Architect Cyrus Ardalan felt like he was "standing at the prow of a ship" on a visit to this Paris corner apartment, which he subsequently renovated with porthole-style openings and deck-like floors for DJ Louise Chen and her family.
Located on the top floor of a building in the city's 9th arrondissement, the 70-square-metre apartment is home to Chen, her brand strategist partner Silas Swinstead and their young son.
Ardalan had the idea to create a bespoke boat-like interior after his first visit to the home, which he updated to fit the needs of the new family.
"The living room immediately gave me the feeling of standing at the prow of a ship," the architect told Dezeen.
"That image stayed with me and gradually became a guiding idea for the project," he continued. "I didn't want the reference to be literal, but it helped shape a number of design decisions."
Ardalan brought the nautical theme to life in the apartment's central corridor, which the architect described as "the spine of the plan, like many Parisian apartments".
Clad with a horizontal band of tinted plywood, the passageway was punctuated with circular, porthole-style openings that slide up and down to illuminate or conceal the adjacent, minimally designed bedrooms.
Ardalan carved rounded door frames into the plywood to add to the playful design, while the parquet flooring that runs throughout the apartment was painted white to recall boat decking.
"Individually, these gestures are quite discreet, but together, they create a quiet maritime atmosphere that ties the whole project together," said the architect.
Ardalan opened up the plan of the living space and adjoining kitchen to "allow the rooms to flow more naturally" and maximise the large windows that reveal rooftop views of Paris.
"The apartment sits on the corner of the building, so there is this strong sense of light and openness," he explained.
The living space's walls were also insulated, which allowed the architect and his team to round and soften the walls' angles in a nod to the curved shape of a boat cabin.
"This detail subtly changes the perception of the living room and makes the interior feel calmer," said Ardalan.
Ardalan's studio used the same tinted plywood that lines the corridor to craft a geometric cabinet for Chen's vinyl collection, complete with uniform white drawers that match the main bedroom's built-in wardrobes.
"We wanted Louise's records to become part of the architecture of the space," said the architect. "The apartment reflects both her professional identity and her life at home."
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The adjacent kitchen is delineated by a chunky glass paste mosaic arch, which provides a decorative feature while also concealing old pipes.
Stainless steel was used to create cabinetry and a sleek, rounded worktop that echoes the living room's subtle curves, while the rest of the kitchen was clad in intricate reddish-brown tiles.
The same tiles form a mosaic in the bathroom, arranged in a similar formation to the horizontal ribbon of plywood in the corridor.
"Together, these materials form a very limited but rich palette, allowing the apartment to feel cohesive," said Ardalan. "Each material contributes a distinct character and tactility to the interior."
Across the apartment, a mixture of "intentionally minimal" furniture and lighting was sourced both new and vintage by Chen.
The selection includes tubular dining chairs by 20th-century designer Eileen Gray and understated wall lamps by modernist architect Charlotte Perriand in the main bedroom.
A bloated, blown-glass coffee table by contemporary designer Sabine Marcelis also features in the living space.
The French capital is home to a slew of intricately designed apartments, from a 1970s-style pied-à-terre to the colour-drenched, self-designed home of Uchronia studio founder Julien Sebban.
The photography is by Ludovic Balay.
