In search of the perfect match to design her newly purchased apartment , a 25-year-old homeowner naturally found herself scrolling through Instagram. After discovering and falling in love with the beautiful work and style of Heju —a studio launched in 2014—she wrote to the 28-year-old founders, Hélène Pinaud and Julien Schwartzman. The homeowner and the interior designers immediately realized how much they had in common beyond their shared generation, and knew working together would be a smooth process.

“We met our client in the apartment and saw that we were on the same page in terms of inspiration and desire to create a minimal home,” remember Hélène and Julien. “Plus, she is an artist, so we knew that we would be able to go through our ideas and imagine a strong concept for this project. She wanted an apartment that doesn’t look like any other. We see this project as a mix of our style and hers!”

BEFORE : The layout of the apartment was always great; it just needed some modern updates.

Located in a quiet area of the 19 th arrondissement, close to the charming park of Buttes de Chaumont—a favorite spot in the city for many Parisians—the flat, which is spread over 970 square feet, features a perfectly balanced combination of Swedish and Mediterranean influences to echo the owner’s origins. “The objective of the renovation was to create a softer and more contemporary space,” say the interior designers, who are used to working with pure lines and minimalist volumes, and are naturally drawn to Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics.

BEFORE : Hélène and Julien reworked the living room to include more storage space along the floor. They also added a variety of materials from wood to tile to add visual interest.