Charming old mansion transformed on Isle of Rhé

Today we present to you this incredibly charming 17th century dwelling, discovered on Nuevo Estilo, nestled in the heart of a beautiful village on the Isle of Rhé (Île de Ré in french), on the French Atlantic coast opposite the town of La Rochelle. The island is a haven of style and serenity, the facade of the house has remained intact to preserve the aesthetics of the neighborhood. The garden and the swimming pool, new construction, provide an orderly atmosphere of peacefulness presided over by a group of basalt columns, brought from Sumatra. The home was formerly a convent, then a barracks and then a family mansion. The owners are a couple of French and Belgian descent, “we wanted to maintain the facade as the testimony of the past, but for the interior, we prefer a more modern and refined character”.

The first part of the transformation was to tear down walls to create wide open spaces and new perspective to the outside, looking for transparency and brightness. Only load-bearing walls were preserved. The old doors and tiny windows were replaced by large windows and glass doors made to order. In this way, the new distribution consists of ground floor, here are the kitchen, lounge and two dining rooms; first floor, which houses an office and the master bedroom; and a second floor, three rooms for guests.

The main door of the house opens a gallery present with the kitchen, practical and very rational, that ends in a glass enclosure. The hall also leads to a hallway, which shows part of the art collection of the owners. A sober and soft color palette allows the parts to stand out even more, while the touches of purple, orange or mustard of some plug-ins provide the necessary contrast. The Belgian blue stonet, Carrara marble and wood, oak and pine are the materials covering the floors. As for the furniture, several Christian Liaigre and Axel Verdoordt furniture coexist alongside antiques in a fabulous compilation of exquisite warmth and simplicity.

At the entrance, a life-sized anthropomorphic figure welcomes.

The wall is adorned with stumps of petrified wood, comprising a sculptural air composition.

The ceiling beams are original to the home, the owners decided to preserve them, and then paint them white for bringing clarity and a sense of height which contributes to increase the brightness.

The canvas reproduces an image of the daughter of the owner, painted by himself.

At the entrance to the dining room, a sculpture by Luciano Beaumont.

Fireplaces are a hallmark of old French houses; its presence in each room fills the atmosphere with a romantic touch.

In the garden are two Nemo chairs, designed by Fabio Novembre for Driade signature. Based on the features of classical theater masks, its structure of polyethylene monobloc makes them perfect to place inside or outside the house.

With Farrow & Ball paint, recycled cabinet doors stand out on the original pine floors.

The bathroom was transformed, originally a bedroom and the chimney was preserved.

In this space, completely covered with pine boards, lacquer finish has chosen to further enhance the luminosity.

One of the bathrooms is equipped with a bathtub comprised of zinc, found at a flea market in Brussels.

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