Literature lovers won’t be short on shelf space at this Parisian duplex apartment, which has bookcases that stretch 21-ft-tall.

Sitting inside a Napoleon III-style building off the Square du Temple, the apartment has a built-in library accessed via a spiralling metal staircase, which leads up from the home’s vast open-plan living space. Full-length windows bring in plenty of natural light, opening onto iron-detailed Juliet balconies overlooking the city.

Three bedrooms and an office are on the first floor, which is also dominated by whitewashed walls and wooden floors. There are a few more elaborate details here and there, including a marble fireplace in the study, and decorative plaster mouldings in the master bedroom typical of the early 19th-century.

The Paris property – listed with Espaces Atypique for €2.39m – could do with some gentle updates, particularly in its three bathrooms, but offers plenty of space for would-be owners.

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