Houzz Tours
France Houzz: A New Island Home With an Old Soul
Check out this young family's welcoming and characterful French island home on Île d’Yeu, which embraces local style
Marie Méchin and her husband were born and raised on Île d’Yeu, an island off the coast of western France, and when the time came, they wanted to make their own home on the island. Deterred from renovating an old building due to high prices, they found a solution thanks to Méchin’s parents, who partitioned up their garden to give them space to build.
With the help of Nantes-based architect Lucie Rouland, who has relatives on the island and knows it well, the couple began their construction project in late 2019. The result: an extremely cosy space designed by Méchin and Rouland, who found a shared passion for decoration.
With the help of Nantes-based architect Lucie Rouland, who has relatives on the island and knows it well, the couple began their construction project in late 2019. The result: an extremely cosy space designed by Méchin and Rouland, who found a shared passion for decoration.
Floor plan of the new home.
The new building was designed as a single storey facing south, with a local ‘Vendean’ style. Several trade-offs needed to be made as part of the design process. For example, Méchin had to give up her dream of having an “old house with creaky floorboards and wrought iron balconies,” because of the sky-high prices to purchase homes on the island.
And even by opting for a new build with a budget of €250,000 (approximately AU$409,100 at time of publication), the couple who had initially banked on a 120-square-metre home could only get a surface area of 90 square metres.
“We first had the idea of building a passive house, but it was far too expensive,” says Méchin. “Construction costs on the island are very high as all the materials come from the mainland and are transported via a 30-minute boat journey,” says Rouland.
The new building was designed as a single storey facing south, with a local ‘Vendean’ style. Several trade-offs needed to be made as part of the design process. For example, Méchin had to give up her dream of having an “old house with creaky floorboards and wrought iron balconies,” because of the sky-high prices to purchase homes on the island.
And even by opting for a new build with a budget of €250,000 (approximately AU$409,100 at time of publication), the couple who had initially banked on a 120-square-metre home could only get a surface area of 90 square metres.
“We first had the idea of building a passive house, but it was far too expensive,” says Méchin. “Construction costs on the island are very high as all the materials come from the mainland and are transported via a 30-minute boat journey,” says Rouland.
Before Photo
The solution came in the form of the sprawling garden of Méchin’s parents, who offered the young couple a portion on which to construct their home.
Constructing the building also put the owners and the architect through their paces, as works began in February 2020 and ran into the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We opted for a timber manufacturer based in Vendée on the mainland, but all boat crossings to Île d’Yeu were halted during lockdown. We had to wait for months to continue construction,” says Rouland.
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Constructing the building also put the owners and the architect through their paces, as works began in February 2020 and ran into the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We opted for a timber manufacturer based in Vendée on the mainland, but all boat crossings to Île d’Yeu were halted during lockdown. We had to wait for months to continue construction,” says Rouland.
Searching for an architect? Find one near you, browse images of their projects and read reviews from previous clients
Instead of the numerous small spaces and notched facades that come with a classic home on the island, Méchin’s house had a simpler design – another way to stay within the budget. “We built small trusses in the bedrooms and a traditional truss in the kitchen, leaving a double height above the dining room. We decided to forego visible interior framing usually found in the region, which saved €10,000 (approximately AU$16,400 at time of publication),” says Rouland.
The architect carefully designed the building layout with bioclimatic construction in mind to limit energy demand. “We made the house face south and included a bay window to allow the sun in during winter. A pellet heater is the only source of heat, which spreads to other rooms through the ventilation ducts,” she says, explaining that the island’s homes tend to have limited windows and that bay windows overlooking the street are banned.
Méchin, who spent a sweltering summer on the island, felt that the house needed sun protection on the south side and plans to build a vegetated pergola in front of the bay window and add blinds.
Méchin, who spent a sweltering summer on the island, felt that the house needed sun protection on the south side and plans to build a vegetated pergola in front of the bay window and add blinds.
While most houses on Île d’Yeu are white with blue blinds, Méchin didn’t want a typical seafront look. Instead, she opted for anthracite window frames and a door, with their smooth coating adding contrast to the limestone and roof tiles required for the Local Urban Plan.
Some ideas for the interior layout were also put to a halt. “I wanted an apartment-style plan with each room having a specific function and a parents’ space separated from the children’s area. I found and adapted a floor plan in an architecture magazine since it was hard to start from scratch,” says Méchin.
The couple wanted three rooms and two bathrooms, but only two bedrooms and one bathroom were kept. “Nevertheless, we anticipated a future extension on each end of the house,” says the architect.
