We could fill a book (or two … or three!) with all the stories and experiences we’ve had remodeling our Paris vacation rentals. It certainly is an adventure from the rough beginning—when you have to squint your eyes and bring with you a healthy dose of imagination—all the way through to that WOW moment when you finally open the door and step into a beautiful new home in Paris. When the dust settles, and the memories of construction chaos begin to fade, there’s nothing we love more than before and after pictures!

It has been a joy for all of us to watch the transformation of the Madiran apartment into a beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom vacation home in a fabulous location in the 7th arrondissement. This story begins with a delightful family who first stayed with us at our at the Cognac apartment, and then returned to stay in the Chateau Latour. It is an honor for us every time guests return to stay with us, because it lets us know we’ve done our job well. This family enjoyed their Paris Perfect experiences so much that when they decided to buy an apartment in Paris they asked us to manage it while they were away.After months of searching, we were invited to view what would become the Madiran apartment for the first time. With many years of experience, we know what to overlook and how to spot potential – even in the most challenging apartments! Previously owned by an Egyptian/Asian couple with tastes that ran to hieroglyphs and tomb paintings mixed with the wife’s wedding dress pinned to the walls, the décor needed some serious work to say the least.

However, the potential shone through in the gorgeous balcony views of the Eiffel Tower, upper floor setting, original crown molding and mirrors and location in our favorite neighborhood in the 7th arrondissement. We gave our thumbs up and remodeling work began. Six months later … and the Madiran was reborn. Without further ado, let’s get to those before and after pictures!

 

Living Room – BEFORE – 1950s/60s/70s eclectic

The living room is the heart of a home, and one of the Madiran’s best features was its large double living and dining room with outstanding views of the Eiffel Tower. However, the 1950s/1960s/1970s  furniture and eclectic décor covered most of the room’s charms. Here’s a look before the remodeling where you can see some of those original details that caught our attention, such as the marble fireplace, mirrors and gorgeous crown molding.

Living Room

Are you ready for the first transformation? The view from the dining room toward the living room of the new Madiran is quite a different sight now. We found the original mirror for the living room, which matches the crown molding, hanging in one of the bedrooms. We had it refinished to hang once again above the original fireplace in the living room. The room is already bright and sunny thanks to the 5th floor location, but the green and purple furniture made the room feel dark and small. With a new silver sofa, which converts to a comfortable double bed at night, and beautiful accents, we think the room is a much cheerier setting for a holiday in Paris now!

 

Dining Room

The dining room of the Madiran was one of the apartment’s most striking transformations. The room had such promise for being a romantic setting for dining with views of the Eiffel Tower from the large French doors and out on the balcony. However, the busy décor failed to enhance the gorgeous setting.

Now we invite you to step into the newly remodeled and beautifully decorated dining room of the Madiran. It seems so completely different that it’s hard to even compare! The room now features a large oak table that seats up to 6, an elegant sideboard, antique plates hung on the wall and a gorgeous chandelier. Step outside on the small balcony where you’ll find a bistro table, perfect for morning coffee while taking in the stunning views of the Eiffel Tower.

 

Kitchen

When doing apartment renovations in Paris, we often end up completely moving kitchens and bathrooms in order to modernize and make the spaces as livable and comfortable for guests as possible. This often means adding more bathrooms or powder rooms, and can get quite complicated given the limitations of plumbing in historic Paris buildings. But where there’s a will there’s a way! In the Madiran, there was a lot of work to be done, and the kitchen ended up being moved completely. Where you see it in the before picture below you’ll now find the first bathroom in the Madiran. My how things change!

The new kitchen in the Madiran was designed in an open plan with plenty of cupboard space and beautiful details. It’s located conveniently near the dining room and is now a light and pleasant space to prepare meals for family and friends. What a difference!

 

Hallway

A light and sunny space changes the way you live in a home, and we try to bring in as much as possible in our Paris vacation rentals. When we first saw the dark hallway leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms in the Madiran, we knew we had to do something. It was dark and gloomy, and the wall of books made us feel cramped walking down the hallway.

The after shot for the hallway really tells the story of how much you can transform a space! The dark ceiling was removed and replaced with excellent lighting. The bookshelves were removed and replaced with antique paintings fitted with their own lights above. The new bathroom on the left with toilet, shower and sink was added where the kitchen once was before the renovations.

 

Bathrooms

The before pictures of the bathrooms in the Madiran pretty much speak for themselves. They needed some serious help to bring them up to modern tastes!

We love the final results of the two beautiful bathrooms after the renovation of the Madiran. The artistic touches, antique mirrors, heated towel racks and excellent lighting has transformed the bathrooms into pleasant rooms to start your day in Paris. Just take a look for yourself at all the changes!

 

Bedrooms

Little surprise that the bedrooms at the Madiran needed some love and attention as well. In the main bedroom there was a gorgeous mirror with a design that matched the crown molding in the living room. That’s the one you spotted earlier hanging in its new location above the original fireplace. While we know everyone has their own decorating tastes, we found the wedding dress pinned to the wall and the exercise equipment unusual touches in the bedroom.

Both of the bedrooms at the Madiran have been transformed into two beautiful and comfortable rooms. It’s a pleasure to turn in at night when you’re surrounded by such a romantic and luxurious setting. The rooms have tons of storage, luxurious linens and have been decorated with unique little touches that create a cozy feel. Don’t you want to just move right in?

 

It’s All In the Details …

Naturally, it’s not all about those fun choices of new decorations, color and furniture when it comes to renovating an apartment in Paris. There are problems like peeling paint, damaged walls and oh so many other fun things to attend to at the same time. But to turn an apartment into a welcoming home, it’s all in the details!

After all the hard work, we think the beautiful original details of the Madiran apartment really shine through! The crown molding in the living room and dining room is stunning, the floors have been refinished beautifully and the apartment decorated with a romantic and artistic touch. We know guests are going to love staying in this welcoming and comfortable new Paris vacation rental!

 

Fall in Love with Paris at the Madiran!

There’s one thing that didn’t need any retouching during the renovation – the picture perfect views of the Eiffel Tower from the romantic balcony at the Madiran!  At night it offers a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower, especially magical when thousands of twinkling lights dance across it every hour on the hour. The Madiran is now available for your next holiday in Paris, and we invite you to view more after photos of the Madiran by clicking here.