When Kitchn reader Debra bought her apartment in the Marais district of Paris in 2007, the kitchen had not been renovated since the 1950's. Needless to say, it needed a lot work! But because it was small and opened into the living room, she also wanted it to feel integrated with the rest of the house, to have a bit of a bibliothèque feel. Here's what she did:
Dark wood, a black backsplash, and dark grey/green floors help create a cozy feel that blends with the old-world feel of the apartment. Debra tells us a little more about the project:
As the apartment is small, it was a real challenge to make every space count. I therefore decided to make the kitchen open, knocking down all walls and having it intergrated with my living room. It then had to have a feeling of a bibliothèque rather than a full-blown kitchen. The end result had to work with the living area and also be a real working kitchen.I love spending time in the kitchen preparing great things that make people happy and full! It isn't so important how big your kitchen is but how organized, so that you can actually prepare and cook with as little stress as possible and have fun! An open kitchen like this one allows you to share the social aspect of cooking with your guests, thus my attraction to this type of set up. I have a similar one in my fisherman's cottage in Normandy so people can actually chip in and help or hang out by the fireplace and relax.
Thanks for sharing, Debra!
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I NEED that butcher block!
I DOES look so much like an art deco library! Man, if only I could get the stuff in my head to translate that well IRL.
I am in awe. Brilliant, just brilliant - would love to see more photos if you have them.
Like that you kept the same windows; love the light fixture...Everything is just beautiful.
Simply beautiful.
Holy guacamole! I am speechless.
It looks awesome.
OK, it's totally adorable, but I have no idea what she means by bibliotheque (library). I can understand that the rest of the house might be library-esque, but as for a kitchen? I don't see it. Maybe it's just me?
Warm and cozy! love it all, (except for the cat perched where you eat/drink)
Beautiful tones...well done!
Ummmm wow! What a transformation. I love it when someone can see the potential of a space that has long since been neglected and deteriorated. Absolutely lovely! I love everything.
love it, though the lounged cat helps
BEAUTIFUL - great job
@JDDAR
Clearly the range is functional, and the kitchen is designed to fit the space as well as match the style and feel of the apartment.
I don't know who your comment is meant to impress, but it's really not working.
Love this kitchen, it's teeny tiny but like 15 times more storage than mine! Well done.
I'm puzzled. Does that table fold down, or did you move things around to photograph?
Tres charmant! Although I don't know how you cook with no landing space nextt the range. That would mess me up.
Lovely makeover. I'm curious as to where the fridge is located. Is it beside the stove?
For the people wondering about fire safety, I've had this sort of set-up in the past with no problems, although we did slide a sheet of stainless steel between the stove and the cupboards. It made cleaning the inevitable splashes much easier.
I'm sorry, but I could not. It looks really lovely, if it were a set of closets for a bedroom, but as a kitchen, it feels a bit claustrophobic. The serious lack of decent counter space also makes this space non-functional for me. Looks very cute, but not for a kitchen.
I would agree that switching the tall pantry on the left with the base cabinet would have made the kitchen seem more open and provide a bit of counterspace next to the stove (I'm not sure why that base cabinet sticks out so much - strange).
It is a nice transformation though
NM I see the column behind the base cabinet which makes it stick out. I would still prefer the tall cabinet is this location.
C'est magnifique! Most Parisian apts, like nyc's, are small and it takes creativity and a good eye to make the space both beautiful and functional. Don't compare them to the granite-paved, faux Tuscan monstrosities of McMansions, please.
Fabulous transformation. I am renovating an old farmhouse in Pas-de-Calais, France and although its huge compared to this - I'm still inspired by this wonderful makeover.
I see a sink in the before pix. Where is it in the remodel?
Sink appears to be in front of the window in pic #5. I'm guessing that the sink/window area is to the left of pic #1? Hard to tell what is over there.
Food for thought! Paris like Manhattan, is crazy with how small one will go to stay in the center, where the last thing you want to is to feel dumbed down by physical constraints. I tried a similar approach as a newlywed in Manhattan, in a budget student hotel studio after years living in Paris maid's rooms. The butcher block set up (street find) saved the day for us and had plenty of chopping room. One becomes careful in all one does living like this, because it's all hazardous. Great job here; I love the continuing warm woody tone and crisp white in the living area, to warm and brighten those endless gray days in La Ville-Lumière.Très réussi.
@CHZPLZ - the sink is in the window alcove to the left of the wall, under the window, turned 90 deg from where it used to be. You can see it in pic #5. It would have been useful to have a rough groundplan of the space...
the left side of the kitchen which is not seen in the photos contains the sink, counter space and both washing machine and dish washer. all water related things had to be there. thus my inability to move around the cabinets. the drawers and the fridge are where they are because it would not have been possible to put them to the left of the oven. plus all the ikea cabinets had to be modified because the walls are all at odd angles and not one is straight. everything had to be modified because of this problem. my original idea was to intergrate the butcher block into the line of cabinets not be seperate. and also to use the empty wall to the right. but again, not possible. the fridge is to the right of the oven. the biblioteque idea was a way to express the overall look. it certainly doesnt look like a typical kitchen. it was a real challenge, including pulling hair and sheading many tears, to make it work. the space is 5m2 or 50 sq feet.