A dream view to call home at Fontaine de Mars.
When the moment arrives to reveal a new Paris Perfect Shared fractional apartment, there is such a joy in sharing the final result. This is because we can’t help but fall in love with each one of our fractional apartments. That’s how we know we’ve done the perfect job! And when we know our owners will feel at home in Paris from the moment they step through the door. We have all absolutely fallen in love with Fontaine de Mars, a gorgeous two-bedroom apartment that is our newest fractional co-ownership apartment in Paris. While all of the shares of Fontaine de Mars were sold before the finishing touches were even complete, we just have to show you this beautiful new apartment. We think you’ll fall in love with it too!
At home in Paris at Fontaine de Mars.
Before diving in, are you curious about fractional home co-ownership in Paris? Find out more about Paris Perfect Shared and contact us with any questions and to find out about upcoming properties for sale in Paris. Now, pour a glass of your favorite French wine and enjoy the remarkable before and after transformation of the Fontaine de Mars apartment in Paris!
Living Room – Designing an Unforgettable Space
AFTER: Step into the beautiful living room with long balcony.
The transformation of Fontaine de Mars begins in the heart of the home – its grand open plan room with comfortable sitting area, dining table, modern kitchen, and three splendid French doors opening to a wrap-around balcony. This light-filled room is the most welcoming sight when you step inside. You’ll feel more relaxed as you’re drawn into the inviting space. This is where the feeling of home begins and where you can see immediately the magic created by our dream team at Paris Perfect working with the incredibly talented designer Ann Huff. Just take a look below at where the room began!
BEFORE: The original living room offered excellent light and space to work with for the remodel.
When we first stepped inside the living room at Fontaine de Mars, we could see the “good bones” as we like to call them. The balcony and large French doors were an immediate plus and together with a large window on the opposite side of the room the room was full of light. A simple yet elegant marble fireplace anchored the room at one end. We knew right away that there was a way to transform this space into a convenient and comfortable open plan room, especially if we made some changes to open up one side of the space.
BEFORE: Windows on both sides of the living room is a rare find in historic Parisian buildings.
The apartment originally had an entryway when you walked in that led to the kitchen and the apartment’s only toilet. By removing the entrance room and built-in storage in the living room, we were able to enlarge the room to make space for a sleek built-in kitchen. By moving the kitchen, we then had space in the old kitchen area for beautiful new bathrooms and a workspace. Read on to see more about those new spaces below.
AFTER: Elegant details in the living room.
Every detail of the Fontaine de Mars was updated, including new herringbone parquet floors throughout the apartment. We love the blend of modern decor and antique pieces she often sources from the Paris flea markets – each piece handpicked for every fractional apartment. This comfortable seating area anchors one side of the living room while the other side was completely transformed by adding a new kitchen.
The original fireplace mantle now part of the beautiful design.
Moving the Kitchen
AFTER: The kitchen blends into the design and has all the modern comforts including dishwasher.
With three sets of French doors, the large and sunny living room was ideal for adding a kitchen along one wall. Thanks to its minimal modern design and white cabinets, the kitchen fits naturally into the space. The round marble topped table and marble backsplash echo the original marble fireplace mantle nearby. Take a look at the doorway to the left of the fireplace as it is a key element in the redesign of the bedrooms that we’ll return to later. But, first, let’s take a look at the original kitchen.
BEFORE: The cherry red cupboards had to go!
While the kitchen was certainly more updated than many remodels we’ve managed, the long narrow space was quite a walk down and around the entrance hallway to the living and dining area. Certainly not convenient! We knew immediately that thanks to all the plumbing in this area we could utilize this space in a much better way by creating an additional bathroom and useful living spaces.
BEFORE: This space was transformed into an open-plan kitchen and dining area.
The main change to the living room before adding the kitchen was to open up a doorway on the left to create a new entrance to the bedrooms. Originally, both bedrooms were accessed through the doorway you see on the right above. The main bedroom, which had an en suite bathroom, was accessed through this bedroom from the living room or through the en suite bathroom from the living room. So the en suite bathroom door was removed, the kitchen added, and a new doorway to the bedroom, creating a much more functional floor plan.
AFTER: Of course the balcony needed a bistro table!
Let’s just enjoy a moment to take in the divine new open-plan dining area and kitchen. Imagine relaxed meals at home inside or take one step up to a charming bistro table on the balcony. The space couldn’t have come together more beautifully, with the elegant decor blending perfectly with the Parisian rooftop view seen through the large French doors in the living room.
AFTER: Breakfast on your own Parisian balcony.
This is Parisian living at its best – the beauty of those quiet moments you can enjoy every day.
Creating Two Beautiful Bedrooms
AFTER: The transformation of the bedrooms was astonishing!
The bedrooms at Fontaine de Mars required a good deal of creativity, but this is what we love about remodeling apartments in Paris. There are always solutions to update spaces and to make them more functional and beautiful. The floor plan for this apartment did start with two bedrooms, one with an en suite bathroom. However, the bedroom with en suite was accessed only through the bathroom from the living room or through the other bedroom. Not convenient at all! The en suite bathroom also only included a bathtub and sink – no toilet. Also not convenient. There was work to be done!
BEFORE: Plenty of good features to work with in this bedroom.
This beautiful bedroom space is located off the living room and has two French doors opening to the wrap around balcony – one with beautiful Eiffel Tower views! There were plenty of beautiful features to work with here. By closing the access to the next bedroom, we were able to transform this space into a jewel box bedroom with whimsical curtains handpicked by Ann. The design elements in the curtains were continued through the room’s decor, and the final result is a bright and cheerful bedroom full of light.
