Located within an 18th-century building on the Left Bank in Paris, Paris Apartment designed by Thiste, founded by Thibaut Poirier and Stéphanie Monteil, is an art-filled hidden gem. Home to a nomadic family often on the move, it is a space to pause, slow down, and appreciate the beauty of this timeless pied-à-terre.
Paris Apartment, also known as ‘Projet B’, exemplifies the studio’s appreciation of heritage preservation and considered design. With a vision to retain the apartment’s original Parisian details— such as the 18th Century Versailles floorboards—the client approached Thiste to find a way to better use the spatial plan for their growing family and celebrate their cherished collection of art and furniture.
“The apartment was in good condition, but the layout didn’t meet our client’s expectations,” Poirier reflects. “It’s elegant and timeless, with harmony forged between the traditional French accents and contemporary additions,” he adds.
Thiste redesigned the volumes and layout of the rooms, creating new perspectives and revealing the beautiful original enfilades.
The palette of colours and carefully selected materials, from oak to walnut, travertine, lacquers and flannel, creates a harmony reflective of the elegant and intimate character of this pied-à-terre.
The volumes and layouts of the rooms were redesigned to enable new perspectives that reveal the striking original enfilades. The design team worked to switch and resize the main dressing room and bathroom, expand the kitchen, modify the living and dining space with the creation of two large oak pocket doors, and recreate the entry staircase as a curved architectural object.
“While preserving the authenticity and charm of the space, we breathed a strong contemporary touch that offers a subtle contrast to highlight the assets of this apartment,” Poirier continues. “Of course, this includes the magnificent original Versailles parquet flooring that we completely restored,” he says.
Two monumental double doors in stained oak connect the dining and living rooms. The rooms feature long wool flannel curtains and the owners’ art collection.
The Møller #78 chairs designed by Niels Otto Møller and Pierre Jeanneret PJ-TAT-14-A Boomerang table in the dining area.
Throughout the apartment, bold colour is seen in the beauty of the client’s artwork and sculptural pieces that sit proudly in each room, as well as in the curation of materials. From oak and walnut to travertine and lacquered surfaces, a harmony of spaces is reflected in crafted details, the character of the past, and the charm of the new personality thoughtfully laid into the home.
“We played with the idea of this red lacquer,” Poirier comments. “It’s a material that requires a traditional French know-how that we were proud to apply in this context.”
Choosing to work predominately with Travertine Ascoli in the main bathroom for the beautiful silver shades within its veins, the design team also developed a black-filled travertine especially for the kitchen floor and the restroom sink. “Travertine features throughout the apartment in several different ways, and we also used stainless steel as a key material because of its strong contemporary touch,” Poirier continues.
A blend of old and the new through colour, art, materiality, and the preservation of character, history and craftsmanship, Paris Apartment is a testament to the designer’s philosophy of excellence, quality and timelessness. “Paris Apartment is the result of close collaboration with our clients and seasoned craftsman,” Poirier says. “It is an embodiment of our approach,” he adds.
The staircase, both minimal and sculptural in contrast to the original architecture, exists at the entry as a curved, architectural object.
Balancing the traditional charm of the apartment with contemporary layers, the design embraces subtle contrasts while highlighting the original features such as the Versailles parquet flooring.
Ascoli in the master bathroom was selected for the silver shades in its vein. The passage between two sinks in the main bathroom serves the shower and the toilet before joining the dressing room, which is also accessible from the bedroom.
