Houzz Tour: Earthy Hues and Texture Add Character to a New Home
Before and after photos show how a designer brought character into a modern property without breaking the bank
Agnès Carpentier
24 February 2023
Leaving her apartment in Nantes, France, to be closer to the sea, Marie Guédon settled into a new home near the town of Pornic with her family in August 2019. To save money and also enjoy working on a project together, the designer and her husband decided to renovate their newly acquired 2000s detached house themselves in an updated version of coastal style.
“We weren’t apprehensive at all, since we’d worked on our last apartment,” Marie says. “I have loads of ideas, and my husband loves executing them.”
“We weren’t apprehensive at all, since we’d worked on our last apartment,” Marie says. “I have loads of ideas, and my husband loves executing them.”
House at a Glance
Who lives here? Interior designer Marie Guédon and her family
Location Pornic, France
Property A modern detached house
Size Three bedrooms; 96 sq m plus a 14 sq m garage
Designer Marie Guédon of Home by Marie
Project duration Two years (September 2019 to September 2021)
Budget (including furniture) €22,000 (around £19,500)
Photos by Marie Guédon
Although Marie had moved to London for her previous career in tourism, she eventually decided to reconnect with her roots. So when she bought her first family home in Nantes, she decided to renovate it with her husband, and got a painter-decorator qualification along the way.
At the same time, she began recording moments in the renovation and sharing her accomplishments and discoveries on her blog, Home by Marie. She had a lot of discussions with her followers, and some became clients, which is how she’s since helped dozens more families to feel at home.
“Houzz was also instrumental in my journey after setting up as an interior decorator; my visibility got a major boost. I’ve been hired 22 times so far through the platform,” she says.
Who lives here? Interior designer Marie Guédon and her family
Location Pornic, France
Property A modern detached house
Size Three bedrooms; 96 sq m plus a 14 sq m garage
Designer Marie Guédon of Home by Marie
Project duration Two years (September 2019 to September 2021)
Budget (including furniture) €22,000 (around £19,500)
Photos by Marie Guédon
Although Marie had moved to London for her previous career in tourism, she eventually decided to reconnect with her roots. So when she bought her first family home in Nantes, she decided to renovate it with her husband, and got a painter-decorator qualification along the way.
At the same time, she began recording moments in the renovation and sharing her accomplishments and discoveries on her blog, Home by Marie. She had a lot of discussions with her followers, and some became clients, which is how she’s since helped dozens more families to feel at home.
“Houzz was also instrumental in my journey after setting up as an interior decorator; my visibility got a major boost. I’ve been hired 22 times so far through the platform,” she says.
A few miles from the Atlantic Ocean on a housing development bordering the forest, this detached house, built in 2008, offers beautiful spaces and pleasant single-storey living.
The home’s layout, with its large living area and three bedrooms, was just what the family needed, so the floor plan remained almost exactly the same. “We knocked down the semi-partition in the kitchen to the left of the entrance so it would open onto the living room. And I’m currently moving my office to the garage,” Marie says.
The couple set up the nursery in what used to be Marie’s office to welcome a new arrival: the couple already had a three-year-old son and were expecting a new baby when this article was written.
Ready to renovate? Find all the people you need in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
The home’s layout, with its large living area and three bedrooms, was just what the family needed, so the floor plan remained almost exactly the same. “We knocked down the semi-partition in the kitchen to the left of the entrance so it would open onto the living room. And I’m currently moving my office to the garage,” Marie says.
The couple set up the nursery in what used to be Marie’s office to welcome a new arrival: the couple already had a three-year-old son and were expecting a new baby when this article was written.
Ready to renovate? Find all the people you need in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
The house was built relatively recently, but felt older due to the outdated and poor-quality finishes.
Removing the arch and partitions in the kitchen the day after the move immediately restored the large, 50 sq m living area’s light and modernity.
In terms of the design, Marie had three months between when the offer was accepted and handover to picture herself in the new home and think about decor. “It’s not easy being limited to one style as a professional, since we see and want many different things, but talking to my husband about what we really wanted helped define our concept,” she says. Sea, nature, and a family-friendly and timeless design were key priorities.
Marie also knew exactly what she didn’t want. “We ruled out black and contrasts, as they’re reserved for really modern homes, and contrast gets boring very quickly,” she says. “Typical blue and white seaside decor was also off limits. Besides, in the Loire-Atlantique [the ‘department’ where Pornic is located], the sea is more green.”
To infuse warmth and charm into a house that was lacking both, Marie relied on natural tones and one of her design staples. “For contemporary spaces that don’t have any appealing architectural details, my key rule is to add texture,” she says.
With this in mind, she swapped the floor tiles for pale oak boards. “Replacing the tiles was one of the major expenses, but it changed not only the aesthetics but also the insulation and acoustics,” she says. “It’s nice to walk around barefoot, and my son can play on the floor without creating an echo.”
In terms of the design, Marie had three months between when the offer was accepted and handover to picture herself in the new home and think about decor. “It’s not easy being limited to one style as a professional, since we see and want many different things, but talking to my husband about what we really wanted helped define our concept,” she says. Sea, nature, and a family-friendly and timeless design were key priorities.