AFTER: Waking up in Paris never looked so good!
Even better, just open the French doors to step out on the balcony where there’s a bistro table that is the perfect spot to watch the Eiffel Tower every moment of the day and night.
BEFORE: A good dose of creativity completely changed this bedroom.
Remember that doorway we mentioned adding to create a new hallway to access the bedroom with en suite bathroom? That replaced the door in the photo (above), which was closed off to divide the two bedrooms. This created space for two separate bedrooms – each one with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Can you even believe this is the same space?
AFTER: An unbelievable transformation!
By adding storage built in around the bed we were able to add a large amount of storage space while even having room for a desk and workspace in the bedroom. This is exactly what we mean by transforming spaces to make them both more functional and also more beautiful. You could say it’s our passion!
BEFORE: There was a lot of potential in this bedroom with en suite bathroom.
But there were still a few problems to solve in this bedroom. The new entrance to the bedroom directly from the living room solved the first issue. We did this by adding a small entrance hallway leading to the bedroom and the en suite bathroom.
BEFORE: The doorway (above left) to the living room was closed to create a completely different floor plan.
A bathroom this size—without a toilet—was simply a waste of space and needed some serious work. While the new entrance to the bedroom reduced the size of the bathroom, it was such a good sized room that there was still plenty of space for a full bathroom.
AFTER: The new entrance to the bedroom is around the corner to the left.
The clever redesign maintained the privacy of the bedroom from the living room, while the redesign of the bathroom with a beautiful walk-in shower and the addition of a toilet created a full en suite bathroom for this bedroom.
AFTER: Great light in the gorgeous new en suite bathroom.
With some minor changes to the floor plan we were able to update the existing spaces to create two beautiful—and independent—bedrooms. The en suite bathroom with its glass walk-in shower, elegant marble and gold finishing came together beautifully.
Adding Extra Bathrooms
AFTER: A serene spot to relax at the Fontaine de Mars.
As with many Parisian apartments in historic buildings, this property originally only had one toilet, which was located in a small half bath near the kitchen. The one bathroom with the long bathtub that we saw above was accessed directly from one of the bedrooms and from the living room. We transformed that bathroom into a true en suite just for the bedroom and create a new second bathroom where the old kitchen was located.
BEFORE: There was a lot of work to be done expanding the property’s only toilet.
Remember those cherry red cabinets? That long space was turned into a beautiful bathroom with a bathtub, sink and room for a separate washer and dryer. By utilizing the entryway space we opened up from the living room there was even room to create not one but two half baths.
AFTER: One of the two new half baths on the left and the washer and dryer on the right.
So from one half bathroom and one shared bathroom with only a bathtub, this apartment now has two full bathrooms plus an additional half bathroom. With 20+ years of experience, we have built an incredible team of talented builders who see our vision and work hard to create impeccably designed spaces that are modern, comfortable and extremely beautiful.
Work from Home in Paris
AFTER: Creating an office space in Fontaine de Mars.
We know many of our owners need to stay in touch or continue working from home while in Paris, so creating functional workspaces is a priority. By redesigning the original kitchen space, we were also able to add a long workspace, with pull out tray for keyboard, where you can comfortably work at a computer or write.
AFTER: An additional work area in the bedroom.
We also added an area to work in the bedroom with another desk space set up for computer work or writing. We’ve also ensured that there are plugs—including USB plugs—nearby to make it easy to charge your computer and equipment while working.
A Historic Location in the 7th Arrondissement
AFTER: The long balcony overlooks a charming street in the 7th arrondissement.
Of course, you can’t have the perfect home in Paris without an excellent location. We named this fractional apartment for its location overlooking the historic Fontaine de Mars on rue Saint-Dominique in the 7th arrondissement. This is one of our favorite streets in the neighborhood since it’s lined with a great selection of shops and boutiques. It’s also just a short stroll from the Champ de Mars, the Seine, great shopping and dining spots as well as charming rue Cler. Everything you want for your Parisian neighborhood!
The Fontaine de Mars was built in the early 19th century. (Credit)
We love discovering the history behind monuments and sights we pass by every day in Paris and the Fontaine de Mars has a fascinating past. It was built between 1806 and 1808 and was designed by the enginer François-Jean Bralle. It is named after Mars, the god of War, just like the nearby Champ de Mars, which got its name because of the École Militaire, the military school located on the opposite side of the Champ de Mars from the Eiffel Tower.
The Fontaine de Mars in a photo from 1900. (Credit)
It was actually Napoleon who decreed for this fountain to be built in 1806, and it was one of 15 commissioned to bring fresh water to Paris’s neighborhoods. It was to be a part of his designs to create “a beautiful awakening for Paris.” The Fontaine de Mars is one of the only three remaining.
The Fontaine de Mars during the flood of 1910. (Credit)
If you look closely at the fountain today, you can spot a marker that indicates the level the water reached during the flood of Paris in 1910. Learn more about the fascinating history of this 19th-century fountain with a mini history lesson from Paris Perfect owner Madelyn:
It’s fascinating to have a historic monument right at your doorstep like the Fontaine de Mars!
At Home in Paris with Paris Perfect Shared
We hope you enjoyed this tour through our newest Paris Perfect Shared apartment. If you have been dreaming of living in Paris and are curious to find out more about fractional co-ownership, contact our team to find out more. It’s a perfect solution if you want to enjoy the Parisian lifestyle part of the year and the benefits of home ownership without any hassles or worries. We would love to tell you more about Paris Perfect Shared and welcome you to our family of owners!
