How They Pulled It Off: A 107-Square-Foot Parisian Studio Inspired by Midcentury Ships

Welcome to How They Pulled It Off, where we take a close look at one particularly challenging aspect of a home design and get the nitty-gritty details about how it became a reality.

Tasked with transforming a 107-square-foot former maids’ quarters on the sixth floor of a Haussmann building in Paris into a chic yet budget-friendly pied-à-terre for a jet-setting client, London-based architect Massimo De Conti turned to the sea for inspiration. Specifically, to midcentury ships, where tight cabins required designs that thoughtfully utilized every inch of a space.

"Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, and Eileen Gray were inspired by boats at that time because it was the avant-garde of design technology," De Conti says. In this compact Parisian residence, an efficient layout, utilitarian forms, and nautical color scheme tapped these design legends’ source, too.

To start, the architect divided the small interior into three zones: a sleeping area courtesy of a custom daybed by Bensen, a bespoke aluminum-clad shower capsule, and central circulation with a sunlit desk. A kitchenette with hidden appliances (a microwave, mini fridge, boiler, and portable stove) anchors the back wall and adds to the nautical palette—dark and light shades of ocean blue color the linoleum floor, laminate cabinetry, and composite countertop while the shower’s industrial metal finish reflects sunlight into every corner.

How they pulled it off: A micro-studio in Paris

• A comfortable shower: For the step-free shower tray by Kaldewei, De Conti originally specified oak as a surround but made a last-minute change to aluminum to reflect more sunlight from the apartment’s small window and add to its midcentury cruise liner feel. A silver curtain and the curved corner continue the effect.

• A multifunctional kitchenette: The custom one-and-a-half-foot-wide (45.5-centimeter) laminate kitchen cabinet, with a towel rail matching its size, hides appliances under a sink with fittings by Paini.