The word "quaint" is a pleasant word, however, in this case it did not represent an enjoyable experience at all. We were expecting quaint and cozy accomodations at Cecile's and knew that Cecile had taken the time to be quite detailed in her descriptions of many aspects of her property. I had carefully read through her instructions prior to booking, reviewing them again and taking notes while on the train on our way to Paris. Cecile seemed pleased that I had paid attention to her details. We were expecting to have the kitchen, dining area and living room on the ground floor, the sleeping areas on the 1st and 2nd floors and the toilet and bathroom in the basement area. Although Cecile does post a photo of the ladder leading up to the 2nd floor attic bedroom, she does not show nor does she state the this ladder takes up half of the stairwell between the street level and the 1st floor bedrooms. She does not state that the last three-four ascending steps and the first three-four descending steps must be taken while squeezing between the railing/wall and the ladder. This is not only inconvenient but can be dangerous in the middle of the night. We are not large people and I cannot imagine how difficult it would be for larger people to negotiate this stairway.
As for the basement toilet, I am not a stranger to such layouts having lived part of my childhood in a small farmhouse in Wisconsin. However, the water closet is quite small and when one sits on the toilet one's knees butt up directly to the closed door. This also makes rising from the toilet difficult. Once you rise, take care when opening the door to exit the toilet, the knobs on both the water closet and the bathroom are in need of maintenance. The door knob is not secure in the door itself and the frame gets in the way when trying to turn the knob. I thought that I had locked myself in down there. I was able to get out, obviously, but it was enough of a fight for each of us that we agreed to leave the door unshut and to be sure to knock and wait for a response prior to opening the water closet door.
Moving on to the shower, lower level plumbing can leave something to be desired and it is nice to know if there are issues prior to stepping in for your shower. Chez Cecile one needs to pay attention to the level of the water at floor level with respect to the surround of the shower. Expect to turn off the water half way through the pump the drain with the ball of your foot to agitate and encourage the draining process. Again, nice to know prior to starting the shower - even better to know prior to paying for accomodations.
Last but not least, we were looking forward to the fenced backyard that was boasted in the listing. Just before Cecile left the check-in I inquired as to how to access the back yard - the garden. She pointed to the front area, the maybe 3 or 4 foot by 6 foot concrete area that included the steps to the door. There was a wrought iron fence and some lovely potted plants and greenery. Not a place to sit and relax, enjoy the outside. Even if the only way that Airbnb lists outdoor space is as a fenced backyard, someone who takes such diligence to explain how to use things and what her expectations are should really put at least a disclaimer about the back yard.
To me, the lack of a heads up on these issues and misrepresentation of the outdoor space is fraud and I cannot recommend this space as a comfortable accomodation in Paris. Luckily we were able to find a replacement which was extremely pleasant and comfortable.