Art Deco Swimming Pools, 1960s Japanese Love Hotels, and Space-Age Style Inspired the Interiors of This Former Garage, Now Family Home in Paris

What do you get when you combine Space Age style with a family home? Well, the answer lies in this Parisian apartment, designed by Studio HA. The former can often lean into the striking and absurd, while the latter demands liveability. Yet, despite a seemingly difficult recipe, this home combines these aesthetics in a way that feels comfortable, luxurious, and imaginative.

To the outside eye, the Space Age-inspired interiors are immediately impressive; however, designers Hugo Vince and Adèle Nourry of Studio HA say the main challenge was configuring the space itself, turning a 300-square-meter garage into a comfortable, welcoming home while preserving its generous proportions. "The volume of the former garage was extraordinary, but we needed to ensure that nobody felt lost within it," says Hugo. "And above all, we wanted to create a warm family home."

The modern home is organized around a large shared living space. "We worked on how the space is perceived rather than dividing it up," Adèle explains. "For instance, the mezzanine lowers the ceiling above the kitchen, while wallpaper around the perimeter and a band of lighting at mid-height make the main living space feel more enveloping." Here's how they got there.

The Space

Space Age style from the 1960s and 1970s strongly influenced this project, particularly the lines of the furniture and other bespoke elements. Other references appear in specific areas: "Art Deco swimming pools inspired the mosaic, while Japanese love hotels of the 1960s informed the main bedroom suite," says Hugo Vince. Plus, "The clients already owned a few pieces of Space Age furniture, which provided a starting point and resonated with our own sensibility," he adds.

"We enjoy bringing these influences together rather than faithfully recreating a particular period," continues Hugo. The 70s-inspired color palette, the chrome decor, even the mid-century modern influences — mixing different styles and narratives "allowed us to create different atmospheres while maintaining a common thread throughout the home," says Hugo.

But again, the challenge was transforming such a large, open-concept layout into a place that felt warm. For Hugo and Adèle, that meant choosing to create one large living area so the homeowners' lives could revolve around a single, central room. In this configuration, the living area creates an emotional and visual anchor.

For instance, the bedrooms are organized around the living space, with different design elements helping to partition the space. Think internal glass room dividers, Venetian blinds, and subtle layered lighting schemes. "The idea was that, upon entering the home, you naturally arrive in the kitchen area, which then flows into the dining space and finally into the living room," says Adèle Nourry.

The project revolved around restructuring the flow of the space — making use of the large volume of the rooms and creating circulation throughout. "One of the key interventions was the creation of a new, curved mezzanine above the kitchen — an element that did not exist before. We designed it entirely from scratch to accommodate the client's home office, as the original layout was missing an additional room," shares Hugo.

"This led us to rethink the overall circulation, particularly the access to the bedrooms, and allowed us to create a landing that now opens onto this generous mezzanine overlooking the living space," Hugo continues. Finished with a stunning colored carpet, it brings softness and warmth to the interior, "which is essential given the scale of the space and the 6.5-meter-high ceilings," he adds.

The original industrial nature of this former garage was transformed into a much softer, more enveloping environment. "We carried this influence through to the bespoke cabinetry and furniture, using curved forms, softened edges, and materials that play with light," says Adèle.

The Kitchen

Despite the open layout, every room feels quite distinct. The kitchen, dining area, and living space are in conversation with one another, but still feel their own. But of the three conjoining spaces, the brushed chrome kitchen, full of curved lines and oversized proportions, is probably the most intriguing. Rightfully so, considering the designers shared how some materials didn't come easy.

"The kitchen, finished in hand-patinated silver leaf, was conceived as a kind of spaceship at the heart of the home," says Adèle. "We wanted the kitchen's finish to nod to the building's industrial past. We developed it with decorative painter Antonin Lamoot, whose hand-applied patina produced a nuanced surface that feels softer and more alive than a uniform metal finish."

They also had to source enough Red Hollywood stone for the entire kitchen — "a rare stone whose shades of red, brown, and black particularly appealed to us," says Hugo. In this space, the reds, terracotta shades, and orange tones bring warmth, "while the green mosaic flooring introduces a reference to Art Deco swimming pools," Hugo adds.

The Living and Dining Space

In the living and dining space, you're greeted with boundless curves and warm colors, a true nod to that 'Space Oddity' whimsy. However, the large purple rug and the velvet sofa bring comfort to the otherwise futuristic style. In the evening, "indirect lighting takes over, creating a more intimate atmosphere," says Hugo.

Despite the grand, captivating design, effort has been put in to create a truly liveable space. Choosing tactile materials and soft textures creates dimension, but more conceptual tricks are also at play. For instance, "The Élitis wallpaper around the perimeter of the room contributes to this comfortable feeling by visually reducing the apparent ceiling height," explains Hugo.

But of course, the adventurous moments are what make the room. "The monumental fireplace, developed with Staff Espace Volume using fibrous plaster, is one of the pieces we feel most attached to," says Hugo. "It anchors the living room and brings a sculptural presence to the space."

The Primary Bedroom

Finally, the primary bedroom is one of the grandest parts of the design, and really leans into that sexy, 1970s aesthetic. Let's be honest, a red bedroom is hard to pull off, but when done as well as this, it becomes an eccentric and exciting moment.

"The red lacquered platform in the main bedroom suite holds a special place for us," says Adèle. "The interplay of curves, mirrors, and light captures our desire to create a space that feels both intimate and theatrical." And again, the mixture of lacquer finishes on the furniture and other tactile elements, like the textured wall, creates exciting moments that catch the eye.

More than anything, this bedroom and en suite prove you can have fun with your sleeping space and bathroom if you dare to. It's all about the right balance of textures and color. The minimalist bedding on top of the lacquer steps and an animal-print pillow on top? The red mosaic tiles and hotel-style bathroom lighting? It's as elegant as it is exciting.

Shop the Style

Current interior design trends are begging us to be more experimental, but with a real emphasis on craft. This Parisian home shows how much you can do with a seemingly impossible space to design. A voluminous, open-space former garage is transformed into a home that feels both hyper-personal and extremely design-forward.

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