A 1930s house renovated by Camille Hermand with an inverted floor plan near Paris
Camille Hermand inverted the floor plan of a renovated 1930s house: living room upstairs, bedrooms in the middle, family room downstairs
Let’s take a look at this 1930s house renovated, built on a hillside on the western outskirts of Paris. Its main feature is to be build on a sloping lot. The building has three levels, and the lower level is largely in shadow. To solve this problem, interior designer Camille Hermand made a radical and original decision: to move the living areas to the top floor. The bedrooms are located on the middle level. The garden level, once too sunken to be truly livable, has been transformed into a welcoming and comfortable family room.
In the living room on the top floor, the light and the view immediately catch the eye. One notices the sloped ceiling, the exposed white beams, and the large sliding glass door with black frames that opens onto a newly created terrace. From up there, the view takes in the rooftops of western Paris and the treetops of the garden.
The room’s color palette revolves around two tones: white and a dark, almost slate-like blue. This contrast avoids the tired “all-white” look often paired with dull gray. The built-in bookshelf, painted in the same dark blue, incorporates a radiator cover with vertical slats, a solution that’s both decorative and functional.
The light oak floor softens the overall look. A rug, featuring organic blue shapes on an off-white background, defines the seating area. The black coffee table with slender legs, the Scandinavian chair in natural wood, and the gray linen sofa exude a harmonious Nordic aesthetic, tempered by the warmth of the wood. The spherical black woven rattan pendant light catches the eye. It is a timeless room that is hard to tire of.
The kitchen is separated from the living room by a glass partition with small panes and white frames. It frees the person in the room from a feeling of confinement, while isolating the house from odors and noise. The classic white furniture stands the test of time without going out of style. It is paired with a light stone countertop and suspended oak shelves that add warmth to the room’s clean, minimalist atmosphere.
The style is almost minimalist, but certain objects add a touch of whimsy: a vintage kitchen scale, a bowl of fruit, a few cookbooks on the shelf. These details (which aren’t really details at all) prevent the space from feeling like a showroom.
On the middle floor of this renovated 1930s home, the bedrooms are arranged around a central walk-in closet. Each has its own custom storage, built-in bookshelf, and headboard specially designed for the space. The rounded ceilings, typical of interwar-era buildings, have been preserved and incorporated into the woodwork.
The master bedroom follows the same dark blue theme as the living room, with its low headboard painted in petrol blue and matching built-in wardrobes. A framed Japanese print above the bed adds a graphic touch. The black wall sconces on either side of the bed are discreet yet effective. The master bathroom combines a matte black wall, large-format white marble-style tiles, and matte black fixtures. This monochromatic ensemble is harmonious and restful.
The children’s bathroom is a bit different, with its blue-green cement tiles featuring a star pattern. A white freestanding bathtub was installed, as it’s important for children to have a space to take a bath.
Each of the children’s bedrooms has its own personality. One is entirely decorated in teal, with custom-made furniture and a closet featuring brass handles. The other combines powder-pink paint on the lower half of the wall with animal-print Toile de Jouy wallpaper above. It features foxes and rabbits in a botanical engraving style, both childlike and elegant.
At the very bottom of the house, the level that seemed doomed has found a real purpose. Camille Hermand turned it into a versatile family room: TV, bookshelf, and a fireplace built into a space painted dark khaki. And next to the fireplace, shelves painted the same dark green hold books and decorative objects. A bamboo pendant light with vertical slats from Forestier adds warmth to the atmosphere.
The decor of this room takes a different approach from the rest of the house, in a softer, more natural style, featuring a white sofa, embroidered cushions, and a weathered raw wood coffee table with sturdy legs.
The pool follows the natural slope of the land. It is framed by a light-colored ipe wood deck with two chevron-woven lounge chairs. The house’s facade, finished in white stucco with black ironwork, is surrounded by lush greenery. The original Art Deco architecture, with its colonnades and curved lines, has been perfectly preserved.
This project makes the most of the house’s structure. The inverted floor plan solves a real-world problem and enhances the family’s quality of life. The interior design is contemporary and suited to a hassle-free yet harmonious daily life.
