A stunning apartment renovation in Paris's historic Marais district demonstrates how clever design techniques can transform cramped spaces with low ceilings into bright, airy living areas. The 797-square-foot apartment, located in an 18th-century building, faced a significant challenge with ceiling heights of just 7 feet, but interior designer JiaHao Liao of LIAO Design turned this limitation into an opportunity for creative solutions.
Liao, who is originally from Singapore, purchased the property specifically because of its authentic character and the complete renovation it required. The designer immediately recognized that the project would involve reviving the original architectural features while incorporating modern comfort and functionality to meet contemporary living standards. The renovation evolved into a comprehensive redesign that addressed the challenging low ceiling height through strategic design choices.
The transformation began with removing outdated elements including old tiles, warped walls, and dated decorations to expose the original structure. The makeover started by removing false ceilings to gain valuable inches in height and concluded with new flooring that leveled and insulated the surfaces, creating a neutral foundation for the new design. This careful restoration process revealed the apartment's hidden potential while preserving its historic charm.
The living room features a striking privacy screen made of wooden slats that creates a unique atmospheric charm. "The idea was to add vertical elements, and I didn't find it necessary to have curtains in a living room that darken the light, like in a bedroom," explains Liao. When the interior shutters are folded back, abundant daylight floods through three large windows into the living room. The space is furnished with wooden side tables from AM.PM, chairs from NV Gallery, and a rug from Westwing, while a painting by Roland Bouvier hangs above a white sofa and metal side table from Kave Home.
The apartment's main challenge was its ceiling height of only about 7 to 7.2 feet, which Liao addressed through innovative vertical design elements. He incorporated interior window shutters, radiator covers, and cabinet doors designed as room dividers to create more verticality and make the space appear larger. The renovation made extensive use of wood materials, including oak for the shutters and radiator covers in a deliberately Japanese-inspired look, and high-quality oak-effect laminate with texture and grain for the kitchen elements.
"I love Japanese style, its minimalism and the tranquility it radiates. And since I come from Singapore, I wanted to bring a little Asia in, but without neglecting the period when the rooms were created," Liao explains. To highlight the refined carpentry work, the interior designer chose beige lime paint that plays with light and the natural textures of the furniture. In the bedroom, the original marble fireplace has been preserved, flanked and highlighted by minimalist doors of a floor-to-ceiling built-in wardrobe.
The designer selected calm cream and beige tones throughout the interior. The walls and ceilings are painted with lime paint, which brightens the space and harmonizes with natural textures. By removing the false ceilings, the space not only feels more generous but also gained valuable inches in height, so the apartment now has a ceiling height of 7 feet. After sanding and removing dark varnish, the oak beams in the living room show their natural grain and shape the space with a look of uniform beige tones that creates a warm atmosphere.
Adjacent to the living and kitchen area is an additional small room that serves as a guest room and office, equipped with a large bay window. While the wooden slatted blinds give the open living area its special charm, Liao used fluted glass for the bay window design, inspired by the glass window of the original kitchen. In combination with the wooden slat cladding, the vertical structures of the room are emphasized here too – the hallmark of the project.
In the bay area, which includes a two-step mezzanine, the interior designer created a fold-out desk so that the small room can easily be used as an office. "I like functionality in design and the ability to create modular spaces," says Liao. This solution avoided the office taking up too much space. The designer also wanted to save space in the kitchen, where he installed a long Japanese-style bench directly on the floor with the goal of hiding a supporting metal structure.
The kitchen features furniture clad in textured, light oak-effect laminate. The base of the round dining table echoes the design of the window slats. The wooden chairs with corded seats are from Kave Home, and the pendant light is from Audo Copenhagen. The right wall is adorned with a painting by artist Véronique Bigo, and a large vase from Flora Déco completes the space. This small step, which serves as a storage surface, arose from the idea of not completely leveling the floor and thus not losing additional ceiling height.
In the bathroom, Liao used moisture-resistant synthetic resin often used in hammam design. The material visually resembles concrete ciré and wraps the floor, walls, and ceiling in a relaxing beige tone. The minimalist shower area was designed with an integrated bench and wall niche, as well as aged brass fixtures from Hotbath. Upon leaving the apartment, one enters a curved entrance hallway that is flooded with light thanks to a carefully restored curved window.
The main bedroom retains the 18th-century fireplace, with Liao integrating discreet storage on both sides, painted in a shade similar to the lime paint on the walls and ceiling. The wardrobe design in the main bedroom is also based on the thin wooden slats of the interior shutters and gives the room an airy vertical structure and elegant geometry. With the marble of the original fireplace, light herringbone parquet from Décoplus Parquets, and lime paint from Arcane Industries on walls and ceilings, an elegant material combination emerges.
The small adjoining room serves as both guest room and office, with large handleless built-in cabinets providing additional storage like those in the bedroom. The daybed is custom-made, while the side table is from Ferm Living and the chair from Kave Home. The generous gallery-like bay window leads to built-ins that hide technical elements, with the slat motif appearing again below the glass front, and the fluted glass emphasizing verticality. A fold-out desk is integrated into the adjacent built-in furniture, which offers plenty of storage space, complete with a table lamp from Venture Home.
This harmonious approach by Liao ensures that every element and natural material – wood, stone, lime – contributes to a seamless balancing act that makes the apartment a comfortable home full of comfort and warmth. The project demonstrates how limitations can inspire creative solutions, turning a challenging low-ceiling space into an elegant, functional living environment that honors both its historic origins and modern lifestyle needs.
