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Michaelis Boyd partner Christina Gregoriou advises homeowners and designers to address awkward spaces early rather than leaving them until the end of a project. She points to a structural column at the Miiro Paris hotel, which the studio incorporated into a custom seat, as an example of a design constraint becoming a focal point.
Michaelis Boyd partner Christina Gregoriou is urging homeowners and design teams to tackle awkward corners, narrow corridors and exposed structural features early in a renovation, rather than leaving them until the end. In an interview with Livingetc, she described how the studio turned an inconvenient column at the Miiro Paris hotel into the setting for a custom seat, illustrating her argument that constraints can become central design features.
Gregoriou said projects of many sizes contain spaces that are hard to resolve: unused corners, narrow passageways, odd niches and rooms that lose their appeal when walls come down and structural elements are exposed. She said designers can be tempted to postpone these areas, hoping stronger parts of the project will draw attention away from them. In her view, the result can instead make the spaces look like afterthoughts.
Her advice is to identify those difficult areas from the start and give them primary consideration in the design plan. That does not mean every awkward feature must be preserved exactly as found. Rather, Gregoriou argues, designers should work out whether a building’s structure, proportions or existing conditions can inform a more deliberate use of the space.
At Miiro Paris, a renovation joining two Haussmann-era buildings, the studio reconsidered a secondary entrance that had been used for back-of-house functions. Gregoriou said its dark, narrow layout and lack of natural light made it suitable for a more intimate, atmospheric use. During construction, the team also found a structural column that created a small pocket with no obvious function. The studio placed a custom love seat in the niche, which Gregoriou described as a defining feature of the space.
Why Early Planning Changes the Result
The advice is relevant to homeowners because renovation budgets and floor plans often have little room for wasted space. A corridor, alcove or structural support may be difficult to remove or relocate, so leaving it unresolved can limit how well the rest of a plan works. Gregoriou’s approach offers an alternative: make those conditions part of the design discussion before decisions about layout and function are settled.
The Miiro Paris example also shows how a feature’s value depends on its setting and use. The column was not presented as a structural problem that disappeared; it remained in place and shaped the design of the adjacent seating. That distinction matters: the studio’s account is an example of a design response, not evidence that every awkward feature can be converted into a standout or that doing so will reduce renovation costs.
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Michaelis Boyd’s Renovation Examples
Michaelis Boyd is a London architecture and design practice founded in Notting Hill in 1995 by architects Tim Boyd and Alex Michaelis. The firm works across residential, commercial, hospitality and restaurant projects. The Livingetc interview frames Gregoriou’s advice as a lesson that can apply beyond large hotel and hospitality commissions to private homes.
The supplied report also mentions a bathroom designed by the studio for WOW!house in collaboration with House of Rohl. Gregoriou said the team chose a statement round bathtub as the room’s main feature rather than letting a functional layout determine its atmosphere. The source excerpt ends while describing that project, so it does not provide further detail about the bathroom’s design or outcome.
What the Interview Does Not Establish
The supplied interview material does not give a publication date, project budget, construction timeline or details about how the Miiro Paris seating area has been received by guests. It also does not describe the technical work required around the structural column or state whether the redesign affected project costs.
Gregoriou’s comments are professional design advice and the hotel is one case study. The material does not establish that all structural constraints can be turned into useful features, or that a design approach suited to a hotel will transfer directly to a private home. The source excerpt cuts off during the WOW!house bathroom discussion, leaving that example incomplete.
Applying the Advice at Home
For homeowners planning a renovation, the practical next step is to identify difficult areas during early layout discussions and ask the design team how each might affect circulation, function and atmosphere. Structural features should be assessed with the relevant architect or engineer; the interview does not suggest that supports can be removed or altered without technical review.
The Livingetc material provided does not announce a forthcoming project, design release or additional interview. Further details about the WOW!house bathroom or the Miiro Paris project would need to come from the studio or the publication.
Key Questions
What is Christina Gregoriou’s main design advice?
She advises designers and homeowners to address awkward spaces early in a project instead of leaving them until the end, when they may appear unresolved or out of place.
How did Michaelis Boyd use the column at Miiro Paris?
According to Gregoriou, the column created a small niche in the renovated hotel. The studio placed a custom love seat in that pocket and treated the constraint as part of the design.
What happened to the hotel’s secondary entrance?
Gregoriou said the dark, narrow entrance had previously been used for back-of-house functions. The studio rethought its use as a setting for a moody, intimate speakeasy.
Does the interview show that every awkward feature can become a focal point?
No. It presents Gregoriou’s approach and the Miiro Paris renovation as an example. The source does not claim that every structural or spatial problem can be turned into a feature.
What is known about the WOW!house bathroom?
The supplied excerpt says Michaelis Boyd worked with House of Rohl and chose a statement round bathtub as the room’s protagonist. The excerpt ends before giving further details.
Source: rss
