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[Oznell]

Living in Paris is expensive!  And a lot of apartments are tiny. But this young American pastry chef, Ainsley Durose and her husband Lev have managed, in a very highly collected, "maximalist" style.

That was a warning, by the way-- minimalists will not be charmed, not doubt...

Ah, the Paris neighborhood!

Everything in the living room is from a flea market, thrifted or antiqued, except the couch.  That marble dining table, which is only steps away from the miniscule kitchen, does double duty, as it is perfect for her professional job of rolling pastry--

Speaking of the busy little kitchen, there it is to the right, below.  Ainsley is holding her precious little dog, whose little tongue lolled out the entire time.  I'm wondering if that is a nervous condition?  In a photo she had posted, it was NOT visible, but a painted portrait that she had of her, also showed that little tongue.  I could not take my eyes off her, she was SO sweet!

I can't stand how cute she is--  special alert to @luvzchiz !

And she has her own special soft blanket on top of the couch to nestle in...

Anyhoo, the whole couch area is cozy. 

Ainsley has slowly collected favorite vintage items for a curated salon wall, which includes a practical shelf--

It's amazing that Ainsley can whip up all her concoctions in that vest pocket of a kitchen!  The curtain covers her "dorm-size" fridge!  The kitchen does have a window, which is a boon.

Luckily, the flat has its original worn, tile floors.

Her prized possession in the bedroom is an antique Welsh quilt, which she coordinated with green floral pillow cases.

The tiny apartment gets a nice amount of light, through the charming tall windows...

She found a plain white fireplace surround -- but it was boring.  So she spackled on some Roman clay, and then painted it for subtle texture, below--

She couldn't afford real Delft tiling in the "fireplace",  so she found a heavy wallpaper that she affixed to a backing and then installed-- voila!   ( American "can-do" spirit!)

They had an interesting discussion of all the different street markets in Paris, with which Ainsley is very familiar--

So then they strolled over to one!

What fun.  I felt like I had taken a whirlwind hop over to Paris myself.

Could I live like that, in that teeny of a space?  Not comfortably.  But there's something about the young-- their youthful enthusiasm and resilience!  For her and her husband, it's probably like a fun game, and they are happy vintage collectors.  Plus they have the "city of lights" on their doorstep!

The video conveys the charm of the dwelling so much better, and it doesn't seem as small as it does in still pictures.  Google:   Tiny English Country Inspired Apartment in Paris.

Their vintage little apartment makes me think of what Hemingway's must have been like when he and his wife Hadley sojourned there with other artists and writers-- an adventure....

[SactoSue]

I dont know how you find these incredibly interesting places, Oznell, but this is a great one. 

As I read it, I felt I was truly in Paris in one of the admitedly, very small, apartments.   I've stayed in wonderful small hotels in Paris that had tiny tooms, so I get a good idea of how lovely this can be.   My favorite was in the 7th arr. and was at the top floor, with dormer windows,  a lovely bed and chair, and a wonderful clawfoot bathtub for soaking in.

[Desert Lily]

It's a nice apartment for a budding pastry chef & her husband. It's a place that could hold sweet memories.

@Oznell   I've seen dogs with their tongue out in vet's waiting rooms, and most were due to having teeth removed.

How endearing that Ainsley has her fur baby as an integral part of her life.

[Lilysmom1]

@Oznell Interesting post.  I could have done that when I was younger but probably not today.  Having said that, it would be very easy to move right?

I love that everything was second hand.  I have often thought it would be fun to do that.

Great post!

[We rescue cats]

What a delightful vignette of photos, so fun! Paris is such an eclectic city to explore. Julia Child also had quite the start to her culinary journey according to her memoirs!

One of our cats (George) had tthat issue with his tongue, we adopted him from the shelter when his person died. George was 16 and the family deposited him in a box at the shelter door on Thanksgiving, the director called and we collected him the next morning. He was 16 and we had him for 8 years, had to have dental work done on the old fella and he lost all but 4 teeth during that exam. His tongue was part of his smile! LOL!

[Mz iMac]

@Oznell   I've seen toothless dogs w/their tongues hanging out the side of their mouths.

What does hubbydo for a living?   2 paychecks & they can't do better than that?  Or is she supporting hubby to?

[jannabelle1]

This was such an interesting read, and the photos are wonderful. It's nice to see another way of life in the romantic city of Paris, and it's a good reminder that what's "normal" in one country isn't necessarily normal in another!

[lovethgedress]

Maybe they don't want to waste all their money on rent....geez. Looks charming to me!

[DottieBlue]

Such a charming apartment...love it!

[Franklinbell]

I just love it! Thanks you for sharing! I could hear Parisian music playing in the background while I was reading!