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Crowned by a 1960s Robert Haussmann chandelier, the living room features Convert sofas from Prostoria, a Studio Nohau-designed coffee table in cut steel and Nero Marquina marble, and an impressive wall light made up of 18 individual sconces by Dieter Witte and Rolf Krüger for Staff Leuchten. -
Maison Ceronne is set amid two hectares of verdant Normandy parkland. -
Interior architect Vincent-Louis Voinchet (right) with husband Clement. -
With tall ceilings and plenty of natural light, the living room is spacious and bright – the perfect place to unwind. -
A sculptural fireplace separates the living and dining spaces. -
Defined by the fireplace and poured concrete door arches, the dining room features a table designed by Vincent-Louis, made up of three Nero Marquina marble slabs placed on a four-legged structure in accordion-folded steel. The ’60s chandelier and atomic floor lamps by Robert Haussmann for Swiss Lamps International were sourced at the Saint Ouen flea market. -
Designed by Studio Nohau and custom-made, the kitchen comprises Kungsbacka by IKE modular units, with a long worktop and central island in veined Nero Marquina marble. Wall lights from an old theatre in Brussels have been repurposed as tabletop lamps. The India ink and graphite triptych works are by Vincent-Louis. -
At the entrance, a 1980s wall lamp by Luciano Cesaro and Fabio Amico for Tre Ci Luce, found at the St Ouen flea market, adorns the stone wall. A ’60s bench, bought at auction and turned into a coff ee table, is home to a Brumbury lamp by Luigi Massoni for Harvey Guzzini. The mustard armchair by Pierre Guariche was purchased from an antique dealer in Amsterdam, and the steel screen was designed by Studio Nohau and manufactured by a metalsmith. -
A concrete staircase leads to a lounge area and bedroom on the upper level. -
In one of the suites, a Days Forum sofa by Robin Day for Habitat is offset by graphic cushions from Rouge du Rhin, an Emmanuel Régent drawing, a rare Coquetier chair designed in 1955 by Studio ARP’s Pierre Guariche, Joseph-André Motte and Michel Mortier, and mooring anchors that have been repurposed as coffee tables. -
Opening onto the garden, the 3.5x5m indoor swimming pool was designed by Studio Nohau and entirely finished in Nero Marquina marble. -
The simple steel bathroom vanity topped with Nero Marquina marble was designed by Studio Nohau to complement the 15x15cm tiles. -
Designed by Studio Nohau and custom-made in steel, the lattice screen also serves as a railing for the staircase. The modular Cosima sofa is from Bolia. -
One of the bedrooms features a mezzanine area that can be accessed via a custom steel ladder. -
To access a bedroom in the attic, Vincent-Louis designed a staircase in folded steel, creating a way to cross a structural beam without having to cut into it.
PRODUCTION AND WORDS Laurence Dougier PHOTOS Nicolas Matheus
In the heart of Le Perche, just an hour outside Paris, interior architect Vincent-Louis Voinchet has boldly renovated two farm buildings to create a unique guesthouse.
Interior architect Vincent-Louis constantly shakes up traditions at his design practice, Studio Nohau. And he made no exception to this rule when renovating his country house in the bohemian countryside region of Le Perche, about an hour away from Paris. The upgrades included a restructuring of spaces – the remains of two rural buildings, which included cramped rooms and abandoned barns – and re-imagining them in a refined way that incorporates both Japanese and German influences. “I’m a great admirer of Charlotte Perriand’s work during her stay in Japan in the 1940s,” says Vincent-Louis, “but also of the Bauhaus style – of the search for an aesthetic that’s all about simplicity, stripped-down elegance and functionalism.”
In the renovation, which involved two buildings and more than 800m2 of floor space, he set out to create a new vision of what a country house should be. “I don’t like shabby-chic, scrap furniture, or old, damp stone that takes three days to heat up,” he says. “I wanted to create a comfortable, elegant, unique atmosphere here, surrounded by nature.”
Over a two-year period, the existing spaces were enlarged and modified to create a better flow. The passageway arches, the fireplace and some of the ceilings were clad in concrete; oak window and door frames were exposed and refurbished; and some of the openings were replaced by larger windows framed in vintage style metalwork. Finally, furniture pieces designed by Vincent-Louis in black
marble and steel were added to the reworked spaces. Careful design and attention to detail were evident throughout the process. “I’m a finishings maniac,” says Vincent-Louis with a smile. “For example, I drew up the plans for the bathrooms so there would be no cuts in the 15x15cm tiles. It’s much nicer and cleaner…”
There’s plenty of black in the elegant interiors. It works to ground and define the spaces, and acts as a framing element for the predominantly 1960s and ’70s furniture and lighting, most of which was sourced by Vincent-Louis for his extensive personal collection. As a result, the interiors are both intimate and ideal for socialising – the kind of spaces where subtle contrasts play out between the beautiful raw materials and radical architectural lines.
The updated home now has eight bedrooms, two lounges, a library, a hammam, two swimming pools (one indoors, one outdoors), a bar and even a cinema room for those long winter evenings. Originally designed as a countryside holiday retreat for family and close friends, Maison Ceronne has enchanted visitors so much that Vincent-Louis and his partner decided to open it up to paying guests,
making it a sort of small, rural hotel for guests wishing to escape Paris. And there’s little doubt that the combination of superb amenities and gorgeous setting will make the venture a huge success.
Looking for more architectural or travel inspiration? Take a look at this coastal Kenyan villa.
