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Designers Emma Collet and Thomas Diettert renovated a Paris Haussmannian apartment that had not been updated since the 1970s, opening its divided layout and improving the way light moves through it. A black entrance and recessed kitchen give the compact home a distinct identity, alongside original features, a bespoke travertine fireplace and a family heirloom.
Designers Emma Collet and Thomas Diettert have reworked a Haussmannian apartment in Paris that had not been renovated since the 1970s, opening up its tightly divided rooms and introducing a striking black kitchen. The project aims to bring more light and comfort to the home while retaining its traditional character, according to a report by Livingetc.
The apartment’s original layout separated rooms and restricted views, leaving movement through the home feeling fragmented. Collet and Diettert opened up the plan and incorporated storage into the architecture. Their approach combines contemporary interventions with vintage objects rather than recreating a single historical period. “We prefer to blur the sense of time,” the designers told Livingetc.
The entrance, a small space without windows, is painted entirely black. It leads into a lighter living room, where the contrast makes the entrance recede from view. The living room includes a bespoke travertine fireplace and built-in shelving backed by mirrored panels. According to the designers, the mirrors function as an architectural surface, adding reflections and depth while softening the appearance of the bookcase.
The recessed kitchen is open to the living room but is not designed to blend into it. Its cabinetry and countertop are black, with the counter made from Zimbabwe granite. The designers kept the wall facing the living room relatively clear, placing upper cabinets and technical elements on the opposite side. “The best decision was precisely not to fill every available centimetre,” they said. The report also describes a red ceramic family heirloom displayed on its own pedestal, rather than tucked away on a shelf.
A Dark Kitchen Defines the Plan
The renovation offers a specific response to the constraints of a compact apartment: rather than making every element visually disappear, the designers use contrast to give separate areas character. The black entrance and kitchen act as deliberate focal points, while the open plan and clear wall surfaces leave sightlines between the kitchen and living room.
The choices also show how the project balances a redesign with the apartment’s history. Original features remain part of the setting, while a new fireplace, contemporary finishes and vintage objects add other periods. The heirloom’s display connects that design approach to the client’s own family history. The reported project is an example of an interior renovation, not evidence of a broader change in housing or design practice.
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From Divided Rooms to Open Views
The apartment had not been renovated since the 1970s, according to Livingetc, and its rooms were tightly separated before the work. The client wanted a brighter, more comfortable home that would still feel like a traditional Parisian apartment. The designers addressed those goals by opening up the layout and integrating storage, while avoiding a strictly period-based scheme.
In the living room, the client had initially envisioned a traditional Haussmannian marble mantel. Collet and Diettert proposed a contemporary travertine fireplace instead, saying they wanted a dialogue between periods rather than a direct reproduction of a historical feature. Its scale initially gave the client pause, the report says; the designers wanted it to read as an architectural feature. Light walls, including Farrow & Ball’s School House White and All White, contrast with the black-framed kitchen opening. The bedroom and bathroom use different materials, including a colored headboard wall and polished concrete surfaces.
““We prefer to blur the sense of time.””
— Emma Collet and Thomas Diettert, as quoted by Livingetc
Project Details Not Provided
The Livingetc report does not specify when the renovation was completed, its cost, the apartment’s precise size or how long the work took. It also does not provide a detailed construction plan or identify which original features were retained beyond describing the apartment’s traditional character and the living room’s existing architectural elements. The designers’ comments about light, depth and the effect of black are their design rationale, not measured findings about how the apartment performs.
No Further Milestones Reported
The source report presents the completed design and does not identify a future construction phase, public opening or follow-up project milestone. The next available information would depend on further details from the designers or client, including the renovation timeline, budget and any changes made after the project was photographed.
Key Questions
Who designed the renovated Paris apartment?
Emma Collet and Thomas Diettert, the designers behind Diettert Collet, carried out the renovation, according to Livingetc.
What changed in the apartment’s layout?
The designers opened up a plan that previously had tightly separated rooms and brought storage into the architecture, aiming to improve movement and let light travel through the home.
Why is the entrance painted black?
The entrance is small and windowless. The designers said the dark finish creates depth and makes the brighter living room beyond feel more luminous by contrast.
What is distinctive about the kitchen?
The kitchen sits in a recess open to the living room and uses black cabinetry with a Zimbabwe granite countertop. Upper cabinets and technical elements are concentrated on the opposite wall, leaving the living-room-facing side uncluttered.
What information about the renovation is still missing?
The report does not state the project’s cost, exact completion date, apartment size or construction duration.
Source: rss
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