Parisian architects duo Betillon/Dorval-Bory took on the renovation of a 20 square metre apartment with an unyielding minimalist grip. The white colour feels fresh and does a marvelous job infusing amplitude to a narrow space, whilst not losing sight of a bold conceptual statement. It’s all about two simple light installations calling the shots.

It is satisfying to behold a small apartment project with special care to lighting, considering the usual method of installing ready-made product design; this case in particular brings to the forefront tailor-made raw and naked lamps fixed on a small partition. The dividing barrier defines the living area and kitchen from the sleeping area and bathroom. For the larger area seven fluorescent tubes are tasked to light the way, with its colder blue-ish glow. In the private area in the corner, it’s up to a warmer glow to fill the space with two low-pressure sodium lamps (aka SOX), the same technology used on street lighting.

The effect of the SOX lamps are unusual and daring for a residential project, since it annuls and reduces every colour down to a monochromatic variation. In this case, the minimalism sensibility isn’t limited to a adornment free interior design, but to simplify the visual perception of each guest as well. Sometimes to reach authentic results it’s necessary to sacrifice common sense.