Some ideas for the interior layout were also put to a halt. “I wanted an apartment-style plan with each room having a specific function and a parents’ space separated from the children’s area. I found and adapted a floor plan in an architecture magazine since it was hard to start from scratch,” says Méchin.
The couple wanted three rooms and two bathrooms, but only two bedrooms and one bathroom were kept. “Nevertheless, we anticipated a future extension on each end of the house,” says the architect.
After a challenging year handling the structural work, the two women made up for it by designing the décor – a stage where they truly had it in the bag. “I had an overflow of ideas, and Lucie helped me focus. She has great taste, especially when it comes to colours,” says Méchin, commending the architect.
The owner wanted a home with the charm of the beautiful old apartments in the city that amazed her during her student days. To find the perfect balance, she spent hours scrutinising the materials and colours she found appealing, especially since the island was in full lockdown.
“I was really inspired by interior designer Marianne Evennou’s colourful aesthetic and warm, Nordic-style minimalism,” shares Méchin, who also spent plenty of time drawing each room to scale in 3D with felt tips and furniture to help her husband visualise the space.
Looking for colours to create a harmonious look, both women fell in love with the paintings by the brand Bilboquet that now decorate some rooms. The entrance and storage cupboard were dressed in a warm paint paired with a cement-tile floor from Casalux, emulating a 1900s family home.
The owner wanted a home with the charm of the beautiful old apartments in the city that amazed her during her student days. To find the perfect balance, she spent hours scrutinising the materials and colours she found appealing, especially since the island was in full lockdown.
“I was really inspired by interior designer Marianne Evennou’s colourful aesthetic and warm, Nordic-style minimalism,” shares Méchin, who also spent plenty of time drawing each room to scale in 3D with felt tips and furniture to help her husband visualise the space.
Looking for colours to create a harmonious look, both women fell in love with the paintings by the brand Bilboquet that now decorate some rooms. The entrance and storage cupboard were dressed in a warm paint paired with a cement-tile floor from Casalux, emulating a 1900s family home.
The kitchen adjoining the dining area is the largest room in the house. It was deliberately placed in the centre of the building and is where the family has spent the most time since moving in. Méchin wanted to give it a cosy, rural feel using both the colours and furniture.
The couple chose the kitchen from Ikea and painted it themselves, along with the other rooms in the house. “We chose Une Petite Mousse, a khaki green colour from Bilboquet that pairs well with the slightly flambéed tiles – our starting point – and the walls we painted in the shade Cueillette,” says Méchin.
The walnut benchtops add further warmth. “The splashback is not yet installed as Marie wanted tiles from Normandy Ceramics and opted to wait until they had the budget for it rather than go for the second-best option,” says Rouland.
The walnut benchtops add further warmth. “The splashback is not yet installed as Marie wanted tiles from Normandy Ceramics and opted to wait until they had the budget for it rather than go for the second-best option,” says Rouland.
To give the kitchen authentic character, Rouland suggested terracotta flooring, which she believes adds a “holiday home” feel. She especially liked this clean, natural material as it develops a patina and becomes ever more beautiful over time. While she occasionally bought old tiles secondhand, these are new terracotta tiles made by Vendean brickworks Les Terres Cuites d’Aizenay.
Rouland also found a great solution to keep furnishing costs on the island low: “There’s a secondhand selling and trading group on Facebook called Yeu Troc,” says the architect. Bargain-hunting on this site and in one of the island’s antique shops, as well as receiving furniture from family, meant the young couple didn’t have to break the bank to furnish their home. Plus, it helped divert potential waste from landfill, proving a win-win situation.
Méchin was keen on creating a personalised gallery wall in the living area, an idea she had in mind for many years. She assembled personal items marking milestones tinged with happiness.
“There are drawings I made in art school and pages from a book of prints found by my godfather, who lives in Nantes. I got my artistic side and passion for antiquing and restoring from him. There are also a few designs by classmates,” she says.
“There are drawings I made in art school and pages from a book of prints found by my godfather, who lives in Nantes. I got my artistic side and passion for antiquing and restoring from him. There are also a few designs by classmates,” she says.
The living room is incredibly inviting, with a slightly bohemian atmosphere thanks to the use of timber and natural fibres. On the ceiling, white panelling is a concession to the island’s traditional seafront style.
The window banquette is undoubtedly the living area’s key furnishing piece. The beautiful joinery unit is made of pine and houses the pellet heater and bookcase.
“Marie sent me a location photo of a window seat before the house was even built. She insisted on having one, and we made a customised model based on her idea and excellent tips from carpenter Martin Mallet,” says Rouland.
The window banquette is undoubtedly the living area’s key furnishing piece. The beautiful joinery unit is made of pine and houses the pellet heater and bookcase.