Dark blue runs from one level to the next, uniting the spaces of the house like a common thread. Each room has its own atmosphere and its own materials. To see this 1930s house renovated by Camille Hermand, and other projects by the interior designer, click on this link! Photo: ©Pauline Legoff
A cathedral-ceilinged living room overlooking Paris
In the living room on the top floor, the light and the view immediately catch the eye. One notices the sloped ceiling, the exposed white beams, and the large sliding glass door with black frames that opens onto a newly created terrace. From up there, the view takes in the rooftops of western Paris and the treetops of the garden.
The room’s color palette revolves around two tones: white and a dark, almost slate-like blue. This contrast avoids the tired “all-white” look often paired with dull gray. The built-in bookshelf, painted in the same dark blue, incorporates a radiator cover with vertical slats, a solution that’s both decorative and functional.
The light oak floor softens the overall look. A rug, featuring organic blue shapes on an off-white background, defines the seating area. The black coffee table with slender legs, the Scandinavian chair in natural wood, and the gray linen sofa exude a harmonious Nordic aesthetic, tempered by the warmth of the wood. The spherical black woven rattan pendant light catches the eye. It is a timeless room that is hard to tire of.
The kitchen behind its glass partition
The kitchen is separated from the living room by a glass partition with small panes and white frames. It frees the person in the room from a feeling of confinement, while isolating the house from odors and noise. The classic white furniture stands the test of time without going out of style. It is paired with a light stone countertop and suspended oak shelves that add warmth to the room’s clean, minimalist atmosphere.
The style is almost minimalist, but certain objects add a touch of whimsy: a vintage kitchen scale, a bowl of fruit, a few cookbooks on the shelf. These details (which aren’t really details at all) prevent the space from feeling like a showroom.
The bedrooms on the second level
On the middle floor of this renovated 1930s home, the bedrooms are arranged around a central walk-in closet. Each has its own custom storage, built-in bookshelf, and headboard specially designed for the space. The rounded ceilings, typical of interwar-era buildings, have been preserved and incorporated into the woodwork.
The master bedroom follows the same dark blue theme as the living room, with its low headboard painted in petrol blue and matching built-in wardrobes. A framed Japanese print above the bed adds a graphic touch. The black wall sconces on either side of the bed are discreet yet effective. The master bathroom combines a matte black wall, large-format white marble-style tiles, and matte black fixtures. This monochromatic ensemble is harmonious and restful.
The children’s bathroom is a bit different, with its blue-green cement tiles featuring a star pattern. A white freestanding bathtub was installed, as it’s important for children to have a space to take a bath.
Each of the children’s bedrooms has its own personality. One is entirely decorated in teal, with custom-made furniture and a closet featuring brass handles. The other combines powder-pink paint on the lower half of the wall with animal-print Toile de Jouy wallpaper above. It features foxes and rabbits in a botanical engraving style, both childlike and elegant.
The garden level transformed into a family cocoon
At the very bottom of the house, the level that seemed doomed has found a real purpose. Camille Hermand turned it into a versatile family room: TV, bookshelf, and a fireplace built into a space painted dark khaki. And next to the fireplace, shelves painted the same dark green hold books and decorative objects. A bamboo pendant light with vertical slats from Forestier adds warmth to the atmosphere.
The decor of this room takes a different approach from the rest of the house, in a softer, more natural style, featuring a white sofa, embroidered cushions, and a weathered raw wood coffee table with sturdy legs.
In the garden, the pool and wooden deck await the family
The pool follows the natural slope of the land. It is framed by a light-colored ipe wood deck with two chevron-woven lounge chairs. The house’s facade, finished in white stucco with black ironwork, is surrounded by lush greenery. The original Art Deco architecture, with its colonnades and curved lines, has been perfectly preserved.
What stands out about this renovated 1930s home
This project makes the most of the house’s structure. The inverted floor plan solves a real-world problem and enhances the family’s quality of life. The interior design is contemporary and suited to a hassle-free yet harmonious daily life.
Dark blue runs from one level to the next, uniting the spaces of the house like a common thread. Each room has its own atmosphere and its own materials. To see this 1930s house renovated by Camille Hermand, and other projects by the interior designer, click on this link! Photo: ©Pauline Legoff
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