There is nothing quite like a clean slate. To begin again and do things better. To review, declutter, and redesign. This is the approach taken by French architects, Heros, when they tackled a fairly modest 93 square-metre apartment in Paris, France. Situated in the city’s 20th district and dating back to the 1930s, Apartment S is a beautifully balanced home—taking into account space, texture, colour, and comfort.

The partitions that initially divided the space have been cut down and the old flooring replaced by a white resin. Indeed, the apartment reacts like a big reflector and allows a maximum light input, which really transforms the space, giving it an entirely new character. So here, we have a blank canvas both figuratively and literally.

Three large pieces of furniture compose and organise the space. The first of which is located in the centre of the apartment as a seemingly floating object, offset slightly from the ceiling. A solid wooden structure, it is the only coloured element of the apartment. All the rooms revolve around this central hub, which marks the entry sequence and a room separator.

The second notable piece of furniture is the enormous shelving system, which spans the majority of the interior space. Clearly, it is a practical storage solution, but also offers the residents a chance to showcase particular design pieces that soften the stark minimalism of the interior. In this regard, it becomes the focal point of the home.

Finally, the kitchen island has been treated as an abstract monolith block, in order to purposefully mask its major function. It hosts all the necessary functions for its use and aims to be discreet, designed to blend into its environment despite its imposing dimensions.

Besides the naturally private areas, such as the pure white and quintessentially minimal bathroom of Apartment S, the open plan living and modular design works incredibly well. The curtain separator for the bedroom and fold-away bed are particular highlights.