appartement ~A~

PROJECT : Appartement ~A~
STATUS : Project delivered
TOTAL AREA : 90 m² / 970 sqf
LOCATION : Shantou, CHINA
YEAR : 2021

Interior Renovation of a Family Apartment

This interior design project concerns the complete renovation of an apartment intended for a retired couple who occasionally welcome their family. The home is organised around a simple and functional programme: a comfortable two-bedroom apartment, designed for the couple’s daily life while maintaining a genuine capacity for family visits.

As the owners were sensitive to the feeling of being enclosed, particularly in spaces that were too dark or overly compartmentalised, the project sought to profoundly transform the perception of the apartment. The layout was therefore opened up as much as possible along its two main orientations. This removal of partitions brings in more natural light, improves circulation and creates a greater sense of fluidity, spaciousness and breathing room.

The configuration of the apartment places its central area at the intersection of several uses: kitchen, dining room, office space and entrance. It was therefore necessary to organise this space strategically in order to bring greater comfort and clarity. The project introduces a central volume, clearly identifiable through its timber finish. Acting at once as furniture, shelving, office space and a separating element from the kitchen, this volume becomes a structuring feature of the project. It organises the different uses, naturally defines the spaces and creates a true dining area, which was previously too close to the entrance and insufficiently defined.

Then, in order to visually extend the volumes, we designed a long, low living-room unit that runs along the full length of the wall, up to the window. This design feature makes the room feel more spacious and generous. The unit guides the eye and visually stretches the space, reinforcing the impression of a larger and more open living room.

The private area, grouping together the bedrooms, is deliberately separated from the living space. This distinction preserves the couple’s privacy and creates a clear balance between the open spaces dedicated to daily life and hosting, and the quieter areas reserved for rest.

The intervention thus transforms an apartment initially perceived as constrained and enclosed into a brighter, more open and more comfortable interior, suited both to the daily life of a retired couple and to occasional family gatherings.