A Tiny 17th Century Parisian Apartment with a Hidden Basement

This 17th-century Parisian townhouse has been converted into a comfortable home thanks to the efforts to Anne Rolland Architecte. The first floor one-bedroom apartment has been renovated throughout, including a hidden basement that used to serve as a slurry pit.

The property can be found in one of the oldest parts of Paris, and until its renovation in 2015, it had been lying vacant for 70 years. They started the process by removing any existing partition walls to create a brighter, more spacious open plan room.

The room was then divided up again through multi-functional furniture pieces. The raised bedroom area helps to provide a degree of separation and privacy from the living room and kitchen beyond it. The unit contains a desk, a dresser, drawers and cabinets, as well as an underfloor storage compartments.

The only space that is completely cut-off from the rest of the apartment is the bathroom, which can be found adjacent the bedroom and accessed from the kitchen. The walls were stripped of the plaster to reveal the original limestone masonry, and the floor is finished with graphic-patterned tiles in reference to “old-style Parisian bars”.

The basement area was originally used as a slurry pit – a holding tank used by farmers for animal waste. It was restored and is now used by the owner as a place to play music and watch movies without interrupting his neighbors. The basement can be accessed by a trapdoor and is lit by a series of glass floor panels from the living room above.

The custom cabinetry has been made with Scandinavian-style birch plywood because it doesn’t require finishing. All in all, it’s a cozy, warm apartment with a contemporary finish mixed elegantly with the original character and history of the building.

For more apartments check out this coastal home in Portugal that features an all-wood finish. Or, Unfolding Apartment, a tiny transforming apartment from Manhattan. See all apartments.

Via Dezeen
Photos: Jerome Fleurier