Chapon's Charm

Chapon's Charm: Île-de-France

Thanks to Le Marais' historical character, buildings in this buzzy neighbourhood are traditionally smaller in size – but not this vast loft apartment. An all-too-rare find for bigger groups, this place delivers on style, space, and location.

Hanging out in the atmospheric and ultra-chic living space is a delight with the high ceilings and tall picture windows. And the chilled bottle of bubbles waiting in the contemporary kitchen will help get things off to a flying start. While upstairs, the smartly designed mezzanine level (which doubles as an office space or a cosy sleeping nook for one guest if there's a full house) is a lovely spot to tuck yourself away with a good book or crash out with a film if you'd like some quiet time.

Once you're done lusting over the interiors and it's time to hit the sights, you couldn't ask for a better location. If your idea of a perfect afternoon is spent swanning about an exhibition, this address puts you close to some of the French capital's best galleries. Musée des Arts et Métiers and the Centre Pompidou are both around five minutes on foot from the front door. And though the metro is just a three-minute walk away, we suspect you'll find all you ever needed right here in Le Marais' cool cafes, lively nightlife, and interesting boutiques.

Home truths:
*The mezzanine has a very low ceiling and won't be suitable for very tall people
*There's no elevator to reach this home on the first floor and there are two levels within the apartment, so it might not be suitable for guests with reduced mobility
*The building has no private parking, but Arts et Métiers and Rambateau metro stations are only three minutes' walk away
*One of the bedrooms has one small window which overlooks an air shaft – the room has no view and limited natural light