Before & After: Parisian Flat Inspired by a Pedro Almodóvar Film
This design pays subtle homage to its cinematic inspiration through bold tile and geometric lines
Home offers a kind of primordial comfort – especially for those who are often on the road. This is a sentiment shared by Charles Coutris, manager of L’Indochineur, a firm that commissions jewellery and tableware from artists in Vietnam. Coutris bought a 50-square-metre, two-room flat with a dated interior in Paris, France, not far from the Denfert-Rochereau Place, which tourists might recognise as the location of The Paris Catacombs.
The flat hadn’t been renovated since the building was built in the ’70s, so Coutris asked the Lagom agency, led by Déborah and Avinoam Bettan, for a complete renovation after spotting their work online and in an article on Houzz. The Bettans had everything Coutris was looking for: a passion for contemporary and graphic spaces, a love of cinema and an understanding of the importance of good sleep.
The flat hadn’t been renovated since the building was built in the ’70s, so Coutris asked the Lagom agency, led by Déborah and Avinoam Bettan, for a complete renovation after spotting their work online and in an article on Houzz. The Bettans had everything Coutris was looking for: a passion for contemporary and graphic spaces, a love of cinema and an understanding of the importance of good sleep.
Original layout. Left to right from top: terrace; bedroom; living room; kitchen; bathroom; hallway; entrance; washroom.
Before. Since 2002, Charles Coutris has dedicated himself to his company, L’Indochineur, which commissions decor pieces, jewellery and tableware from artisans in Vietnam. He deals with a lot of challenges in his work, so he wanted his new apartment to be a place of relaxation and wellbeing.
He fell in love with the flat’s fantastic view of Paris, and the fact that its main rooms – living room, kitchen and bedroom – open out onto a terrace that overlooks a garden full of trees. All of the spaces in the flat were served by a long corridor at the back.
Before. Since 2002, Charles Coutris has dedicated himself to his company, L’Indochineur, which commissions decor pieces, jewellery and tableware from artisans in Vietnam. He deals with a lot of challenges in his work, so he wanted his new apartment to be a place of relaxation and wellbeing.
He fell in love with the flat’s fantastic view of Paris, and the fact that its main rooms – living room, kitchen and bedroom – open out onto a terrace that overlooks a garden full of trees. All of the spaces in the flat were served by a long corridor at the back.
New layout. Left to right from top: terrace; bedroom; living room; kitchen; bathroom; hallway; entrance; washroom.
After. An art lover who is passionate about cinema and music, the owner asked the architects to install a cinema space in the flat, along with a discrete sound system in every room. His other wishes were more classic, like creating a work area, opening the kitchen to the living room and replacing the bathtub with a shower.
As for style, Coutris trusted the architects based on their previous projects, and gave them only one simple instruction: “A fan of the worlds created by Spanish director [Pedro] Almodóvar, he was in love with the interior owned by the main character of the film Pain and Glory – which was out at the time – in particular his graphic kitchen,” Déborah says.
As is their firm’s standard practice, the duo quickly came back to Coutris with two sketches. The owner selected a light and airy design underscored with notes of light wood and dark green.
After. An art lover who is passionate about cinema and music, the owner asked the architects to install a cinema space in the flat, along with a discrete sound system in every room. His other wishes were more classic, like creating a work area, opening the kitchen to the living room and replacing the bathtub with a shower.
As for style, Coutris trusted the architects based on their previous projects, and gave them only one simple instruction: “A fan of the worlds created by Spanish director [Pedro] Almodóvar, he was in love with the interior owned by the main character of the film Pain and Glory – which was out at the time – in particular his graphic kitchen,” Déborah says.
As is their firm’s standard practice, the duo quickly came back to Coutris with two sketches. The owner selected a light and airy design underscored with notes of light wood and dark green.
After. The flat’s entrance had previously opened out into a straight and dark hallway, with the French doors of the living room directly opposite. Now, it opens out onto a large, attention-grabbing open space running all the way to the picture window in the living room, which is partially separated into zones by the divider.
At the back, the entrance closet was replaced by a new storage unit in oak-veneered plywood that offers a drop zone in the entrance and, importantly, hides the internet router from view. Two other very discrete storage units in white painted MDF store coats, among other things.
At the back, the entrance closet was replaced by a new storage unit in oak-veneered plywood that offers a drop zone in the entrance and, importantly, hides the internet router from view. Two other very discrete storage units in white painted MDF store coats, among other things.
The architects replaced the hallway wall on the living room side with a very light divider that immediately conveys the project’s geometric feel. Designed by the Lagom architects, this bookshelf-divider artistically partitions the space without blocking the light. “It was absolutely necessary to frame this extraordinary view over all of Paris,” Déborah says.
The small, asymmetrical shelves suspended on thermolacquered aluminium tubes display beautiful objects that are valuable to the owner, like the blond horn vases seen here, which are part of the L’Indochineur collections.