Marie also knew exactly what she didn’t want. “We ruled out black and contrasts, as they’re reserved for really modern homes, and contrast gets boring very quickly,” she says. “Typical blue and white seaside decor was also off limits. Besides, in the Loire-Atlantique [the ‘department’ where Pornic is located], the sea is more green.”
To infuse warmth and charm into a house that was lacking both, Marie relied on natural tones and one of her design staples. “For contemporary spaces that don’t have any appealing architectural details, my key rule is to add texture,” she says.
With this in mind, she swapped the floor tiles for pale oak boards. “Replacing the tiles was one of the major expenses, but it changed not only the aesthetics but also the insulation and acoustics,” she says. “It’s nice to walk around barefoot, and my son can play on the floor without creating an echo.”
Here’s the view of the kitchen from the living room when the partitions were still intact.
Marie was especially keen on renovating the kitchen, as she’d had a dream design in mind for many years. “Ever since my time in London, I’ve been a huge fan of the Classic English Kitchen by deVOL. Since that was not within our budget, we did the best with what we had,” she says.
The couple opted for a solid-wood Ikea kitchen and customised it with green paint and brass handles. In keeping with her trick of adding texture and contrasting matt and glossy finishes, Marie finished the splashback in zellige tiles laid edge to edge.
They thought about getting a quartz worktop, but for budget reasons decided to postpone this purchase until a later date and fall back on laminate in the meantime.
The couple opted for a solid-wood Ikea kitchen and customised it with green paint and brass handles. In keeping with her trick of adding texture and contrasting matt and glossy finishes, Marie finished the splashback in zellige tiles laid edge to edge.
They thought about getting a quartz worktop, but for budget reasons decided to postpone this purchase until a later date and fall back on laminate in the meantime.
This photo went viral on both Marie’s social media pages and on Houzz, where it’s sure to inspire kitchen renovations for years to come. She was amazed by the response. It goes to show, she says, that “it’s possible to create the kitchen of your dreams with a reasonable budget and the right idea”.
For her, success lies in balancing colour and natural materials, as well as creating a dialogue between the right angles of the kitchen cabinets and a circular dining area. “We had a rectangular table to start with, but I changed it since it looked too sharp,” she says.
For her, success lies in balancing colour and natural materials, as well as creating a dialogue between the right angles of the kitchen cabinets and a circular dining area. “We had a rectangular table to start with, but I changed it since it looked too sharp,” she says.
The couple moved into the house with their 12-month-old son, planning to settle in slowly and renovate over time. However, the existing wood-burning stove didn’t work, disrupting their plans. “We ended up having to prepare the living room walls in a hurry, so we could replace it, and since we wanted a new floor, we had to complete the kitchen renovation,” Marie recalls.
Since the stove is the only source of heat in the living area, the couple chose a programmable pellet model for its flexibility and performance, and because it has some sustainability advantages, which is important to Marie. The bedrooms were fitted with radiators.
Since the stove is the only source of heat in the living area, the couple chose a programmable pellet model for its flexibility and performance, and because it has some sustainability advantages, which is important to Marie. The bedrooms were fitted with radiators.
The living room corner, which now radiates a sense of tranquillity, was first subtly reworked with paint. “The paint on the walls is Strong White by Farrow & Ball, an earthy colour that adds a lot of warmth,” Marie says. The skirting boards and doors were painted in a slightly darker tone (Skimming Stone), a pinkish-brown similar to the splashback tiles.
“We fell in love with the home’s location, which is close to the sea and on the outskirts of woodland, giving it a Zen ambience. We made a conscious effort to bring that atmosphere into the home to extend that experience,” she says.
“We fell in love with the home’s location, which is close to the sea and on the outskirts of woodland, giving it a Zen ambience. We made a conscious effort to bring that atmosphere into the home to extend that experience,” she says.
To achieve the desired “beach-, family- and holiday-home feel,” Marie found a large display cabinet online painted in distressed sea green, which she fell in love with. Most of the other pieces were already in the couple’s previous apartment. “I love furniture with a story behind it,” she says.
The house is partitioned into daytime and nighttime areas. From the spacious living room, a corridor leads to the bedrooms and bathrooms.
Since the house’s entrance is gravelled, the couple chose an oil finish for the oak flooring. “Finished wooden floors hate scratches!” Marie says. She maintains it with savon noir, a traditional, plant-based, often olive-based, soap used for household cleaning (not to be confused with what is known as ‘black soap’ in English, which refers to a soap made out of ash) enriched with linseed oil. She applies this every year to nurture the wood.
“Ideally, you should oil it once a month, but we’ve been doing it less frequently due to time constraints,” she says. “It’s not a big deal; the floorboards still look good and develop a patina.”
Since the house’s entrance is gravelled, the couple chose an oil finish for the oak flooring. “Finished wooden floors hate scratches!” Marie says. She maintains it with savon noir, a traditional, plant-based, often olive-based, soap used for household cleaning (not to be confused with what is known as ‘black soap’ in English, which refers to a soap made out of ash) enriched with linseed oil. She applies this every year to nurture the wood.
