt as its owner’s life evolves.
Similarly, architect Flore Gustin “loves finding projects in fairly worn conditions,” seeing each one as an opportunity for reinvention – building on the past rather than erasing it. With Jules, a 43sqm/463sqft apartment in Paris’ 16th district, Gustin drew inspiration from the curved forms and bold palette of Le Corbusier’s Villa La Roche by flooding the apartment with light via a functional floorplan and dramatic curved walls. The result? A warm, bright home defined by soft lines and pops of Prussian blue and terracotta.
“The brief was simple – find a place with a soul and make it an apartment,” recalls Ophélie Doria of Crussol, her now 54sqm/581sqft family home. She and husband Edouard Roullé-Mafféïs run Space Factory, a Paris-based design studio. Though their styles differ (dramatically) – Doria prefers open plans and clean lines while Roullé-Mafféïs favours busy, object-filled spaces – they both shared a desire to preserve the spirit of the former workshop. Original glass was reused throughout, and raw materials uncovered during the renovation, like stone, brick, and a metal pole by the entrance, were left exposed and thoughtfully integrated. By embracing an opposites-attract aesthetic, the designers struck a careful balance between warmth, texture, and open space.
Over by Montmartre Cemetery, Villa Saint-Michel reimagines a neglected 1880s attic as a vibrant, light-filled retreat. Architect Nicolas Bossard designed the 50sqm/538sqft apartment with bold colours and exposed materials, creating a home that balances new energy with historical character. “As property prices continue to climb in Paris, architects have a role to play in this challenge – small spaces like this one can offer a high quality of life,” he explains. Bossard reinforced the existing structure to support a sculptural staircase that leads to an attic-level bedroom and bathroom and opens the space to light from above. Bypreserving some of the building’s original character with stone walls and exposed ceiling beams, Bossard brought the past into the present for a breezy, luminous home ready for the future.
Small Spaces, Fully Reimagined
Rethinking a space is one thing – but Maximalist Mini Loft is something else entirely: a 57sqm/614sqft fever dream of childhood nostalgia imagined by architect and designer Anthony Authié. Located in an industrial building in the eastern suburbs of Paris, Authié and his wife were drawn to its underused 4.2-metre-high ceilings. They reconfigured the staircase, opened the kitchen, and removed a wall in the bathroom – standard moves made exceptional through the home’s striking visual language. “The goal for me and my wife was to create a truly unique experience that reflects who we are. I am so inspired by childhood play like Legos and playing Mario on my Nintendo growing up,” Authié says. That spirit is everywhere: the metallic kitchen, inspired by Mr. Freeze from Batman, merges comic-book fantasy with industrial style, while the technicolour coffee table base, lighting fixtures, and door handles were all 3D printed in his studio.
Where Maximalist Mini Loft bursts with colour and character, Apartment with a Shoji takes a quieter approach. In this 25sqm/269sqft home, tucked inside a 19th-century Parisian building, architect and engineer Marlice Alfera created space for both rest and focused work – drawing on her love of books and Japanese design. She used lightweight, translucent materials like plastic panelling to softly filter natural light into the shoji-inspired bedroom. The result is a calm, efficient interior that reflects her commitment to simplicity, function, and atmosphere.
Landing somewhere in the middle is Appartement Rue De Nantes, which embraces aesthetic minimalism alongside, material richness and playful modularity across just 60sqm/645sqft. Architect and owner Pierre Savajol brought a bold sense of play to every detail, reimagining the layout with shifting zones, theatrical lighting, and unexpected bursts of colour. A trompe-l’œil door, retractable staircase, colour-blocked ceilings, and hammock hooks all reflect his bold, joyful approach. Drawing on European proportions, Japanese minimalism, and Brazilian ease, the result is a home that feels open, expressive, and deeply personal.
From bold colour-blocking to calm, clearly defined spaces, CAPSULE shifts the focus to simplicity – combining two tiny attics into one luminous and efficient home. By removing the dividing wall and opening up the ceiling, Pierre and François Voirin created enough volume for a partial second storey, giving each function its own distinct zone. Clean lines, soft neutrals, and natural light ground the design, while hand-painted cabinetry, a three-panel partition, and asymmetrical shelving reflect both the brothers’ pared-back aesthetic and their client’s creative spirit.
Lessons in Living Lightly
In a city known for its grand facades, the most meaningful shifts seem to be happening within. These homes prove that great design doesn’t depend on scale, but on vision, intention, and a willingness to rethink what a home can be – in Paris or beyond.