“Marie sent me a location photo of a window seat before the house was even built. She insisted on having one, and we made a customised model based on her idea and excellent tips from carpenter Martin Mallet,” says Rouland.
Architect Lucie Rouland (left) and homeowner Marie Méchin (right).
The chaise sofa is one of the rare new furniture purchases the couple made, while the laminate flooring has a woven cotton rug with geometric patterns purchased from By Meliana, a lovely décor boutique on Île d’Yeu.
They also made a few purchases in Nantes, including the Ikat motif cushions from La Cabane de Stella, Rue de la Paix, Cyrillus stools and textiles from AM.PM.
The main bedroom has a very soft ambience with a blue-grey panelled headboard.
Designed with a 10-centimetre depth, it allows these lovely Bakelite and porcelain light switches the owner wanted to be fitted on either side.
The guest room was built on the other end of the house. It now belongs to their baby boy, born shortly after the couple moved in.
There is a clever mix of old and new styles in the bathroom with imitation cement tiles (from As de Carreaux) that extend above the bathtub. Wooden touches help to warm up the space, such as the Scandinavian-style shelf found for €10 (approximately AU$6 at time of publication) on Yeu Troc.
The owners didn’t want to use a plastic side-panel with the bath, so sourced this timber bath panel instead and painted it.
The owners didn’t want to use a plastic side-panel with the bath, so sourced this timber bath panel instead and painted it.
Méchin was specific about her preferred style of tapware, so Rouland found this retro model from Hudson Reed.
The vanity also demonstrates the architect’s ingenuity. “This Malm chest of drawers from Ikea has Prettypegs feet added and a hand-hammered mirror from Cyrillus to elevate the entire piece. With a tight budget, you need a few tricks to make something more tailored!” she says.
The vanity also demonstrates the architect’s ingenuity. “This Malm chest of drawers from Ikea has Prettypegs feet added and a hand-hammered mirror from Cyrillus to elevate the entire piece. With a tight budget, you need a few tricks to make something more tailored!” she says.
Thanks to the Balle de Match wall from Bilboquet and Casalux cement tiles with a bright motif, the small bathroom feels bright and cheerful.
Although the family are now settled in their cosy new home, Méchin will always remember the three exciting yet stressful years it took to complete the project. She now has a very positive view of this experience. “The best compliment I got was that it didn’t look like a new house. That means I accomplished my goal!” she says.
Méchin attributes a great deal of this success to Rouland, with whom she made a great team, as well as her husband for his confidence in her material and colour choices.
As for Rouland, this project taught the architect a lot, too. Since the beginning of her career, she was accustomed to thinking in terms of structure with extensions, elevations and construction work, but the Méchins’ home let her indulge her decorative flair. “Now I want to work on turnkey projects where I can go as far as the furnishing and decoration,” she says.
Your turn
What do you love about this new home? Share your thoughts in the Comments and save your favourite photos to an Ideabook. Go on, join the renovation conversation.
More
Ready for your next dose of great global design? We have your next read covered with this Germany Houzz: A Small Cabin Transformed Into a Forest Retreat
Although the family are now settled in their cosy new home, Méchin will always remember the three exciting yet stressful years it took to complete the project. She now has a very positive view of this experience. “The best compliment I got was that it didn’t look like a new house. That means I accomplished my goal!” she says.
Méchin attributes a great deal of this success to Rouland, with whom she made a great team, as well as her husband for his confidence in her material and colour choices.
As for Rouland, this project taught the architect a lot, too. Since the beginning of her career, she was accustomed to thinking in terms of structure with extensions, elevations and construction work, but the Méchins’ home let her indulge her decorative flair. “Now I want to work on turnkey projects where I can go as far as the furnishing and decoration,” she says.
Your turn
What do you love about this new home? Share your thoughts in the Comments and save your favourite photos to an Ideabook. Go on, join the renovation conversation.
More
Ready for your next dose of great global design? We have your next read covered with this Germany Houzz: A Small Cabin Transformed Into a Forest Retreat
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their baby
Location: Île d’Yeu, France
Completion date: December 2020, after one year of works
House size: 90 square metres
Land size: 489 square metres
Architect: Lucie Rouland
Builder: Maison Art Bois (Sallertaine, France)
Total budget: €250,000 including VAT (approximately AU$409,100 at time of publication)
The renovation of this 90-square-metre home took three years in total. For Marie Méchin, an interior design enthusiast who studied art in Nantes, France, this project marked a very important moment in her life, from design to on-site supervision and right up to the meticulous decoration of this her.
And Rouland, an architect and graduate in Fine Arts, was there for Méchin at every stage, proving a valuable support with her ability to engineer equations and consult on décor choices.