The "Controlled Femininity" of a Klimt Painting Inspired This Parisian Apartment — It's the Perfect Combination of Warm Minimalism, Materiality, and Clever Functionality

Round office with floor-to-ceiling wood joinery and shelving, wooden floor, large round sculptural wooden table and metal and plastic chairs.

Ascending to the top floor of this luxe Art Deco apartment block, there’s an instant sense of light and quiet — a million miles from the bustling Paris street below.

Although when interior designer Sandra Benhamou first saw the place, the rooms felt small and disconnected with no sense of flow, she could spot the potential straight away. "The appeal was immediate: a top-floor setting, beautiful Art Deco geometry, generous ceiling heights, and an incredible calm, right in the center of the Left Bank," she recalls.

She leaned into this mood to create the interiors for this modern home, spurred on by her client’s brief. "She is a cultured writer and art collector, and she wanted a space that supported both contemplation and daily life. The brief was intimate: create a cocoon that remains open, luminous, and intelligent in its function."

Designer Sandra Benhamou was inspired by the joinery in Helena Rubinstein’s famed Paris apartment for the dining room. "It has this mix of glamour and intellectual confidence," says Sandra. "It encouraged me to design pieces that feel sculptural and intimate, like these shelves." (Image credit: Alice Mesguich)

For Sandra Benhamou, the main challenge was to rethink the apartment, without losing its heritage and soul. "You could feel the charm of the Art Deco structure, but it was muffled under layers of previous renovations. Working with a Thirties frame is a gift, but it demands precision," she explains.

"I’m drawn to this era for its clean lines, controlled ornamentation, and sculptural volumes. It was a time when elegance came from proportion, not excess. That balance suits my own design language: warm minimalism, geometry, and the tactile quality of noble materials."

The living room is a blend of sophistication and comfort, with vintage design classics sitting alongside Sandra’s own-design sofa in a tactile olive-green velvet. (Image credit: Alice Mesguich)

OKA

Briallen Side Table - Antique Gold

Take cues from this design and balance chunkier furniture pieces with an elegant metal side table.

Sandra made a series of subtle interventions to create a sense of flow and coherence throughout the apartment, which now feels simultaneously open, yet warm and cocooning. "That balance is at the heart of urban apartment living. You want openness — views, light, continuity — but you also need moments that envelope you."

The material palette of the modern kitchen mixes oak, sisal, and travertine, which is inlaid with brass on the floor. The stepped travertine backsplash nods to the home’s Art Deco influence. (Image credit: Alice Mesguich)

In bringing the apartment to life, Sandra drew deep on her rich store of cultural references, including Viennese Secessionist painter Gustav Klimt’s portrait of Fritza Riedler. "I love the balance between softness and rigor — the patterns, the pale tones, the quiet strength. It’s controlled femininity, which resonates with the client and with the spirit of the apartment."

Eva Solo

Nordic Kitchen Cutting Board 44 X 22cm Bamboo

Crafted from bamboo with a leather hanging strap, this Scandinavian design is a functional yet aesthetic piece of kitchen decor.

"I wanted the apartment to breathe, to slow time down and to feel deeply lived-in," explains Sandra. (Image credit: Alice Mesguich)

Pooky Lighting

Bugatti Pendant in Antiqued Brass

An elegant brass pendant lamp is the perfect finishing touch to this modern bedroom — we love this version from Pooky.

To reimagine the apartment in a new light, Sandra played with the idea of volume, creating bespoke pieces, such as the main bedroom’s full-height bookcase: "It expands the perception of height without overwhelming the room." Meanwhile, the kitchen’s island storage was designed like a sculptural block, "both functional and monolithic, to keep the space calm," she explains.

Three finishes in the same Rosso travertine combine for a rich, warm atmosphere. "Here, again, geometry plays with proportions and dialogues with the warmth of the plasterwork," says Sandra. (Image credit: Alice Mesguich)

To create an apartment or smaller home that feels considered and luxurious, it’s essential that the spaces function brilliantly — and Sandra has lots of thoughts on that subject.

"Custom joinery is everything. It allows you to use every centimeter without cluttering. Keep the lines vertical to stretch the spaces. Avoid visible hardware and integrate as much storage as possible behind quiet, architectural surfaces — it creates serenity."

Deploying all these strategies — and more — here, she has given the owner both a home and enabled a lifestyle that truly reflects her inner world.

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