Loft L – Parisian Artist’s Studio Transformed into a Monochrome Apartment

This apartment from Paris was renovated back in 2014 in order to upgrade the interior and take advantage of the double height space available to it. Formerly used as an artists studio, it now functions as a comfortable three bedroom home.

The building dates back to the turn of the 20th century – not that it’s crisp, clean, contemporary interior would lead you to think so. The project was taken on by the Parisian firm JBMN Architectes.

The apartment, dubbed Loft L by the designers, contains a total of 861.11-square-feet (80-square-meters) spread over two levels. They’ve opted for an almost monochrome interior design, with black and white finishes found throughout.

An abundance of natural light filters down through windows that fill two sections of the mansard roof. The white walls and ceilings help to bounce the light around, bringing it deeper into the living spaces, and maintaining that airy atmosphere.

Loft L’s entrance takes you through a short hallway and into the main living space. It’s an open plan area that serves as a living room, dining area and a kitchen. Two separate staircases can be found at either end of the room, both leading to the mezzanine bedrooms.

A third bedroom can be accessed via a door off of the dining area. It also leads through to the home’s bathroom, a compact but functional room. Other features include netting (used in place of solid partitions for the staircases) and operable shutters in the bedrooms that open to the living space below.

From the architects: “Two mezzanines are arranged and face each other around a large central void… Large balustrades in fishing nets delimit the living area of the staircase. With the opening/closing of large internal shutters, the rooms can open on the central void or on the contrary isolate themselves, allowing a flexibility of uses.”

For more apartments, check out Home L, a contemporary apartment that takes advantage of wood. Or, Shibuya 202, a dark cave-like retreat from Japan. See all apartments.

Photos © Hermann Wendler