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Parisian lawyer pays $470 monthly for 10-sq-meter studio: 'The bottom shelf is my bathroom'
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด Romania /Culture & Society

Parisian lawyer pays $470 monthly for 10-sq-meter studio: 'The bottom shelf is my bathroom'

From Adevฤƒrul · () Romanian

Translated from Romanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • A young lawyer in Paris is living in a 10-square-meter studio apartment that costs 430 euros per month.
  • Despite the extremely small space, she claims it helped her become more organized and did not hinder her academic success at the Sorbonne.
  • The apartment is meticulously organized with compact furniture, a loft bed, and a small kitchenette, reflecting a minimalist lifestyle driven by necessity.

A young lawyer in Paris has made a life for herself in a remarkably small 10-square-meter studio apartment, paying 430 euros monthly for the space. Lรฉa, who studied law at the Sorbonne, asserts that the cramped living conditions did not impede her academic journey; instead, she found it fostered greater organization.

The bottom shelf of there is my bathroom.

โ€” LรฉaDescribing her compact living space with humor.

The apartment, located on the ground floor of a building in the 11th arrondissement, features an entrance so narrow that visitors must remove their shoes. Inside, the space is optimized with a small ladder leading to a single bed on a mezzanine level. Below the bed, a sofa bed, a dresser, and bookshelves are neatly arranged. A shower stall is situated in one corner, adjacent to a fully equipped kitchenette with a refrigerator, hob, microwave, and oven. A table with two chairs sits before the apartment's sole window.

Lรฉa humorously refers to the bottom shelf of a unit as her "bathroom," holding cosmetics. She describes her living space as a "microcosm of the smallest things on the market: the smallest sofa, the smallest air fryerโ€ฆ" Since moving in in 2020, she has personalized the compact area with small furniture, posters, photos, and wooden decorations. "My favorite corner is the small living room under the mezzanine. It's small, but it's mine," she shared.

It is a microcosm of the smallest things on the market: the smallest sofa, the smallest air fryerโ€ฆ

โ€” LรฉaDescribing the scale of items in her apartment.

Initially facing the challenge of affording Parisian living costs after being accepted into prestigious universities, Lรฉa's parents could not support her financially. "I was accepted to all the faculties, but my mother quickly told me: 'Your father and I can't afford it,'" she recounted. While tempted to find a larger place over the years, financial constraints kept her in the small studio. "When you live in 10 square meters, you become very selective. Every time I buy a new item, I have to give up another," she explained.

My favorite corner is the small living room under the mezzanine. It's small, but it's mine.

โ€” LรฉaExpressing affection for her living area.

The primary inconvenience remains the absence of a washing machine. "Waiting an hour and a half for clean laundry has become a real weekend activity," Lรฉa admitted. Now that she has completed her studies and begun her career as a lawyer, Lรฉa is preparing to move out of the studio that has been her home for six years.

I was accepted to all the faculties, but my mother quickly told me: 'Your father and I can't afford it.'

โ€” LรฉaRecounting the financial challenges of studying in Paris.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Adevฤƒrul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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