Those who have seen the film Pain and Glory will notice that the quirkier splashes of vibrant colour from the main character’s flat are missing here. No red kitchen with a blue backsplash, no living room with oversize paintings in exuberant colours. All that the architects took from these scenes is the graphic feel of Almodóvar’s beloved compositions and the deep green colour of the main character’s velvet sofa. In fact, this is what gave them the idea for the pine green divider frame, which is softened by the light oak shelves and contrasts the white of the walls.
The small, asymmetrical shelves suspended on thermolacquered aluminium tubes display beautiful objects that are valuable to the owner, like the blond horn vases seen here, which are part of the L’Indochineur collections.
Those who have seen the film Pain and Glory will notice that the quirkier splashes of vibrant colour from the main character’s flat are missing here. No red kitchen with a blue backsplash, no living room with oversize paintings in exuberant colours. All that the architects took from these scenes is the graphic feel of Almodóvar’s beloved compositions and the deep green colour of the main character’s velvet sofa. In fact, this is what gave them the idea for the pine green divider frame, which is softened by the light oak shelves and contrasts the white of the walls.
Before. This photo of the old salmon-coloured living room shows the French doors to the entrance hallway and the door to the enclosed kitchen.
Find an architect to help design your home
Find an architect to help design your home
After. Only the typical ’60s/’70s checkerboard parquet floor was carefully preserved for its geometric look. The picture windows were replaced with Kline sliding windows in frames that are white on the interior side and black on the exterior, in order to respect the visual unity of the facade.
The architects dreamed up two linear storage units to discretely install the home cinema system at the back of the room.
The architects dreamed up two linear storage units to discretely install the home cinema system at the back of the room.
Architect Avinoam Bettan is passionate about technology, and took charge of fitting the home cinema with a large immersive screen and surround sound. “The top unit hides an HD, 16:9cm projection screen, while a 5.1 surround sound system is supported over wifi with an amp from Yamaha. Three Focal speakers are embedded into the top and bottom cabinets. Two more speakers at the back return the sound,” he says. All of these were purchased at Cobra, specialists in sound and image for 40 years: “A brand that always gives good advice.”
Manufactured by a carpenter from Ergo-Logic like the rest of the custom furniture in the flat, these linear oak-veneer units finish in a curved beveled edge that softens their outline. “Fred, the carpenter, is really good, he helps us think about and optimise all of our creations,” Avinoam says.
For this photo, Coutris chose to display L’Indochineur vases in natural stone.
The Ikea cupboard bases were paired with doors from Plum Kitchen in a pine green that echoes that at the entrance. In a nod to the sky-blue tile on the main character’s kitchen backsplash in Pain and Glory, Déborah proposed a 5-by-5-centimetre square tile to underscore the graphic look of the place. The matte ceramic covers the backsplash and counter continuously. Note also the pretty detail of the edging.
The upper cabinets are 40 centimetres deep. The white units align overtop the cabinets, giving the impression of perfect fit. “The video projector is hidden among them,” Déborah reveals.
It is impossible to finish the description of this kitchen without touching on the lighting system. “We proposed it to keep with the graphic spirit, and Charles adored it. Moreover, he had spotted it in an article about one of our other projects. In the end the calculations were complicated, but it’s Avi who worked on them,” she says with a smile.
Using the customisable Spider lighting system from Vibia meant Avinoam had to calculate each linear metre of cabling that would be required, working from the plans the architects had drawn earlier. Equipped with a dimmer, this system can provide a bright or cosy light depending on the needs of the moment.
The upper cabinets are 40 centimetres deep. The white units align overtop the cabinets, giving the impression of perfect fit. “The video projector is hidden among them,” Déborah reveals.
It is impossible to finish the description of this kitchen without touching on the lighting system. “We proposed it to keep with the graphic spirit, and Charles adored it. Moreover, he had spotted it in an article about one of our other projects. In the end the calculations were complicated, but it’s Avi who worked on them,” she says with a smile.
Using the customisable Spider lighting system from Vibia meant Avinoam had to calculate each linear metre of cabling that would be required, working from the plans the architects had drawn earlier. Equipped with a dimmer, this system can provide a bright or cosy light depending on the needs of the moment.
Opening up a kitchen is a classic move, but two challenges nonetheless required the architects’ attention.
First of all, the piping was difficult to move. “We decided from the beginning to take it on by looking for a full-height radiator that could subsume the piping while playing divider,” Déborah explains. A radiator from Acova saved the day, installed on square plates which pick up the pattern of the backsplash.
This challenge, which the architects spotted right at the first visit, led to one of the leitmotifs of the decor. “These pipes were actually what guided us to the design of the suspended furniture,” she says.
