My Houzz: A 1990s Home Transformed With a Scandi-style Makeover
Before and after photos show a gloomy, dated house transformed into a stylish, light-filled haven
Lara Sargent
17 December 2017
Houzz UK contributor. Freelance interiors journalist with over 20 years' experience writing for national magazines, newspapers and websites.
Houzz UK contributor. Freelance interiors journalist with over 20 years' experience... More
While most of us might run a mile from dark beams, mismatched carpets and a garish pink bathroom, UK-based interior designer Sybille Garnier Le Mené saw something else in this modern property in southern Brittany – a house with masses of potential that could be transformed into the perfect holiday home for herself and her family.
“My husband was looking for something more authentic and didn’t fall in love with the house, but I had a real crush,” she says. “The volumes were fantastic and quite unusual for the area, and I knew some of the heavy original features could easily be enhanced.”
“My husband was looking for something more authentic and didn’t fall in love with the house, but I had a real crush,” she says. “The volumes were fantastic and quite unusual for the area, and I knew some of the heavy original features could easily be enhanced.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Sybille Garnier Le Mené of Into Interior Design, her husband and their three children, aged 14, 11 and 8
Location Arzon, southern Brittany, France
Property Detached house built in the 1990s
Size 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Airy and relaxed, this Scandi-chic holiday home is the perfect bolthole for kicking back and relaxing during the school holidays for interior designer Sybille Garnier Le Mené and her family.
“The house is located in Arzon, close to the Crouesty Marina and the pretty old fishing town of Port Navalo,” she explains. “To be honest, it’s not the prettiest house from the outside. It was built in the 1990s with a slate roof and not a lot of character. It has thick walls and was made with heart, but it looked a bit dated.”
Garnier Le Mené, however, had great vision for the house and set about transforming the dark architecture and mismatched materials.
“It’s true that a lot of imagination was required: the walls were yellow with an irregular thick pattern on them (hidden by plasterboard), and there were too many dark beams, basic terracotta tiles, four different carpets upstairs and a pink bathroom,” she recalls.
“Even though we had a pretty clear idea of what we wanted from the start, we chose to spend some time in the property through the various seasons to confirm our impression. The house had good vibrations and we enjoyed spending time in it, even with its 1990s look. It was welcoming and peaceful.”
Who lives here Sybille Garnier Le Mené of Into Interior Design, her husband and their three children, aged 14, 11 and 8
Location Arzon, southern Brittany, France
Property Detached house built in the 1990s
Size 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Airy and relaxed, this Scandi-chic holiday home is the perfect bolthole for kicking back and relaxing during the school holidays for interior designer Sybille Garnier Le Mené and her family.
“The house is located in Arzon, close to the Crouesty Marina and the pretty old fishing town of Port Navalo,” she explains. “To be honest, it’s not the prettiest house from the outside. It was built in the 1990s with a slate roof and not a lot of character. It has thick walls and was made with heart, but it looked a bit dated.”
Garnier Le Mené, however, had great vision for the house and set about transforming the dark architecture and mismatched materials.
“It’s true that a lot of imagination was required: the walls were yellow with an irregular thick pattern on them (hidden by plasterboard), and there were too many dark beams, basic terracotta tiles, four different carpets upstairs and a pink bathroom,” she recalls.
“Even though we had a pretty clear idea of what we wanted from the start, we chose to spend some time in the property through the various seasons to confirm our impression. The house had good vibrations and we enjoyed spending time in it, even with its 1990s look. It was welcoming and peaceful.”
The transformation of one of the living spaces, as shown in this original image, is impressive, and testimony to Garnier Le Mené’s creative eye.
This area of the house is an extension with a mezzanine level, added by the original owners a few years after the main part was built.
“One of the greatest challenges was to restyle the heavy dark wood ceiling with exposed beams,” says the designer. “I first thought of repainting everything in white, but this was a huge job and I wasn’t sure of the end result.
“I finally decided to hide most of the beams and keep the most interesting ones, repainting them in a light grey to give some contrast. I added some downlights and theatre spots to enhance the high ceiling and beams at night.”
This area of the house is an extension with a mezzanine level, added by the original owners a few years after the main part was built.