“Ideally, you should oil it once a month, but we’ve been doing it less frequently due to time constraints,” she says. “It’s not a big deal; the floorboards still look good and develop a patina.”
The headboard was initially against a different wall, which broke up the flow of the room. Marie preferred to have the bed face the window to make the most of the light.
Rotating the headboard by 90 degrees meant they had to completely rethink the wiring. “We decided to install solid pine panelling on the headboard and created bracketed joists on the bottom to insert the power sockets,” Marie says.
Marie also redesigned the wardrobe, finishing the Ikea Pax model in 10cm slats cut into medium-sized boards and then painted to match the ridges on the headboard.“This hack is inexpensive but quite time-consuming,” she says.
His room has now been transformed. The metal bed, an antique replica, is convertible. The rest of the furniture is affordable so it can be replaced as the boy grows up.
Marie set up a play tent with a base, which she thought would be more practical than a canopy. She reused the baby mattress to make the interior even more comfortable.
Marie set up a play tent with a base, which she thought would be more practical than a canopy. She reused the baby mattress to make the interior even more comfortable.
A fond memory set the tone for the decoration. “When we arrived,” Marie says, “the first animals my son mimicked were fish, hence the whale wallpaper. We still chose a design that wasn’t too childish, so we can keep it over the years.”
These doors inspired Marie to give the room more character with mock wainscotting. “I did this during full lockdown. I added a [dado rail] and used the leftovers of a can of grey-green paint from our old flat,” she says.
The hallway was one of the transformations that Marie liked the most. “Usually people aren’t daring when decorating a hallway, but that’s where you can have the most fun and enjoy yourself,” she says.
The challenge was to liven up this narrow space without furniture. She added more wainscotting on the walls, made out of wooden panels that were glued on and painted.
The challenge was to liven up this narrow space without furniture. She added more wainscotting on the walls, made out of wooden panels that were glued on and painted.
She searched long and hard for wallpaper to decorate the top half of the wall, and fell for this floral pattern. “It’s incredible! Once it was up, it created movement – like fish swimming in the sea,” she says.
After a few months of living with the original bathroom, Marie felt it could be improved. The couple managed to fit in a walk-in shower, freestanding bath and 120cm double washbasin cabinet in the 6 sq m space. Their secret? “We opted for a high but short bathtub, which is perfect for kids,” she says.
Here, too, Marie used texture to bring charm to the space. “I opted for star- and cross-shaped zellige tiles for one section of the wall; I found the pattern a long time ago. With the teak flooring and jewelled brass details, it’s like being in a spa,” she says.
Here, too, Marie used texture to bring charm to the space. “I opted for star- and cross-shaped zellige tiles for one section of the wall; I found the pattern a long time ago. With the teak flooring and jewelled brass details, it’s like being in a spa,” she says.
Marie painted this functional, basic cabinet from Ikea. “I can’t think of a furniture piece we didn’t paint,” she says.
Marie turned the third bedroom into her office, but she’ll soon have to move to the garage to make room for the new baby. “We’re also thinking about creating an extension to enlarge the living room and create a dining area with a bench,” she says.
The trestle desk was made at minimal cost with a board taken from an old coffee table placed on two Ikea stands. Marie already owned the chest of drawers at the back. “It’s an old Ikea Hemnes painted solid-wood chest of drawers. I scraped it down and gave it a patina,” she says.
The trestle desk was made at minimal cost with a board taken from an old coffee table placed on two Ikea stands. Marie already owned the chest of drawers at the back. “It’s an old Ikea Hemnes painted solid-wood chest of drawers. I scraped it down and gave it a patina,” she says.
Marie had a few tricks up her sleeve to bring more warmth into her workspace. She painted the walls in Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball, an earthy shade. She also layered two rugs on the floor, another English design trick that she often uses to give spaces a cosy feel.
Finally, she refurbished the lighting with a pendant above the desk, making it ideal for working, and wall lights for a welcoming touch.
“I love helping others to bring charm to their homes which, like mine, had none to begin with” Marie says. “I consider not only aesthetics but also practicality. I’m also passionate about enhancing heritage pieces and making sure they can be reused.”
Tell us…
What do you like about this home transformation? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Finally, she refurbished the lighting with a pendant above the desk, making it ideal for working, and wall lights for a welcoming touch.
“I love helping others to bring charm to their homes which, like mine, had none to begin with” Marie says. “I consider not only aesthetics but also practicality. I’m also passionate about enhancing heritage pieces and making sure they can be reused.”
Tell us…
What do you like about this home transformation? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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An amazing transformation!
Gorgeous! Marie would you mind sharing what paint / colour you used for your kitchen cupboards? Many thanks
Love this home. Beautifully done and just shows you can put together a stunning home with not a massive budget. This home is modern and fresh and appeals to today's style. Love how the lady has styled it all. Like the comments above, no wonder she is successful designer in her own right after seeing her own beautiful home