Septembre converts old French farmhouse into holiday home
An old farmhouse in France's picturesque Loire Valley has been converted into a summer retreat by Paris architects Septembre (+ slideshow).
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Septembre renovated the 19th-century building for a couple and their two children as a getaway from Paris and London, where they own art galleries.
Restoring the original structure included repointing the external stonework, replacing missing tiles on the gabled roof and lean-to, and treating the internal wooden beams.
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"The project consisted of keeping as much as possible of the old structure while adapting it to a new use," said the architects.
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"The existing structure underwent a large transformation with the installation of floor heating, insulation of all ceiling and walls, and the addition of windows."
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Windows were fitted throughout the property and five large glass doors were inserted around the ground floor to lead out to the garden.
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Internal walls were whitewashed with lime plaster, while wooden lintels, beams and rafters were left exposed.
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"Discrete interventions on the internal fittings and use of rugged materials with natural appearance allows for a gentle preservation of the initial appearance of the building," the architects said.
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The house is split into two sections that sit on slightly different levels due to the sloping site. The lower portion forms an open-plan living and dining area, connected to the kitchen and pantry in the adjacent lean-to.
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A hole was cut out of the floor overhead to create a double-height space above the dining table.
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A new concrete staircase leads up a few steps and branches off to the parents' quarters, which include a study and bedroom separated by a chimney stack as well as a bathroom.
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The staircase continues to the first floor where more living space and a library are located around the void in the centre, surrounded by thin black steel balustrades.
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Another set of steps from this level cuts through the exposed stone wall that divides the two portions of the house. These extra steps provide access to a bathroom and a pair of bedrooms with spruce floor boards for the children.
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Carpentry for the oak doors, kitchen elements, wardrobes and shelves was all completed by a local craftsman.
Photography is by Linus Ricard.
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