Interior Designer Marianne Evennou's Paris Office Doubles as Her Pied-à-Terre

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French interior designer Marianne Evennou is known as a colorist: “Colors for me are like musical notes—they’re all good; you just have to adjust them to make a nice melody.” She also has a thing for interior windows: “The eye needs to be able to escape.”

For years, Evennou worked out of the vast loft she shares with her sculptor/furniture maker husband, Franck Evennou, in the cobblestoned town of Senlis, 45 kilometers north of Paris. More recently, she decided to open an office within easy reach of her many Paris clients and suppliers. After a six month search, she gave up on the idea of a ground-floor courtyard space and settled on a seen-better-days fourth-floor apartment well located in the 11ème, next to the Place de la Bastille. Its selling points: 19th century moldings, two working fireplaces, and old parquetry that “cracks when you walk on it.” Plus just enough room not only for workspace for Evennou and her team, but for a full kitchen, luxe compact bath, and bedroom (for busy days, when it’s hard to commute home). And, of course, all received the Evennou treatment, so the new setup doubles as a showcase. Take a look (for floor plans and a glimpse of what it looked like before, scroll to the very end).

Photography courtesy of Marianne Evennou.

evennou painted the entry &#8\2\20;from head to toe&#8\2\2\1; in ashes 17 — Above: Evennou painted the entry “from head to toe” in Ashes of Roses from UK paint company Little Greene. “I usually prefer muted colors because I find that they give deeper emotions,” she says.

The hanging light is a Mathieu Matégot Satellite Pendant, a reedition of a 1953 design from Gubi. Evennou commissioned the sculptural coat hooks from her husband—and comments, “the result is that we don’t dare to hang our coats on them…”

the former living room serves as work space number one: a meeting area flanked 18 — Above: The former living room serves as work space number one: a meeting area flanked by the office and kitchen.

Evennou worked with the existing layout but shifted door locations for a better flow; the remodel took three months.

steel framed interior windows connect the living room to the work space and kit 19 — Above: Steel-framed interior windows connect the living room to the work space and kitchen.

The conference table is a vintage military canteen table that Evennou found at Merci—”I didn’t even need to repaint it. It was just waiting for me.” The celadon chairs are midcentury Pierre Guariche designs. The lighting is by two Remodelista favorites: Olivier Abry of Wo & Wé in Lyon made the fixture over the table and the Signal 2-Arm Wall Sconce is from Jielde.

evennou created a bar that opens the main room to the kitchen, and allows her t 20 — Above: Evennou created a bar that opens the main room to the kitchen, and allows her to chat with staff and customers while cooking. The Nicolle Stools are French industrial classics: see Design Sleuth.

the wooden cabinets and shelves were built on site and &#8\2\20;dressed in 21 — Above: The wooden cabinets and shelves were built on site and “dressed in a very pale green that harmonizes with the gray veined marble of the worktop and tiled backsplash.” (The paint is from Ressource, a French line newly available in the States.)

Evennou recognizes that not everyone is a fan of open kitchen storage, but for her it works: “I like having all my stuff at hand. I see my kitchen as a workshop.”