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Michaelis Boyd partner Christina Gregoriou advises homeowners and designers to tackle awkward spaces early in a project rather than leave them until the end. She describes how a structural column at Miiro Paris led the team to create a custom seat that became a defining feature of the hotel space.
Christina Gregoriou, a partner at London design practice Michaelis Boyd, says homeowners and designers should address awkward spaces at the start of a renovation, rather than leaving them until the rest of the project is planned. In an interview with Livingetc, she described how a structural column discovered during work at Miiro Paris inspired a custom seat in a small niche, turning a layout problem into a notable feature.
Gregoriou’s advice applies to features such as unused corners, narrow corridors, awkward recesses and exposed structural columns. She says these areas are often postponed in the hope that they will blend into the finished design. In her view, that can leave them looking like afterthoughts; giving them attention early may instead help shape the project.
At Miiro Paris, a hotel renovation involving two heritage Haussmann-era buildings connected from different streets, the team reconsidered the role of a dark, narrow secondary entrance. Gregoriou said it had previously been used for back-of-house operations, offices and windowless meeting rooms. The designers saw its intimate proportions as suitable for a moody speakeasy, rather than treating the lack of daylight as a reason to keep the area out of public use.
During the renovation’s strip-out, workers uncovered a structural column that left a small pocket with no obvious practical use. The team designed a custom love seat to fit into the niche. Gregoriou presented the result as an example of responding to the building’s constraints, not removing or concealing every unusual feature.
How Early Planning Can Reframe Renovations
The advice offers a practical way to think about a familiar renovation problem: spaces that are difficult to furnish or connect to the rest of a home. Addressing them early can affect layout decisions, circulation and the use of available space, rather than leaving a difficult corner to be solved after the main design is settled.
Gregoriou’s hotel example shows one possible outcome, not a guarantee that every structural obstacle can become a centerpiece. The column at Miiro Paris was incorporated into a specific design solution: a fitted seat in a niche. For homeowners, the applicable lesson is to assess a space’s constraints and potential before deciding it has no useful purpose. Structural elements still have a safety function and should not be altered without appropriate professional advice.
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The Miiro Paris Design Example
Michaelis Boyd is a London architecture and design practice founded in Notting Hill in 1995 by architects Tim Boyd and Alex Michaelis. According to the Livingetc report, the firm’s work includes hospitality, commercial and residential projects. The interview draws on that work to discuss how design choices can respond to existing buildings rather than relying on a blank-slate layout.
The Miiro Paris project involved two older buildings connected from separate streets. Gregoriou described one entrance as having been treated as the less attractive side of the property because it was dark and narrow. The design team changed its intended use, then adapted again when the exposed column created a small, difficult pocket. The source identifies the custom seat as the response; it does not provide measurements, construction details or a cost for the work.
Gregoriou also discussed a bathroom designed for WOW!house in collaboration with House of Rohl. She said the team chose a large round bathtub as the room’s central feature. The source’s account of that example is incomplete, so it does not establish further details about the finished bathroom or the team’s wider recommendations for that project.
Limits of the Available Project Details
The source provides Gregoriou’s account of the design decisions but does not include independent evaluation of how the hotel space performs for guests, or details such as the project’s budget, construction process and final opening timeline. It also does not establish whether the custom seat is used by visitors as frequently as the interview’s description of it as memorable might suggest.
The source material cuts off during Gregoriou’s comments about the WOW!house bathroom, so her full advice on that project is unavailable. The article also does not identify a specific home renovation or announce a new project. This is design guidance based on examples, rather than news of a building approval, product launch or completed residential renovation.
Applying the Advice to Home Projects
For readers planning a renovation, Gregoriou’s recommendation is to identify awkward areas during the initial design stage and discuss possible uses with the project team. That means looking closely at narrow passages, leftover corners, unusual niches and visible structural elements before finalizing the wider layout.
The source does not announce a next milestone for Miiro Paris or provide a schedule for another Michaelis Boyd project. The practical next step for a homeowner is project-specific: review the space with a qualified designer and, where structural elements are involved, consult the relevant building professionals before making changes.
Key Questions
What is Christina Gregoriou’s main renovation advice?
She recommends identifying awkward areas early in the design process, rather than leaving them until the main layout is complete.
What happened to the column discovered at Miiro Paris?
According to Gregoriou, the exposed structural column left a small niche, and the team fitted a custom love seat into that space.
Why did the designers change the use of Miiro Paris’s secondary entrance?
Gregoriou said the entrance was dark and narrow and had been used for back-of-house functions. The team saw its intimate proportions as appropriate for a speakeasy.
Does the interview report a new Michaelis Boyd project?
No. The Livingetc piece presents Gregoriou’s design advice and project examples; it does not announce a new commission or development.
Can homeowners remove or change a structural column?
The article does not advise removing structural elements. A column can support a building, so homeowners should seek guidance from a qualified structural professional before making any changes.
Source: livingetc.com
