BB Apartment

Where Haussmannian heritage meets Nordic restraint

A Parisian Sanctuary by Danielle Siggerud

Tucked into the 4th arrondissement of Paris, a Swedish-French couple turned to architect Danielle Siggerud to reimagine their Haussmannian apartment, not as a rigid tribute to the past, nor a sterile exercise in minimalism, but as a quiet sanctuary where time-honored elegance meets contemporary sensibility. The result is a transformation both measured and poetic, marrying classical bones with a palette of understated warmth and material tactility.

This collaboration was the fruit of a long-standing dialogue. Having been in conversation with Siggerud for years, the clients had waited patiently for the right space to surface. When they finally discovered a luminous fourth-floor apartment, rich in original detail and flooded with natural light, they knew they had found the ideal canvas, one that could hold both history and new meaning.

“The architecture and the moldings were what drew me to this space - it’s so quintessentially French,” says the client, a Swedish designer with a deep appreciation for balance, calm, and authenticity.

The brief was clear: to preserve the apartment’s spirit while subtly restructuring its volumes and layering in a refined material language. Though the architectural bones remain, the interiors now exude a quiet confidence, shaped by thoughtful restraint and a sense of gentle modernity.

To enhance fluidity and ease, the layout was rebalanced, essential for a client returning from frequent travels and seeking a home that feels open, tactile, and alive. The apartment’s elevated vantage and generous fenestration immerse every room in daylight, creating an atmosphere that is at once energizing and contemplative.

Throughout, a sensual tension between rawness and refinement anchors the design. Original herringbone floors and restored moldings are paired with warm painted walls, honed Carrara marble, a stone surface which also ties the original Carrara fireplace, establishing a dialogue between permanence and renewal.

In the tradition of Parisian hosting, the kitchen and dining space were reimagined as a compact yet highly functional heart of the home. Bespoke cabinetry in mahogany frames the space, which is grounded by the sculptural presence of a Le Cornué stove; a nod to enduring French culinary tradition.

To unify the apartment’s cabinetry language, mahogany was also used inside the custom walk-in wardrobe, discreetly inserted into the master bedroom to resolve an irregular footprint. Conceived almost as an architectural installation, the wardrobe doubles as a spatial divider - its minimal expression carving out a cocoon-like inner volume while preserving the rhythm of the larger room.

A curated selection of freestanding bespoke pieces, also crafted in mahogany, echo this sense of permanence, tactility, and calm.

“Danielle Siggerud united the past and present, artfully melding Haussmannian architecture with modern design to create a refuge that offers both inspiration and solace.”

This is more than a renovation - it is a deeply personal reawakening of a Parisian apartment, shaped with intention and poetic restraint, offering its inhabitants a meditative retreat in the heart of the city.