The House Special Studio transforms a 17th-century abode into a 'pied-à-terre'

The House Special Studio, an interior design practice founded by New York-based Greek artist, designer and educator Kiki Goti and film editor and director Vincent Staropoli, took what was once a cluttered 17th-century one-bedroom abode in the heart of Paris and transformed it into a dreamy space. The design's comfort, ergonomic design and colourful panache highlight the owner's eclectic art and vintage furniture design collections.

When the client approached The House Special Studio last fall, he was moving from Kyiv to Damascus and asked the designers to fully renovate his Parisian Pied-à-terre (a small room or house for occasional use). Having a high-profile humanitarian role in an international NGO, Stephan has lived abroad for the last two decades, changing countries every few years. From his long residencies around the world, he has collected multiple objects, sculptures, textiles and artefacts.

The design team was faced with a challenge: How can they weave their client's passion for collecting with his nostalgia for the 70s—the decade of his childhood in the South of France—while introducing a unique, distinctive and contemporary feel to the interiors?

Given Stephan's peripatetic nature, never spending more than a week or two in Paris between assignments, or during a rare vacation, he wanted his Parisian home to be a place of respite and familiarity, akin to a hotel suite where comfort and facility are readily available. Small details such as the light switch and outlet above the bedside tables were designed and placed with this feeling in mind.

Another priority for the interior designers was the colour palette. How could they reflect the exuberance and charm of the French Marais and the building's ancient simplicity, without distorting the size and sensation of the space? The solution: creating painted 'frames' and accentuating certain walls with specific colours.

In the bedroom, they chose colours that would exude an earthy and nocturnal ambience. To frame the bed, a deep blue would balance the terracotta-toned custom-made closet and shelving unit sitting on the opposite wall. The House Special Studio also brought a beautiful beige tile from Portuguese tile company, Barro, which they discovered and instantly fell in love with at the Paris design fair, Maison & Objets.

Firstly, the tiles would cover the wall behind the kitchen sink, from the countertop to the ceiling; then, it would create an unexpected headboard behind the bed, from wall to wall. Above the tiled headboard, they installed KiKi Goti's own aluminium sconces as bedside lighting designs, and the edgy twist in the bedroom was achieved. After sanding the gorgeous 200-year-old chevron parquet floor, and installing heavy dark reddish corduroy curtains, the bedroom was ready to welcome the client on his next break in a completely transformed, uncluttered, relaxing and inspiring environment.

The monochromatic bathroom design references the aesthetics of the 70s, with square tiles from Surface, and floor-to-ceiling paint in the same Bordeaux tone as the tiles. They brought some more contemporary details: the wide white grout between the square tiles, and a couple of black plastic shelves from Vitra next to the suspended cloud-shaped sink. A large mirror covering a big portion of the wall above the sink subtly doubles the space in the small bathroom.

In the living room, the designers used an existing built-in bookshelf to build a custom, solid wood desk that floats along the wall. They painted and framed the bookshelves in a two-toned mustardy colour palette which they extended in the 'breakfast nook' they created in a small corner adjacent to the kitchen. Custom, stainless steel pieces such as the cabinet's knobs and bookshelf details were specifically designed for the bespoke shelves and cabinets.

A dark brown background was painted to frame the vintage Danish leather couch and to create an illusion of depth in the small living space. A few paint details put everything together: all the baseboards were painted black, the same colour as the kitchen cabinet doors, and a ceiling beam separating the kitchen was painted beige, matching the tiles on the wall, to create another frame.

At the Paris Flea market of St-Ouen, the designers found a vintage 70s coffee table with rosewood from Brazil, a beautiful tribute to a country where their client lived for four memorable years. Two metallic sconces from the 60s and a ceramic blue mirror from contemporary artist Arrarka completed the eclectic look of the living room.

Finally, looking through the sculptures and artefacts from his collection, the designers selected a few objects to display around Stephan's interior: a series of wooden monk statues from Myanmar, three small clay water jars from Sudan, an ancient metallic lunch box from Malaysia, an antique clock from Russia.

"What I am sure we have achieved is to create an authentic atmosphere in the space, an atmosphere that is faithful to our vision as well as true to our client's universe," says Staropoli.