Design Details in My Small & Chic Studio in the French Riviera

After closing on my property in the French Riviera in May of 2022, I didn't have any money leftover to renovate. Not only were the closing costs higher in France, but I also needed to have a substantial 30% down payment. With such a huge amount of money out the door, I didn't have the budget to do any major renovations. However, I was able to furnish and list it on Airbnb as a short-term rental, just in time for Summer.

With my property manager taking care of everything in France, I was able to get back to my day job of selling real estate in California. After renting out the home on Airbnb for two consecutive Summers, and saving up enough money from my Silicon Valley real estate sales, it was finally time to renovate! Since the slow Fall season was upon us, I blacked out all of November, December, and January on the Airbnb calendar so that we could completely gut and remodel the condo before the busy Summer season started up again.

As an American in France, I had no idea where to shop for materials.

In preparation for the renovation that was about to start, I flew to France to shop for materials. My contractor, Igor, had given me a list of places to shop for certain items, and it was incredibly helpful. As an American in France, I had no idea where to shop for materials, and I ended up relying solely on his list.

I bought all of the tiles from Richardson, and then ordered the kitchen materials from Darty - both located in Nice. I ordered a few light fixtures from Zara Home and Maisons du Monde, and the rest of the supplies came from Leroy Merlin, Mr. Bricolage (in Beaulieu-Sur-Mer), and Amazon.

While designing the 248-square-foot condo, I kept our guests in mind as much as possible. It is such a small space, and there was a lot that I wanted to achieve with the design - like having practical storage solutions, using durable materials and creating a calm aesthetic.

In this post, I'll break down each section of the studio and highlight some of my favorite features. Please note that some (not all) of the links are affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if any purchases are made using certain links. Thank you in advance for reading and interacting with this blog.

La Chambre // The Bedroom

The biggest change that we made for the better was installing a half wall behind the bed. This wall was originally at a very odd angle, so the bed looked misaligned when it was against that wall. In fact, it was so awkward that I placed the bed against the left-side wall, but then it made it hard to walk around to get to the other side of the bed since the room is so tight.

After the new half-wall was built, we were able to rotate the bed 90 degrees, and it made a world of difference! Not only are people able to get in and out of the bed more easily now, but there is even a shelf behind it with some sneaky storage hidden underneath. The shelf is great for the guests to use for their personal belongings, and the storage is perfect for hiding my own items.

This was a game changer for my cleaners and for my property manager.

Apart from this custom-built storage shelf, we were also able to gain some space for extra storage underneath the bed. Guests probably don't even realize that there is space under the bed for additional items, but that area is mostly for the extra supplies for the apartment. Things like extra toilet paper, bath robes, towels, coffee, tea, sugar, pasta, and soaps are hidden there. This was a game changer for my cleaners and for my property manager, since they didn't have a sufficient amount of space to store these types of items before the remodel.

A couple of my other favorite items in the bedroom include the bench and the light fixtures. The bench offers a place for people to comfortably sit down to put on or take off their shoes when they are coming and going, and it also provides a good spot to unpack their suitcases.

When selecting the lights for the apartment, I wanted light fixtures that were minimalistic and airy. I think we achieved this with the ceiling light from Zara Home. It reminds me of feathers, but also seashells at the same time. And since we are about a 10-minute walk from the beach, this light fits in perfectly with the nearby surroundings.

The bedside lights were also carefully selected, and purchased from Maisons du Monde. We needed lights that had a switch directly on them so that guests didn't have to get out of bed to turn them on and off. Not only were these lights ideal because of the switches located on them, but they were also small and mighty. The bulbs are bright, and the necks of the lights are flexible so that guests can arrange them pointing up, down, or to the side. By choosing lights with switches directly on them, my contractor didn't have to install another light switch, which allowed me to save a little money on the cost of the electrical work.

La Salle de Bain // The Bathroom

Many people would argue that the kitchen is the most important room in a home, but I personally believe the bathroom is even more essential. While designing this bathroom, I aimed for functionality with a spa-like vibe. The LED mirror is a good example of blending these two components, as it offers energy-efficient lighting and various brightness settings - this way, guests can choose if they prefer a dimmer, more calming shade, or a more illuminating setting.