“One of the greatest challenges was to restyle the heavy dark wood ceiling with exposed beams,” says the designer. “I first thought of repainting everything in white, but this was a huge job and I wasn’t sure of the end result.
“I finally decided to hide most of the beams and keep the most interesting ones, repainting them in a light grey to give some contrast. I added some downlights and theatre spots to enhance the high ceiling and beams at night.”
The extension is now Garnier Le Mené’s favourite room in the house.
“It’s very bright and I love spending time in here,” she says. “I love the new polished concrete flooring – it’s always warm and nice to walk on barefoot.
“We had no other option than to choose concrete, as it would have been a huge job to remove the terracotta floor tiles, with the risk of damaging the existing underfloor heating.”
The wooden window frames were simply refreshed with an anthracite grey paint.
Pale blue sofa, Ikea; reworked with wooden legs from Pretty Pegs. Tree tables, HK Living. Armchair, House Doctor. Z1 pendant light by Ay Illuminate, Petite Lily Interiors.
“It’s very bright and I love spending time in here,” she says. “I love the new polished concrete flooring – it’s always warm and nice to walk on barefoot.
“We had no other option than to choose concrete, as it would have been a huge job to remove the terracotta floor tiles, with the risk of damaging the existing underfloor heating.”
The wooden window frames were simply refreshed with an anthracite grey paint.
Pale blue sofa, Ikea; reworked with wooden legs from Pretty Pegs. Tree tables, HK Living. Armchair, House Doctor. Z1 pendant light by Ay Illuminate, Petite Lily Interiors.
A before picture of the extension living area shows how dark the interior was when the family first bought the house.
“The long granite wall with the niches was existing. It looked very grey and dull,” Garnier Le Mené adds. “We decided to do the pointing in a very light colour. I was surprised to discover once this was done that the wall was much more beige than grey.”
“The long granite wall with the niches was existing. It looked very grey and dull,” Garnier Le Mené adds. “We decided to do the pointing in a very light colour. I was surprised to discover once this was done that the wall was much more beige than grey.”
The light and airy interior is enhanced by pale wood, white walls and laid-back, Scandi furniture.
Polished concrete floors sealed with a clear matt varnish by specialist Marius Aurenti. Bamboo bench, Tine K Home.
Polished concrete floors sealed with a clear matt varnish by specialist Marius Aurenti. Bamboo bench, Tine K Home.
Garnier Le Mené was determined to enhance the original features of the house and her vision was helped by on-site project manager Jacky Jossé from Concept et Création in Vannes.
“Living and working in London, it was difficult for me to come on-site often and I needed someone who could coordinate the work and make sure my recommendations were followed.”
Love this house? Click here to shop the look
“Living and working in London, it was difficult for me to come on-site often and I needed someone who could coordinate the work and make sure my recommendations were followed.”
Love this house? Click here to shop the look
The original spiral staircase that leads up to the mezzanine level was one of the main challenges of this space.
“It was made to measure in dark wood, and, though well manufactured, it was heavy,” Garnier Le Mené explains. “I wanted thin and straight lines for the stairs, something light and compact, so going for metal was the best option.
“The new staircase is made of rough steel, which is varnished, so there’s no risk of rust.”
A company called Arinox, based in Vannes, made the steel staircase, along with the new railings for the mezzanine, a pocket door between the two living spaces and the steel and glass window that now separates the kitchen from the living room.
“The pocket door replaced the existing one in wood, which had horrible glazing,” the designer adds. “We were keen to introduce some industrial details like this throughout the house.”
“It was made to measure in dark wood, and, though well manufactured, it was heavy,” Garnier Le Mené explains. “I wanted thin and straight lines for the stairs, something light and compact, so going for metal was the best option.
“The new staircase is made of rough steel, which is varnished, so there’s no risk of rust.”
A company called Arinox, based in Vannes, made the steel staircase, along with the new railings for the mezzanine, a pocket door between the two living spaces and the steel and glass window that now separates the kitchen from the living room.
“The pocket door replaced the existing one in wood, which had horrible glazing,” the designer adds. “We were keen to introduce some industrial details like this throughout the house.”
The mezzanine level is a relaxed, chill-out space with a TV and play area where the children can spend time with their friends.
The extension leads through to the main, open-plan living space via the pocket door.
