Marais Apartment

The Marais Apartment is a minimalist residence designed by the Paris-based interior architecture studio, HADDOU / DUFOURCQ. Located on the fifth floor of a 1970s building in the French capital’s fourth arrondissement, the apartment was designed as a home and workplace for the studio’s founders Kim Haddou and Florent Dufourcq. 

When the duo first encountered the apartment, it felt disjointed — fragmented into a series of small rooms in varying colors and dark finishes. “It was more like a doll house at the beginning,” shared Haddou. As a result, the renovation sought to introduce a sense of coherence by establishing a unified design language throughout: bright eggshell white walls and ceilings now amplify light across the residence’s two floors, while 1970s influences and vintage Italian furniture from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, runs throughout. “The design of the building’s entrance hall features a lot of stone and exotic plants, which is more common in cities like Milan,” Haddou explains. “It gave the space an Italian touch that we liked, and we wanted to develop that sensibility inside the apartment too.”

Meanwhile, a tactile material palette introduces balance. The softness of linens and carpeting throughout the home offer a brilliant contrast against “rough” materials such as the travertine stone accents on the walls and sharp touches of metal and mirrored surfaces in the open kitchen and living area.True to the studio’s broader practice, the Marais Apartment respects the building’s original architecture while carefully inserting contemporary elements to create a residence that stands the test of time. “It was important for us to make this a timeless space that we wouldn’t get tired of,” notes Haddou. “If you feel good in a space, you’re not tempted to change everything. We want to design spaces that last.”

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