A former industrial facility in France’s capital city was reinvented by interior architect Grégoire De Lafforest, going from a wide open 1,100 square feet to a creative, completely unique loft. Although the architect has worked with some of the most high-end brands in the world, he used some clever cost-saving measures to create this striking Paris warehouse makeover on a reasonable budget.

Despite the rather limited space, Lafforest segmented the loft into six distinct zones that he refers to as “a village of six small houses.” The kitchen and living area are located under an A-frame glass ceiling that fills the loft with natural light. As a continuation of the glass aesthetic, the kitchen is enclosed in a DIY greenhouse. Inside, an all-black IKEA kitchen is a gorgeous modern place to prepare meals.

The one element that is nearly impossible to miss is the huge pine tree in the middle of the living area. Lafforest cut and dried the branches, then meticulously glued plastic needles to them. The tree emphasizes and expands the theme of outdoors and nature without actually dealing with a growing tree in the living room.

Budget-friendly IKEA furniture and fixtures were used in the loft, giving it a modern flair with subtle pops of color. A wall ledge sits three feet above the floor in the living area to support pictures and objects. Beneath the ledge, rectangular IKEA storage units act as independent bookcases.

Interesting surfaces, small highlights of color and the occasional simple pattern keep the loft from looking too sterile. This Parisian home is a testament to the fact that, with some creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, even people with smaller budgets can create stunning home spaces.

About Grégoire De Lafforest

“An interior architect and designer by training (graduated from ESAG Penninghen), Grégoire went through the agency of Bruno Moinard, Noé Duchaufour Lawrence and Gilles & Boissier where he was able to work on major projects such as the head office from Hermès in Paris, the Cartier boutiques, a private mansion for Veuve Clicquot and more recently the Baccarat hotel in New York. He is currently collaborating with Hermès for the design of furniture collections. At the same time, he develops his own interior design and furniture projects which earned him the VIA laureate in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and the “Talent de l’Elegance” laureate at the Sommet du Luxe et de Creation 2017.”