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Michaelis Boyd partner Christina Gregoriou says awkward spaces should be addressed at the start of a design project, not left until the end. She points to a structural column at the Miiro Paris hotel, which the studio incorporated into a custom seat in a small niche.
Christina Gregoriou, a partner at architecture and design practice Michaelis Boyd, says homeowners and designers should tackle awkward areas early in a project, rather than leave them until the end. In an interview with Livingetc, she described how a structural column discovered during the renovation of Miiro Paris became the basis for a custom seat fitted into a small niche.
Gregoriou’s advice focuses on spaces that can be difficult to plan around: unused corners, narrow corridors, small nooks and structural features that become visible during building work. She says treating these areas as an afterthought can make them look disconnected from the rest of a design. Giving them attention from the outset, she argues, can help turn a constraint into a defining feature.
At Miiro Paris, the studio was renovating a hotel formed from two heritage Haussmann-era buildings connected by entrances on different streets. According to Gregoriou, the secondary entrance had been treated as the less appealing side: it was dark, narrow and lacked natural light, and had been used for back-of-house functions, offices and windowless meeting rooms. The design team reworked its use as an intimate, moody speakeasy.
During the strip-out, the team found a structural column that left a small pocket with no obvious functional purpose. Gregoriou says the studio placed a custom love seat in the niche, making the column and the awkward space part of the room’s design rather than trying to conceal them. The source does not provide dimensions, cost figures or details about construction work.
Why Early Planning Changes Awkward Rooms
The advice matters to homeowners because difficult spaces often become more expensive or disruptive to address once a renovation plan is already underway. Gregoriou’s point is not that every awkward corner needs a dramatic feature, but that early attention can shape how a space is used before decisions elsewhere make it harder to respond.
The Miiro Paris example shows how a structural limitation can affect both a room’s function and its character. The column was not removed; instead, the design worked around it. For readers planning a renovation, the practical takeaway is to identify columns, narrow passageways and underused areas during the initial design process and discuss options with the relevant design and building professionals. The source offers a design perspective, not technical or structural guidance.
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The Miiro Paris Renovation
Michaelis Boyd was founded in Notting Hill, London, in 1995 by architects Tim Boyd and Alex Michaelis. The practice works across hospitality, residential and commercial projects. Livingetc’s feature presents Gregoriou’s comments as advice that can apply at different scales, from a private home to a hotel or other commercial space.
The Miiro Paris project involved the renovation of two existing Haussmann-era buildings. The secondary entrance’s dim, narrow layout had previously served practical back-of-house purposes. The studio chose to rethink that use, then adapted its design after the structural column became visible during strip-out. The source also mentions a Michaelis Boyd bathroom created for WOW!house with House of Rohl, but the supplied text cuts off before giving Gregoriou’s full explanation of that project, so no further details can be confirmed here.
Details the Feature Does Not Provide
The supplied Livingetc material does not state when the interview was published, how much the Miiro Paris work cost, or how long the renovation took. It also does not give measurements for the column, niche or custom seat, or explain the technical process used to accommodate the structure. The source describes Gregoriou’s design approach but does not establish that the same solution would suit other buildings.
The excerpt ends partway through her comments on the WOW!house bathroom project. It introduces a statement bathtub chosen as the room’s focal point, but does not include the remainder of her advice. No further explanation of that project can be verified from the material provided.
Applying the Advice to Home Projects
The feature presents Gregoriou’s comments as design guidance rather than announcing a new project, policy or construction milestone. For readers planning work at home, the next step is to identify awkward areas early and raise them with their architect or designer before the layout is settled. Any proposed changes involving structural elements need assessment by appropriately qualified professionals.
There is no additional project update or follow-up date in the source material. The broader point remains a planning principle: decide how a difficult space might function before it is left as an unresolved detail at the end of the design process.
Key Questions
What is Christina Gregoriou’s main advice for a renovation?
She recommends identifying and planning for awkward spaces early, including narrow corridors, unused corners and structural features, instead of leaving them until the end.
How did Michaelis Boyd use the column at Miiro Paris?
Gregoriou says the team incorporated the column into the design by placing a custom seat in the small niche it created, rather than treating the area as unusable.
What was the secondary entrance at Miiro Paris used for?
According to Gregoriou, the dark, narrow entrance had been used for back-of-house operations, administrative offices and windowless meeting rooms. The studio reimagined it as an intimate speakeasy.
Does the interview provide practical structural instructions?
No. It gives a design example, not engineering instructions. Structural elements should be assessed by qualified building professionals before renovation plans are changed.
Source: livingetc.com