“The biggest issue was the lack of light in here,” Garnier Le Mené says. “The wall was covered with grey granite and the room had no windows, so it was a really dark spot. I decided to plaster the granite wall, keep the original fireplace and paint all the walls in white. The fireplace looks less massive now. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to use it last Christmas, as it was too warm!”
“The biggest issue was the lack of light in here,” Garnier Le Mené says. “The wall was covered with grey granite and the room had no windows, so it was a really dark spot. I decided to plaster the granite wall, keep the original fireplace and paint all the walls in white. The fireplace looks less massive now. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to use it last Christmas, as it was too warm!”
Originally, this space was dark and uninviting, with a feature granite wall and terracotta floor tiles.
Now spacious and light, the open-plan living and dining room has been transformed with a seamless concrete floor and wraparound white walls.
“The walls are white throughout the ground floor on purpose, as the lack of light was a real issue in some areas,” Garnier Le Mené says. “Now the house is always bright, even on rainy days.”
Sofa; circular rug, both La Redoute. Nest of tables, Bloomingville.
“The walls are white throughout the ground floor on purpose, as the lack of light was a real issue in some areas,” Garnier Le Mené says. “Now the house is always bright, even on rainy days.”
Sofa; circular rug, both La Redoute. Nest of tables, Bloomingville.
Garnier Le Mené swapped the original French windows for a much larger door between the dining room and garden, allowing natural light to flood in.
Java rattan lampshades, Made.com.
Java rattan lampshades, Made.com.
The designer also sourced vintage pieces of furniture, such as the 1950s sideboard, found online, and layered the space with natural textures, such as rattan and bamboo.
The sea chart is by local artist Gildas Flahault.
The sea chart is by local artist Gildas Flahault.
The dining room is now semi-open to the kitchen thanks to the industrial-style window (called a fenêtre atelier in French).
“The kitchen was always here, but it was enclosed, so we decided to open it up with a window into the dining room,” Garnier Le Mené says. “Light now floods in through this side in the late afternoon and early evening.”
A carpenter in Normandy made the 3m-long dining table.
“The kitchen was always here, but it was enclosed, so we decided to open it up with a window into the dining room,” Garnier Le Mené says. “Light now floods in through this side in the late afternoon and early evening.”
A carpenter in Normandy made the 3m-long dining table.
A before pic of the dark dining room.
“The double door was a cupboard [accessed from the dining room and the kitchen], which we knocked down and replaced with a half-height partition wall topped with a Crittall-style window,” the designer says.
“The double door was a cupboard [accessed from the dining room and the kitchen], which we knocked down and replaced with a half-height partition wall topped with a Crittall-style window,” the designer says.
As well as allowing light to flow between the living space and the kitchen, the steel window creates a pleasing visual separation between the rooms, with no need for a door.
Patterned floor tiles and open shelving add personality to the modern-industrial vibe.
Check out some of the best broken-plan living spaces on Houzz
Check out some of the best broken-plan living spaces on Houzz
A before picture of the kitchen.
The ground floor bathroom was created by joining a small shower room, a storage space and a cloakroom.
“The storage was moved under the staircase, which initially housed a small bar area with wood panelling. It was surprising and quite a fun detail, but we didn’t really need a bar,” Garnier Le Mené says. “We stripped out everything and created a wider bathroom with a tub, a big basin and a toilet.”
White mosaics and light grey flooring create a calm and relaxing atmosphere.
Basin, Duravit. Lights, Zangra. Mirror, Maisons du Monde.
Discover more bathrooms where an exposed bottle trap looks ace
“The storage was moved under the staircase, which initially housed a small bar area with wood panelling. It was surprising and quite a fun detail, but we didn’t really need a bar,” Garnier Le Mené says. “We stripped out everything and created a wider bathroom with a tub, a big basin and a toilet.”
White mosaics and light grey flooring create a calm and relaxing atmosphere.
Basin, Duravit. Lights, Zangra. Mirror, Maisons du Monde.
Discover more bathrooms where an exposed bottle trap looks ace
The first floor bathroom is now a restful vision in blue and white.
“It had a pink bathtub and basin, and the walls were purple,” Garnier Le Mené says. “We changed it into a shower room, fitted shelving into the space beneath the sloped wall for storage, and chose a wide basin.”
The blue and white ceramic tiles were shipped from Spain. “I liked the idea of introducing blue in a seaside house.”
