A modern apartment inside a historic building blends elegance, craft and minimalism

In this renovated apartment on Rue Victor-Hugo in Lyon, architect Yves Bonnici has crafted an interior where light, materials and clean lines interact with controlled elegance. The overall atmosphere blends warm minimalism, graphic accents and a soft modernity that respects the character of the space while giving it a renewed identity.

From the moment you enter the main living area, natural light becomes a central feature. Large black-framed windows, with an industrial inspiration, frame views of the Lyon rooftops and flood the room with generous brightness. The herringbone parquet brings warmth and timeless rhythm, guiding the eye through the space, while the rounded furniture pieces create an inviting, enveloping ambiance. Integrated linear lighting enhances the architectural purity and structures the perspectives without ever weighing down the room.

The kitchen occupies a central place in this composition. At its heart stands a dark wood island with elegant proportions and a distinctly contemporary vocabulary. The Dekton Sabbia countertop, custom-shaped by PMG Concept, the stone fabricator, adds a soft mineral presence and remarkable precision. Its light, subtly textured surface captures the light beautifully, while the integrated sink — polished, seamless and perfectly executed — showcases the marbrier’s craftsmanship.

The white ribbed fronts, playing with shadows and reflections, reinforce the verticality of the tall units, while the large black pendant lights with warm copper interiors cast a golden glow over the island, creating a gentle contrast with the surrounding tones.

In the bathrooms, the expertise of Arc Intérieur comes fully into play through highly technical and meticulous installation work. The Dekton Sabbia surfaces are continuous, sharply defined, almost sculpted. The angular, suspended washbasin appears to float, supported by a dark wood cabinet that echoes the design language of the kitchen. Joints are reduced to the absolute minimum; edges are crisp, and light glides across the mineral surfaces, revealing the material’s fine texture.

The toilet room, clad in Dekton Trilium, offers a radically different atmosphere: deep, volcanic and oxidized tones envelop the space with near-theatrical intensity. Arc Intérieur has created a true immersive alcove here, where vertical lighting emphasizes the depth and metallic nuances of Dekton Trilium. In this compact volume, material becomes atmosphere, transforming a functional space into a striking architectural moment.

Throughout the project, a clear design thread emerges: an interior that is coherent, elegant and structured by noble materials and meticulous detailing. The precise intervention of PMG Concept on the Dekton Sabbia worktop, combined with Arc Intérieur’s impeccable installation in the bathrooms and toilet room, allows Yves Bonnici’s vision to take shape with exactness. Each space asserts its own identity, yet all are connected through a shared pursuit of balance between comfort, sophistication and architectural expression.