For functionality, I chose a flexible shower wand, sink vanity with storage, and a washer-dryer combo machine. In France, dryers are not common so I wanted to have this as a practical and rare offering for our guests. The handheld shower wand is useful for those hard-to-reach places, and the sink vanity has drawers, shelves and ample countertop space - so much better than a useless pedestal sink like the one that was there when I originally bought the apt.

In terms of the spa-like aesthetic, I think we achieved that with the rain shower head, floating toilet and beautiful tiles throughout the bathroom. The rain shower head provides a luxurious and relaxing waterfall-like escape, while the handheld shower wand is a more practical feature.

During construction, we flattened out the bathroom floor so that there is no step to get in and out of the shower. By doing that, it makes the space feel larger, while also preventing people from getting hurt while going in and out of the shower.

To finish off the space, we hung a couple of bath robes on the wall to help instill the spa-like aesthetic. By adding simple touches like the robes, the guest experience is instantly elevated.

L'Armoire // The Wardrobe

Since there is no closet in the apartment, we had to find a solution for storing enough clothes for two people. I found this 6-drawer dresser at Maisons du Monde, and it fit perfectly in the space. However, I recommend buying the similar dresser from Ikea instead since the first dresser broke after only 3 months. The Ikea dresser has the same look, is easier to assemble, and costs about half the price. And I'm optimistic that it will last longer than 3 months.

Next to the dresser, we put a full-length mirror and a small step stool. Having stayed in hotels and Airbnbs in the past that didn't have any full-length mirrors, I felt like something was lacking, so I wanted to make sure we had one. Adding this full-length mirror allows guests to see themselves from head-to-toe, and it helps make the studio feel bigger. It also allows for more than one person to get ready at a time, since there's more than one mirror in the apartment.

The stool was strategically placed next to the mirror, as well as the kitchen. When designing the apartment, I originally wanted to have a pull-out step that was built-in to the lower kitchen cabinets. But it was more cost-effective to get this simple step stool, which now it serves a dual purpose for people who want to use it to get ready in front of the mirror and/or for those who want to reach the higher cabinets in the kitchen.

La Cuisine // The Kitchen

With strategic storage solutions being essential in small spaces, we had to get creative.

With strategic storage solutions being essential in small spaces, we had to get creative in the kitchen. There wasn't much room to work with considering all of the space taken up by the fridge, dishwasher, oven & stove, and sink. But by utilizing a knife rack, hanging rods for utensils and spice racks, we were able to maximize the wall space without having to use any of the limited room inside of the cabinets.

In order to offer a more luxurious short-term rental experience for our guests, I splurged for a SMEG toaster and SMEG kettle. Since we offer complimentary tea and coffee, upgrading to the kettle was a no-brainer. And I just love how the powder blue color pops against the neutral tile backsplash that spans along the wall. The way we picked these tiles was by way of a happy accident, and I think it ended up working out quite well. Even though they weren't what I originally envisioned, the colors blend nicely with the neutral palette throughout the rest of the apartment.

Le Balcon // The Balcony

Just like the rest of the home, the balcony is small but effective. The panoramic views of the sea and mountains make it the best place to enjoy a morning coffee or romantic dinner for two. The folding table fits perfectly on the railing and is probably one of the best Amazon purchases I've ever made. It folds against the railing if guests want to have more balcony space, and it's also large enough for dining or even working remotely - no need to have a fake background while doing video calls from this beautiful balcony!

The folding chairs provide a minimalistic aesthetic, while the cushions offer added comfort. Without the cushions, these chairs are ridiculously uncomfortable, and they get very hot during the summer - I'm not sure why they are so popular in France tbh, but these chairs are everywhere.

One of the other benefits of this particular balcony is that it faces East, which makes it even more compelling to wake up early and watch the sun rising over the sea. And for those of us who are not early risers, not to worry - the apartment is fully equipped with blackout shades.

Throughout the entire design and remodel process, my contractor and I tried to think of everything to ensure a great guest experience, and to maximize every part of this small seaside studio.

To book this apartment for your French Riviera vacation, click here for the Airbnb link and feel free to share it as well! Thanks so much for making it to the end of this post, and be sure to follow along on IG if you aren't already @RealtorGoneRogue.