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Vacation home renovation in Normandy,  | International Design Awards Winners
Vacation home renovation in Normandy,  | International Design Awards Winners
Vacation home renovation in Normandy,  | International Design Awards Winners
Vacation home renovation in Normandy,  | International Design Awards Winners
Vacation home renovation in Normandy,  | International Design Awards Winners
Vacation home renovation in Normandy,  | International Design Awards Winners
Vacation home renovation in Normandy,  | International Design Awards Winners
Vacation home renovation in Normandy,  | International Design Awards Winners
Vacation home renovation in Normandy,  | International Design Awards Winners
Vacation home renovation in Normandy,  | International Design Awards Winners
Vacation home renovation in Normandy,  | International Design Awards Winners

Vacation home renovation in Normandy

Lead DesignersToby Alleyne-Gee
Prize(s)Honorable Mention
Entry Description

This 19th-century, redbrick "longère" house on the coast of Normandy was entirely renovated as a family holiday home. Inspired by the landscape, both the ground-floor interiors – traditionally decorated in fresh hues of sky blue, sand and brown – and the pretty, wallpapered upstairs bedrooms are intended to look collected, as if they had evolved over time rather than been designed. The house required complete redecoration, including repainting all interior and exterior woodwork, the smoky blue colour of which is typical of Normandy houses. A few pieces of existing furniture were retained, painted, restored or cleaned, although most pieces - all French antiques - were acquired to fit the rustic elegance of the building. The repetition and variation of a similar palette throughout the ground floor enhances the sense of space and height in this modestly sized house, while the upstairs bedrooms - a twin room for the daughters of the house and a light-filled guest room - are decorated with pretty floral wallpaper for a lighthearted, playful feel.
The project was completed in September 2013, although there are plans for continued improvements. The house now combines comfort and practicality with a gentle aesthetic appeal, and my client tells me he is "very comfortable" there. I am therefore pleased to say that I have accomplished what I set out to do.