The second problem had to do with the floor in the old kitchen. “We decided to extend the checkerboard parquet with a new parquet that’s as similar as possible, and then create a carpet of tile along the cupboards,” she says. “We created a broken up transition by scattering tiles here and there in the parquet. Finding the right parquet and tiles of the same dimensions as the original pattern was not exactly easy.”
First of all, the piping was difficult to move. “We decided from the beginning to take it on by looking for a full-height radiator that could subsume the piping while playing divider,” Déborah explains. A radiator from Acova saved the day, installed on square plates which pick up the pattern of the backsplash.
This challenge, which the architects spotted right at the first visit, led to one of the leitmotifs of the decor. “These pipes were actually what guided us to the design of the suspended furniture,” she says.
The second problem had to do with the floor in the old kitchen. “We decided to extend the checkerboard parquet with a new parquet that’s as similar as possible, and then create a carpet of tile along the cupboards,” she says. “We created a broken up transition by scattering tiles here and there in the parquet. Finding the right parquet and tiles of the same dimensions as the original pattern was not exactly easy.”
Coutris likes uncluttered settings with a few beautiful objects. He selected the dining furniture himself, finding a 50s table in wood and formica, completed by design icons: the famous Y Chairs (Wishbone CH24) from Hans Wegner in rope and walnut.
They arranged the workspace he asked for to the right of the cabinet that conceals the combined fridge. It takes the form of an elegantly suspended piece of furniture.
The owner usually leaves his laptop here, but for the photo shoot he displayed tableware made by artisans in Hanoi.
After. Note the way contemporary touches have been integrated into the design: out with the big spotlights, in with discrete LED strips placed under the kitchen cabinets. Instead of the stainless steel sink and its big draining board, a white ceramic sink has been fitted directly into the tiled worktop.
Moving the bathroom walls cut the hallway down to 1.85 metres in length, lending more space to the entrance. The electric meter was hidden in the closet. A door makes it possible to isolate the private areas from the rest of the apartment.
After. The suspended toilet, mini sink in concrete and sliding door have propelled this little corner into modernity.
After. Focused on the magnificent view, the restrained bedroom design centres on light and pleasing shades, reflecting the owner’s minimalist philosophy. The thick wall-to-wall wool carpet is pleasant to the touch. The bed cover picks up the square motif of the backsplash. Two large rattan floor lamps from L’Indochineur complete this composition, which puts emphasis on the essential.
The architects installed a wireless Sonos Play 1 speaker in the bedroom. “Wherever Charles may be in the apartment, the music he’s listening to follows him,” Déborah notes.
The architects installed a wireless Sonos Play 1 speaker in the bedroom. “Wherever Charles may be in the apartment, the music he’s listening to follows him,” Déborah notes.
After. This bathroom was revamped from top to bottom. A shower took the place of the bathtub and a vanity replaced the pedestal sink. Extending the graphic harmony of the flat, a 5-by-5-centimetre white tile was placed on the floor and the countertop, with 10-by-10-centimetre unglazed green ceramic wall tiles.
The architects opted for tile from the brand Ce.Si Ceramica, which are available in a variety of sizes and colours and two types: glazed or unglazed. “Their variety makes a graphic design very easy. You can really have fun with the different sizes without having to touch up the joints. The unglazed material is perfect for making niches without having to cut them at 45°,” Déborah says.
If the Almodóvar film was indeed the first inspiration, these tiles, with their graphic feel underscored by their contrasting joints, remain the main leitmotif of the new decor of this flat. This material moreover reminds Déborah of one of the discoveries that marked her double major in architecture and as a student at the school of art: “These white tiles with black joints always remind me of architect and contemporary visual artist Jean-Pierre Raynaud, who prepared his whole ‘home’ [referring to an installation by Raynaud entitled ‘The Home of the Celle-Saint-Cloud’] in them and said that ‘contrasting effects are stimulating’. The essential tension between black and white is powerful.”
Demolition plan
Detailed budget:
Work: 53,000 euros
Custom carpentry: 12,000 euros
Materials: 11,000 euros
Read more:
Lessons From Paris: Biggest Take-Away From a 400-Sq-Ft Home
Tell us:
What did you think about this home?
Detailed budget:
Work: 53,000 euros
Custom carpentry: 12,000 euros
Materials: 11,000 euros
Read more:
Lessons From Paris: Biggest Take-Away From a 400-Sq-Ft Home
Tell us:
What did you think about this home?
At a Glance
Who lives here? Charles Coutris, manager of L’Indochineur and its brand Studio Rivêt
Location: 7th floor of a ’70s building in Paris, France
Size: 50 square metres
Date of work: Delivered June 2020 after 1.5 months of planning and 4 months of work
Architects: Architect DE Déborah Calfond Bettan and Architect HMONP Avinoam Bettan of Lagom Architects
Carpentry: Ergo-Logic in Aulnay-sous-Bois
Budget: 76000 euros