Julien Pradignac, the founder of Atelier PA, was asked to design a hotel-style apartment in this small, poorly lit, street-level space. He began by opening up the original layout of the apartment to create a single open space for working, living, and sleeping, along with a separate bathroom. A “service area” was created with a small entrance hall, and it includes room for a washing machine, as well as a minimalist bathroom in waxed concrete with a small sink, toilet, and large shower. Working along the length of the very small apartment, Pradignac created storage space above the apartment’s installations to free up as much floor space as possible. This allowed him to also create a long, custom-made unit that serves as a kitchen, worktop, and even a small impromptu home office—with a cabinet front that doubles as a desktop when propped into place. There’s also a drawer that doubles as an ironing board.Atelier PA created a perfect rectangle in the 130-square-foot space, placing all the functional elements along either side of the apartment in order to free up space in the center. The end table is by La Redoute and the Trieste chair by Aldo Jacober is a flea-market find. Previously, a mezzanine level broke up the volume with its beautiful high ceiling, making the space feel smaller. An ingenious pulley system, however, created more space by allowing the apartment’s bed to be raised to the ceiling when no one is using it. This changes the use of the space allowing the owner to keep a sofa in the room, thanks to wooden stops in the wall (higher than the sofa) on which the bed rests when it is lowered. The tedious task of moving a bed or setting up and then breaking down a sofa bed twice a day has been eliminated. “The inspiration came from laundry lines that can be easily moved into place when they are being used and then just as easily put away. It allowed us to think about the bed from a technical standpoint. But we were also inspired by the iconic fishing nets used in the estuaries of France’s Loire, Charente, and Gironde rivers with their pulley systems.” From this deceptively simple brief, the bed becomes an attractive feature of the unit, thanks in part to the playful aspect of how it is operated, but also because of the way it discreetly disappears. In keeping with the small space, the problem of storage is solved by the large kitchen unit and the cupboards that extend up to the ceiling on the entrance and bathroom sides. The approach here is simple—no clutter is allowed.The bed rests on supports just higher than the back of the sofa, avoiding the tedious task of having to move a bed into place every day, and then remove it as well. It is inspired by clotheslines systems and fishing nets with pulley systems found in France’s Atlantic estuaries. The bed is raised during the day to free up space. Flowerpot lamp by Verner Panton. Vintage woven pouf. Pradignac is known for his use of fine materials that engage with the beauty of Paris and the visual contexts of his projects. In this apartment, stone from Burgundy covers an electric underfloor heating system and the material is ideal for retaining heat. The heating system maximizes the use of space as there are no radiators in the apartment. There’s also an added bonus in terms of comfort: You can walk around barefoot and always feel warm. The kitchen cabinets and the mobile step stool used to access the bed and the high storage units in the living room are made from a wood that the architect regularly uses in his projects: okoumé plywood, which he stains and varnishes to give it a more decorative, glossy appearance, reminiscent of a designer sideboard. He combined it with a stainless-steel worktop for its ability to reflect light throughout the apartment, as does the very light-colored stone floor. The walls are white to maximize the natural light coming in from the apartment’s sole window. “It was almost a given that we had to paint the walls white; there aren’t many options for getting more natural light into a space. However, the owner wanted the bathroom to be a slightly darker space with soft lighting and a more subdued atmosphere in the morning.” The natural light in the bathroom is softened as it passes through a fluted glass door.The kitchen unit is treated as a sideboard along one wall and was custom-designed to integrate all the amenities of a larger kitchen. Salt and pepper shakers by Ettore Sottsass. The bathroom’s design is also a way of adding a touch of color without impacting the natural light in the rest of the small apartment. It’s like a grotto or a hidden discovery, a secret behind a translucent door. The color is similar to okoumé, but with a little more bronze and applied to waxed concrete that has been textured so it has a highly reflective, lacquered effect.Finally, there’s nothing fussy about this apartment. Beyond the formally more complex arched entrance, Pradignac’s approach is one of almost radical simplicity, though a simplicity paired with elegance thanks to the varnished okoumé veneer, the stone from Burgundy, small arched niches, and the woven pouf. The palette of raw, natural materials lends an undeniable cachet to the space. On an okoumé shelf, a painting by Julien Vermeulen (who is a plumassier, an artist who creates works from feathers) stands alongside an Ettore Sottsass salt and pepper shaker. Somewhere between a guest room and a small hotel suite, Atelier PA has created an ingenious and endearing little space.As is true of all of architect Julien Pradignac’s projects, he created a material palette of exquisite finishes. The floor made with stone from Burgundy integrates an underfloor heating system that eliminates the need for radiators that would consume limited space. The arch at the entrance and the wooden windowsill are distinguished details. On the left, in the entrance hall, a cabinet conceals a washing machine. The kitchen unit, designed by the architect, is made of stained and varnished okoumé plywood to give it the look of a sideboard, fitting the multipurpose room. Two niches in the wall of the living room, which is also the bedroom when the bed is lowered, are lined with mirrors that reflect the light in the apartment. The top of the living room/kitchen unit is stainless steel. Glo Ballwall light (Flos). On the right, an artwork made of feathers (Maison Vermeulen). A step provides access to the built-in storage above the laundry and bathroom. The steps also incorporate additional storage for small items. The fluted glass door to the right lets natural light into the bathroom. The step also provides access to the bed, which is raised and lowered using a playfully designed crank. Okoumé wood, stone from Burgundy, and white walls: the apartment’s colors are provided by its materials with their nuances and contrasts. Discreet, round wooden stops help to support the bed when it is in its lowered position above the sofa, making the transition from day to night seamless. When the bed is raised during the day, it forms a ceiling above the sofa. The overall effect is one of crafted, cozy elegance. On the left, the fluted glass door to the powder room. The shower room is in all-over bronze-colored waxed concrete with a reflective finish. Here too, color is introduced through materials: dark walls, a black stone washbasin, and stainless-steel fittings (Hotbath) like the small shelf above the sink. The shower is minimalist—raw and sensual, but also comfortably spacious, especially considering the apartment’s small size. It’s a luxury made possible thanks to the design, and execution, by Atelier PA. The apartment’s floor plan before Atelier PA’s redesign. The floor plan after the redesign. This small, hotel-style apartment was originally published in AD France.