This is a beautiful old small home in Normandy, France that has been completely renewed. I like that the architect, Franklin Azzi, chose to keep the original small footprint relatively intact. There seem to be so many renovations that take an old small home and make it big. It’s nice to one that stayed relatively small.
I first saw this on Moco Loco. You can also visit the Architect’s website.
The Gallic flair really shows in this renovation project, lot’s of lessons for everyone, especially remembering to keep design, materials and purpose in context.
I really think this house is great!!! I am always happy to see restoration and renovation work coupled with expantion. Keep up the good work!!
He increased the original “foot print” by 600% and increased the living space by 200%…that isn’t keeping it anywhere near the “same”.
Good point Doug. But it seems like usually these kinds of renovations completely destroy the homes original spirit. In this case I think they did a good job of keeping that relatively intact.
great adaptive reuse…..the fact he expanded the livable area greatly while the conditioned livable space was contained to a manageable degree is comendable…….keep up the great work….
Will you be selling this plan? It woul be nice to have this one built from scratch. Oh-and that upstair balcony going out from the sleeping area really puts the icing on the cake.
No. This is an old house brought back to life by some architects in Europe.
I like the house althoughI would not be able to live in anything that small I have enough problems coping in a 3 bedroom with outside “parents retreat and double garage. What struck me was the outdoor chairs especially the black one on the bedroom veranda- does anyone know what they are called and where you can get them from? We had them when I was a child in the 1960’s and i loved them!
I believe they are called butterfly lawn chairs and you might check amazon or google them
its called a butterfly chair..
Michael, thanks for reiterating the operative wording being “relatively intact” in your reply to Doug.
I am in a situation where I would hate to tear down my old building, one of about 3 originals in the city. It has a great deal of character and hosts a covered up piece of artwork from one of the better known prominent artisans of the area who’s original home is now a Heritage park. It is said, he built, or had this built for his wife but the only thing we know with some certainty is, he owned it around original construction and his wife ran a beauty parlor here. It is speculated she lived in the back when the weather was too fowl to go to the island home. (My information comes from, here there and everywhere, we are still trying to nail down fact). I want to at least save the façade, retaining the original footprint would not be financially practicable if I build new on this site and restoration is starting to look financially prohibitive relative to the end result. It is a shame we have to look at structures to provide the best possible use of the land, especially in Cities. Where does one draw the line in question of keeping the original footprint intact without expansion that may bring it too modern and loosing the optical providence of the place?
This project in France is beautiful and tasteful; I would like to see these types of renovations completed with keeping some of the original patina proudly obtained by years. He possible could have left the façade in true character without taking anything away from the new construction. It is unexplainable to describe the feeling one gets, touching and looking at what nature adds to mans creation.
Anyway, my building certainly has a grip on me, for what reason is beyond comprehension, I was so out of character to get involved with this place but I am continually brought back here by happenstances in my life. Without sounding totally ridiculous, the series of events is either I was sent here to save its demise or it has drawn me to save my sorry ass.
Anyway, I open for suggestions. We have a plan in place presently that is slim to not happening but I have been faced with tougher odds before only I was much younger and more affluent to make things happen.