Ceramic floor tiles, Vives Ceramica.
“It had a pink bathtub and basin, and the walls were purple,” Garnier Le Mené says. “We changed it into a shower room, fitted shelving into the space beneath the sloped wall for storage, and chose a wide basin.”
The blue and white ceramic tiles were shipped from Spain. “I liked the idea of introducing blue in a seaside house.”
Ceramic floor tiles, Vives Ceramica.
The wide basin sits on a slimline walnut frame.
Console basin unit, Duravit. Stockholm mirror, Ikea.
Console basin unit, Duravit. Stockholm mirror, Ikea.
Garnier Le Mené wanted a peaceful ambience for the master bedroom, which has a view onto the garden.
She choose a soft palette of light greys and powder pink, and transformed the vintage Parisienne armoire by painting it in palest greeny-grey.
Armoire painted in Pearl, Little Greene. Copper wall lights, Bloomingville.
See more ideas for copper décor
She choose a soft palette of light greys and powder pink, and transformed the vintage Parisienne armoire by painting it in palest greeny-grey.
Armoire painted in Pearl, Little Greene. Copper wall lights, Bloomingville.
See more ideas for copper décor
Resembling a boat cabin, the nautical-style bedroom already featured the porthole window.
“It was made with love by the previous owner, and it’s very cute and cosy,” Garnier Le Mené says. “I decided, however, to repaint the dark brown panelling in a light grey to suit the light design scheme.”
“It was made with love by the previous owner, and it’s very cute and cosy,” Garnier Le Mené says. “I decided, however, to repaint the dark brown panelling in a light grey to suit the light design scheme.”
With its sloping walls, this was a challenging bedroom to redesign.
“I opted to paint a wide blue stripe all around the room, even on the door,” the designer explains. “If I’d painted three walls in blue and the ceiling and sloped wall in white, it would have reduced the size of the room visually – and would probably have looked odd.”
Bed linen, Cologne & Cotton. Cushions; copper table lamp, all Maisons du Monde. LayingLamp suspended light, Raumgestalt.
“I opted to paint a wide blue stripe all around the room, even on the door,” the designer explains. “If I’d painted three walls in blue and the ceiling and sloped wall in white, it would have reduced the size of the room visually – and would probably have looked odd.”
Bed linen, Cologne & Cotton. Cushions; copper table lamp, all Maisons du Monde. LayingLamp suspended light, Raumgestalt.
Four children can sleep in this room at once, so it’s great for accommodating friends.
“We kept the wood panelling and repainted it in a light grey colour, the same as the other walls,” adds the designer.
Stackable beds; bedside tables; bedding, all La Redoute. Lamps, Maisons du Monde.
What do you think of this French family holiday home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
“We kept the wood panelling and repainted it in a light grey colour, the same as the other walls,” adds the designer.
Stackable beds; bedside tables; bedding, all La Redoute. Lamps, Maisons du Monde.
What do you think of this French family holiday home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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I am a lover of concrete floors in older style homes I am currently looking at buying an old apartment and it has tile floors which have been laid over the beautiful mosaic tiles, however I have been told its too much work to lift them and in fact will not be able to salvage what is underneath. My next choice was polished concrete !!! Did the company just lay the concrete over the old tiles and polish them ?
Dear Isabel, the tiles were porous and irregular. Polished concrete was the only option if we didn't want to change all garden doors or remove the tiles with the risk of damaging the underfloor heating. A specialist mortar was first laid on them and then the micro-mineral concrete followed by the application of a Matt varnish. Only one guy applied the concrete as the gesture has to be the same. Total thickness is 4mm. I am so pleased with the result and there is no crack after 2 years. The floor is very easy to maintain with water and a bit of soap. Note that the drying time is quite long and it's preferable not to put heavy furniture on it for a couple of weeks minimum. You can have a look at this website: https://en.mariusaurenti.com/matiere/smooth-finish-mortar?language=en
Hi Isabel, yes the concrete is applied over the tiles, but you first have to make sure that the tiles are ok, very solid and not moving, otherwise the concrete would crack. But after an exam of the solidity of your floor, you can cover the tiles with concrete... and it will last for long! I send you a picture of the whole system of application (the way we do it at Marius Aurenti):