In this Right Bank apartment in the middle of Paris' tenth district, the patina of the old walls and original hardwood floors set the scene. Not to mention the row of five windows, which flood every corner of the 150-square-metre apartment with light. 

Offering a clear view of the site, a dark wooden course set at 45 cm above the floor creates a through line between the different spaces the architect has created.

The dark and theatrical entrance acts as an extension of this same black line, a signature feature of the architect's style. It sets the tone and creates a clear division between the different areas in the apartment. Each of the three doors has been framed and covered with black woodwork — a sort of monochromatic frieze that runs along nearly the entire entryway. 

Diego has created a savvy blend of traditional, bourgeois Parisian style, with its chevron wood flooring, marble mantelpieces, crown moulding, and antique mirrors, while also designing a modern and masculine living space.  

In the dining room, mismatched chairs from the flea market surround an Art Deco dining table, while the faïence fireplace dates from the eighteenth century. 

A round "witch" mirror calls attention to the charm of the antique walls, and the entire room is set off by a graphic light suspended from the ceiling.  

The bedroom is another example of the blend between the architect's penchant for clean lines and masculine design, and the apartment's timeless charm. A black wooden console table fits into the marble hearth and serves as a headboard. Black is once again repeated throughout the room in the form of a dark skirting board that extends halfway up the bedroom walls. An antique mirror hangs above it all. 

During the course of the renovations, one bedroom was transformed into a dressing room, while another became a bathroom which features beautiful and authentic materials like the white marble that frames the mercury mirrors Diego found at an antique store.  

The architect's alterations did not detract from the site's natural beauty. This Parisian apartment has been brought into the modern age with both pragmatism and poetry.