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Emma Collet and Thomas Diettert renovated a Haussmannian apartment in Paris that had not been updated since the 1970s. They opened up its fragmented layout and gave the recessed kitchen black cabinetry and Zimbabwe granite, while combining original architectural features with contemporary and vintage pieces.
Designers Emma Collet and Thomas Diettert have reworked a Haussmannian apartment in Paris that had not been renovated since the 1970s, opening up its divided rooms and making a recessed, nearly all-black kitchen a defining feature. The project responds to the client’s request for a brighter, more comfortable home while retaining the character of a traditional Parisian apartment, according to Livingetc’s report.
The apartment’s original rooms were tightly separated, and its layout limited how light moved through the home. Collet and Diettert opened up the plan and integrated storage into the architecture. Their approach was not to recreate a single historical period, but to bring contemporary changes, original features and vintage objects together.
The kitchen sits in a recess open to the living room. Its black cabinetry and Zimbabwe granite countertop give it a strong visual presence rather than making it blend into the surrounding walls. The designers kept the wall facing the living room clear, moving upper cabinets and technical elements to the opposite side. That arrangement leaves part of the compact kitchen visually uncluttered.
Other changes establish a similar contrast. The small, windowless entrance is painted black, while light-colored living-room walls make the space beyond feel brighter. A bespoke travertine fireplace anchors the living room, and mirrored panels behind built-in shelving reflect the room and add visual depth. The report identifies the wall paints as Farrow & Ball’s School House White No. 291 and All White No. 2005.
How Contrast Shapes the Apartment
The renovation offers a specific response to a familiar small-home challenge: how to improve circulation and light without making every feature visually disappear. Rather than treating dark finishes as automatically unsuitable for a compact home, the designers used black in the entrance and kitchen as a deliberate contrast to the lighter living area. That is their design rationale, not a measured claim about how much brighter the apartment became.
The open kitchen remains visually distinct, while the clear wall facing the living room limits how much cabinetry dominates the shared space. The project also shows how renovation can preserve a home’s individual history: original architectural details sit alongside new work, and an antique red ceramic family heirloom is displayed on its own pedestal rather than stored away. The result, as described in the report, combines practical layout changes with choices tied to the client’s belongings and preferences.
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From 1970s Layout to Open Plan
The apartment had not been renovated since the 1970s when Collet and Diettert first saw it, according to the Livingetc feature. Its divided rooms interrupted movement through the home and restricted the passage of light. The client wanted a more comfortable, brighter apartment but also wanted to preserve the feel of a traditional Parisian residence.
The designers said they aimed to blur the sense of time rather than make the home belong to one period. That goal informed the decision to pair a contemporary travertine fireplace with original features and vintage pieces. The client had initially envisaged a traditional Haussmannian marble mantel; the designers proposed a more contemporary feature instead. They also gave a red ceramic family heirloom a prominent place in the home, reflecting their approach of incorporating objects already meaningful to the client.
“We prefer to blur the sense of time.”
— Emma Collet and Thomas Diettert, as quoted by Livingetc
Project Details Not Reported
Livingetc’s report does not specify when the renovation was completed, its cost, the apartment’s floor area or the precise construction timeline. It also does not provide independent measurements of changes to daylight or circulation. The designers’ comments about black adding depth describe their intent and perspective; the report does not establish that the finish will have the same effect in every compact space.
No Further Project Milestones Listed
The source presents the completed design and the designers’ reasoning; it does not announce a forthcoming construction phase or other project milestone. Readers seeking technical details such as dimensions, budget or material specifications beyond those named in the report would need additional information from the designers or the client.
Key Questions
Who designed the apartment renovation?
Emma Collet and Thomas Diettert designed the renovation, according to Livingetc.
What changed in the apartment’s layout?
The designers opened up the previously divided plan and incorporated storage into the architecture. The kitchen is set in a recess open to the living room.
Why is the kitchen black?
The designers wanted the kitchen to have its own character rather than disappear into the surrounding space. They paired black cabinetry with a Zimbabwe granite countertop and left the wall facing the living room uncluttered.
What original or personal elements remain in the design?
The renovation keeps original architectural features and combines them with vintage pieces. A red ceramic family heirloom belonging to the client is displayed on a pedestal.
How much did the renovation cost, and when was it completed?
The Livingetc report does not provide the project’s cost or completion date.
Source: rss
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