Artists' studios : breathtakingly original !
Masses of charm, lots of light, lovely high ceilings… Artists’ studios bring esthetes running and have always appealed to Parisian clients. Their rarity explains their prices and their acquisition often results from love at first sight. Focus on the market for these unusual properties and the special art of living they inspire
Different, original, out of the ordinary, artists’ studios capture within their walls much more than fragments of history. Their characteristics make a clean break with the classicism of the Haussmann apartment so unanimously acclaimed in the capital, as explained by Eric Vincent, director of the Emile Garcin Paris Rive Gauche agency : “Stylishness, originality and historic character, lofty volumes, overhead skylights, all this can define an artist’s studio. It usually consists of a large living area beneath a skylight, with a ceiling height that can range from 6 to 12 metres. Which is in fact the specific feature of this type of property, not to be confused with the loft which is also characterized by a very spacious reception area, though often all on one floor. On the ground floor, at the far end of a courtyard or on an upper floor, artists’ studios are always laid out on two levels facing north, thus avoiding changes in the orientation of the light, a precious factor for painters. Within their walls, the quality of the light is always constant. As for their surface areas, artists’ studios are frequently small, from 40 to 70 m2. The largest attain 200 m2, but that’s very rare ; the majority are under 150 m2”.
Not really suited to family life, artists’ studios tend to attract a young, well-off French clientele, artists, producers, musicians, singers, writers... Very few foreigners, who are more drawn to the Haussmann-style comfort of prestige apartments. “There are, of course, some exceptional properties in this category, in buildings offering high-end appointments, terraces, magnificent views...,” explains Philippe Menager of the Philippe Menager & Nicolas Hug agency, specializing in “Collectors’ Properties”. “Many of them are, however, in less attractive neighbourhoods, or hidden away on the top floors of buildings without lifts. In some artists’ studios up for sale, you have to cross the entire living area to reach the bedroom or bathroom ! This type of layout lacking in simplicity can scare away buyers no longer willing to make concessions in terms of comfort or convenience, even if it means gaining in light and space. Demand for this type of property is finally quite rare, with acquisitions often inspired by love at first sight. People buy an artist’s studio for its atmosphere, its unusual character, a certain way of life. They feel that they own precious walls which have witnessed the genius of artists. In all cases, there is real sentimental value underlying the acquisition of an artist’s studio.”
Properties which essentially draw “bourgeois-Bohemian” Parisians wanting to live the life of an artist ! And it is precisely by tracing the paths of early 20th-C. artists such as Modigliani, Picasso, Léger etc. that one can identify the arrondissements most likely to feature this type of home, testifying to a rich past : “There are lots of them near Montparnasse in the 6th and 14th arrondissements, in the 16th and 17th arrondissements in 1920’s-1930’s buildings, and the 18th arrondissement, especially on the Butte Montmartre,” says Caroline Plassat, property consultant for the Varenne 6ème agency. “Most of the time, these artists’ studios have been transformed and modernized to meet current demands. A few extremely rare examples have hung onto their original appearance, but you have to be very lucky to come across one ! There are lots of artists’ studios in Paris, but not many of them come up on the market : sales are, in fact, rare. It’s a rather confidential market. And while their charm is undeniable, their structure and layout are not suited to all buyer profiles.”
