Living Little in Paris

In Paris a closet economy of architects, designers and even appliance makers devoted to making small spaces feel bigger has sprung up. With the average Parisian square meter now going for nearly 6,000 euros, bringing in a clever architect to snatch back a plot of parquet can make economic sense. "Basically, there is always one room missing," says Philippe Demougeot, one such architect. "Now people are ready to get rid of any unnecessary areas—the foyer, a hallway, they'll open up a kitchen—to gain space. It's a bit like a game of Rubik's Cube." As host of a house-call segment on the popular French TV show "Question Maison," Demougeot gets 3,000 letters a week from viewers asking him to fix their own small spaces.