Haussmanian Apartment by Studio Razavi Architecture
Sculptural Chic
Paris is well known for its grand boulevards and elegant buildings. Behind the door of this rather typical Parisian apartment, however, is an excitingly unconventional home.
The team at Studio Razavi Architecture set out to "disrupt" the conventional layout of this 80 square metres apartment by building a large angular volume in the middle of the living room. This divides the living area from the kitchen and dining areas whilst creating a new work desk and tonnes of storage in the process. The structure also incorporates a guest sleeping loft above the toilet and a smaller "totem" near the front entrance with a built-in bed for the homeowner's dog.
Made of dark grey wood fibre panels, this central structure has real sculptural presence. Its sharp lines and angular facets create a sense of dynamism and provide plenty of visual interest. This pattern is repeated in the jigsaw layout of the marble splash-back in the kitchen, a clever way to apply leftover pieces of marble.
This is a delightfully surprising design scheme which succeeds in creating a whole new interior landscape with wit and coherence.
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Product Inspiration
Create a sense of dynamism with sharp lines and sculptural shapes, such as the Untitled concrete chair from New Works, the Clay table from Desalto and the Longlegs shelves from Frederik Roije.
Use lights with striking shapes to define a space and create the right ambience. The Mini Mikado suspension light from LZF has an outstanding presence and projects beautifully warm light. The Olo table light from Moustache is witty and functional, whilst for something unusual try the Maman suspension light from Seletti.
Unusual shapes and bright colours make for wonderful accessories. We love the sculptural shape of the Ooga Booga coat hanger from Moustache, the luxurious Nowhere (Bullet) vase from Ghidini 1961 and the Rise & Shine wall mirror from New Works.
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