This is the first project completed by house special study O, a collaboration between a Greek architect and designer Kiki Gotti and her partner, the French filmmaker Vincent Staropoli.
The one-bedroom apartment serves as a pied-a-terre for a client who works for an international NGO and spends most of his time abroad.
He asked the two to transform their former white-walled flat into a more distinctive home, taking cues from the furniture, objects and artefacts collected from their travels.
Gotti said, “Given Stéphane’s itinerant nature, he never spent more than a week or two in Paris between jobs; he wanted his Paris home to have the same comfort and familiarity as a hotel suite. It should be a place where comfort and convenience are easily available.”
The designers looked to the 1970s, the decade of their client’s childhood, as a starting point.
This inspired him to develop a palette that includes vintage shades of deep blue, burgundy, terracotta and soft brown.
The challenge of this project was to create a compact functional space that, despite its small size, has distinct areas with character,” Gotti told Dezeen.
“Sometimes people think that a uniform white color is more appropriate for small spaces, but here we argue that if color is used strategically to frame different areas and create distinct zones “If done this, a small space can feel bigger.
The first step in the renovation was to restore the chevron-patterned wood floors that run through much of the house.
In the bedroom, the designers used beige tiles from the Portuguese brand barrow Making a headboard for the bed. This creates a pattern of repeating circles that contrast with the zigzag lines of the floor.
Above this, a blue wall provides a contrasting background strand pendant lamp from danish brand Muuto and aluminum sconces designed by Gotti himself.
Gotti first unveiled these sconces alcova Exhibition in Milan in 2024, with a matching chair,
The purpose of this room, he said, was to “provide an earthy and nocturnal atmosphere”.
For the main living space, the designers created four distinct areas: a lounge area with a brown background, a workplace in front of an orange bookcase, a similarly orange dining space and a galley-style kitchen .
The lounge is centered around a Brazilian 1970s glass and rosewood coffee table found in a Paris flea market, a nod to a country where the client lived for four years.
It sits alongside a vintage leather sofa, upholstered swivel chairs, a pair of vintage 1960s wall lights, and a blue ceramic mirror from artist duo Araraka.
The desk was built into an existing wall recess, with special stainless-steel details adding extra character.
The designers displayed some of the owner’s existing items on the shelves, including a series of wooden monk statues from Myanmar and an antique clock from Russia.
According to Gotti, the kitchen features the same tiles as the bedroom — a controversial choice — paired with black cabinets and metal details.
A burgundy tile was chosen for the bathroom, covering the walls and sides of the built-in shower.
“A large mirror covering a large section of the wall above the sink doubles the space,” said Gotti.
The designers describe the renovated home as “uncluttered, cozy and inspiring.
Stapoli said, “I am confident that what we have achieved is to create an authentic atmosphere in the space, an atmosphere that is true to our vision as well as our client’s universe.”
Another Paris project was recently featured on Dezeen Saw Design Studio Polychronica Create a hotel interior using “aggressive wood”,
Photography is by the designers.
