November 27, 2013

IKEA Small Spaces – Living Together in a Small Apartment

Ikea advertisement in Paris subway.

On an apartment renovation in Paris, it is not unusual to have a chambre de bonne or maids room that is part of the project. This room is usually on the top floor and is many times very small. In this video they have a number of great ideas like keeping a couch off the wall in favor of movable chaise lounges, a dual use table on wheels and a projection TV screen that comes in the form of a roll up blind attached to the ceiling. If you are looking small space design ideas we hope we helped you out. 😀

Posted in IKEA, Renovation in Paris
Tagged Apartment, France, Furniture, Ikea, Ile-de-France, Paris, Square metre
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November 15, 2013

Smart Small Space Renovation

Metro de París (Photo credit: Maldark)

The average price of a home or apartment in Paris is 10,000 euros a square meter. Just outside of Paris the price drops dramatically but as far as the city of Paris itself, a renovation of the this size would be of a home worth millions and millions of dollars.

We forget how lucky we are as North Americans where simple working class people from Vancouver can live in a space that in other parts of the world are the domain of the rich and well to do. God Bless North America! 😀

But even if you have a small place here in Paris this fun before and after video gives some great tips.

The mirror at the front entrance is a great idea because it reflects the light through out the house..

They do a nice job of having a basic color theme that they continue throughout the home with accents in the bedroom and the family room.

And from a construction cost stand point they made a good choice by replacing the bathroom with an island for the kitchen. This saves on the cost of rerouteing the plumbing which in certain situations can get painfully expensive.

Good job guys!

Posted in Bedroom, Before and After, Design Ideas, Kitchen, Property, Renovation in Paris, Tips and Tricks
Tagged apartment in Paris, Eiffel Tower, France, God Bless America, Ile-de-France, London, Paris, Paris apartment, United States
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November 12, 2013

IKEA’s Living Billboard Bathroom Advert In Parisian Campaign

IKEA EXPEDIT (Photo credit: tomas carrillo)

Yesterday someone somewhere in the world Googled “ikea paris france shower public” and ended up spending some time on our Paris Renovation Apartment and Home Improvement blog.

Is that cool or what?! 😀

The above video was first in the search results. IKEA actually created a ‘living Billboard’ at Gare St. Lazare.

They created fully functional bathrooms and rose them up like billboards. Then they hired actors to interact with the space to showcase how a small room can be maximized using IKEA furniture.

In Paris, your apartment along with your bathroom can be painfully small as opposed American standards.

So you gotta love IKEA.

And you gotta love WordPress.com.

Posted in Bathroom, IKEA, Shower
Tagged Apartment, Bathroom, Billboard, France, Furniture, Ikea, Ile-de-France, Paris, Renovation, United States
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October 13, 2013

Traveling To Paris? Check Out Airbnb.com

When it comes to accommodations in Paris, nothing beats https://www.airbnb.com.

Meet Ondine.

In her profile she says

“Hey, I’m a simple and nice person willing to rent my Parisian flat sometimes when i’m away from Paris or just sleeping in another part of the city.”

In her apartment description she writes,
“I sublet my mini-castle! It’s 30sq meters with 1 bed for 2 persons and a couch. The flat is located in the north east area of Paris, but quite close to the center. I will wait for you at home and present/explain you everything, give you the keys and then leave, but if you need anything during your stay don’t hesitate to call me!I hope you’ll have a pleasant stay in my little castle 😉 Feel free ton contact me for further information! – Ondine”Check out the full description and pics of the apartment here.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/531446

Arrondissements of Paris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now guess how much she is charging a night.

It’s 30 square meters.

Very comfortable.

Near the center of Paris.

Guess how much? 200 euros? 150 euros? 100 euros?

She is renting from 49 euros a night! Is that great or what? You are not giving your money to some corporate behemoth. You are giving it to a nice person, a real life Parisian native, and all she asks is that you leave the place clean when you leave.

So if you are planning a stay in Paris, airbnb is definitely an option we recommend you look into.