Located in France’s Normandy region, Le Havre is defined by an elegant and innovative postwar reconstruction at the hands of architect Auguste Perret. This 592-square-foot garden apartment is located in an even older building—the complex dates to the 19th century—and interior design studio Atelier Orzan wanted to retain as much of its history as possible. “The apartment’s owners are in their 30s and had relocated to Le Havre for work,” says architect Thibaut Blondet, the cofounder of Atelier Orzan. “They both fell in love with the apartment—its historic construction, its moldings, and its herringbone parquet floors.”
The mission became one of preservation and modernization in tandem: Key concerns for the redesign included creating storage, concealing functional items, and giving the layout a sense of organization.
A chimney flue between the living room and the kitchen is now concealed within a mirrored unit of Valchromat panels and okoume shelves. The Swivel Chair 452 is in Bosco green leather and polished aluminum from Vipp. The Kelim rug is from Ferm Living.
End of the enfilade
A lot of redos were necessary for this project, starting with the layout. The rooms were previously connected in an enfilade—or a straight line of rooms connected by doorways in a row—a layout reflective of an era when rooms were smaller. The living room was more of a passageway, the kitchen opened onto the bathroom, and, even though the ceilings were high, every space felt cramped.
“Our job was to transform the feel of the apartment to create a more generous, better-organized space,” says Blondet. To address the issue of the narrow, linear layout, the Atelier Orzan team worked around preexisting structural barriers to break up the space while still retaining its flow. The team reworked the chimney flue, or vent, between the kitchen and the living room into a cabinetry unit. The new structure serves as a barrier that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing—a sideboard faces the kitchen while the living room’s cabinetry boasts a bookshelf. Both sides have recessed mirrors in the center, which make the space appear larger. The home’s main radiators are concealed within the unit as well.
On each side of the new shelving unit, mirrors create a sense of depth. The table is set with smoked-glass Suède stemware from Luminarc, ceramic plates from Cecile M, and vintage silverware purchased from Emmaüs.
The door leading to the bedroom is built into the wall unit. The Frisbi pendant light by Achille Castiglioni is from Flos, and the Sett LN12 coffee table in smoked glass is by Luca Nichetto.
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