Estelle Kwilicki is a decorator and author Embellishment of feelings (1) published by Flammarion. An expert in color, he never denies the spirit of a place. A philosophy that can be found in the small house in Normandy that he reserves for his friends or rents out to lovers of a bucolic atmosphere.
The starting point
“A dozen years ago, we bought a house and its barn across the street in a village on the outskirts of the Cotentin. I worked hard on decorating our house, but the barn was more of a storage room. Our neighbor Gaston was a fisherman and lived in a small house next to this barn. We were friends and he provided us with our fish. When he died, his landlords taunted us for two years to get us to buy this building. We were not determined. We fell when confined to the Cotentin. Then we decided to connect the two buildings, our barn and Gaston’s house. But not only. we wanted to unite the external fronts as well. Which was nothing, because the barn is classified and this corner of the village is the most photographed even in the region, because there is a small river behind which makes the place absolutely charming.
However, our project was mandated. We were able to enlarge the existing openings that were too small, change the frames, everything was made to measure, paint the windows khaki… This interior and exterior project took two and a half years for a living space of 80 m². But it was worth it because we have exactly what we want – an annex to our main house where our passing guests, friends and family can stay. If the house is a whole, then it is also designed so that two couples can live there independently thanks to two separate entrances. We also had requests for rent, which we accept from time to time.
Living room
“You enter the drawing-room directly from the street, through the door on the left of the facade, which leads to Gaston’s former house. During the renovation, my goal was to find perspectives in this 3-meter-deep space. The opening of the garden seemed obvious to me. It was not so clear, because at the foot of this house, on the garden side, a small river flows. It was necessary to create a bridge to calculate the height of it and the new door according to the water level, which can rise with frequent rains. Another important element for me, which is one of the general threads of my work, is to preserve traces of the past, not to erase history. So we respected the beams and the walls. These were painted with lime in the same color as the exterior joints of the house. When we really had to give in, we stuck with this Shadow White shade from Farrow & Ball. This calm shade brings a touch british which I greatly appreciate and which suits the site as we are on the opposite side of the Channel Islands.
Right on the ceiling I let myself turn a little. I painted it with green, also found at Farrow & Ball. As for the layout, since the area is limited – about 17 m² – I was prepared to measure everything to the nearest centimeter. The bench, which is placed on the right side of the door opening to the garden, has a length of 2.50 m. It hides the chest for extra storage space. The large black-legged table with its oak top was also intended for this living room. On the other hand, the bench was already there. Ultimately, this house was to become a Norman shelter. therefore fire was central there. There is no real country house in this region without a fire. So we installed a beautiful stove that immediately warms the atmosphere. »
The kitchen
“It was already Gaston’s kitchen. At first it was rustic, closed and partitioned, because there was also a bathroom in this area. So we tore down the partitions, removed the false ceiling to open the kitchen to the living room. A hatch has been created as a small bar, perfect for an aperitif. The impression of grandeur is created in this kitchen thanks to the height under the ceiling and the special layout that made it possible to optimize the square meters. To the right is a desk area with a zinc credenza that I designed and made. On the left, I found a great dresser because I needed functional furniture. This dresser was also the starting point for the kitchen layout, as everything was designed to its dimensions, including the living room opening. For the floor I chose a black and bottle green checkerboard to match the ceiling, again with a little wink british. Finally, a decorative touch, hanging from the ceiling are small old boats that I fished. »
Yellow room
“It was Gaston’s old room. It can be reached via the living room staircase, an original renovated staircase that leads to a small landing. It is 15 m² but has three windows. We wanted both bedrooms to be extremely comfortable. That you feel like a small apartment, like a charming hotel room. I also wanted to preserve the traces of the past, as elsewhere. Gaston had a yellow room and I wanted to wink at this color. I used it on the window frames tied to the floral wallpaper I picked up. Below these windows I added English bases to bring a more cozy aspect. It all adds that little English “accent” that I love so much in decorating. Above the bed I chose to keep the very small opening that overlooks the garden. Both bedrooms have their own bathroom. Here, it’s a beautifully placed tub behind the glass partition we created. I love the little window that sits perfectly on this partition so you can’t see into the corner of the shower. I had a cabinet made with a checkered flap door. As for the floor, it is original, stripped and varnished by me. »
“Master Bedroom”
“We call it the master bedroom because it’s the biggest, 23 m². Convenient with independent entrance from the old barn door (you can also access it via the landing from the first bedroom). When we push open the door, we are in an entrance with floor tiles. There is also a bathroom and a small dressing room on the first floor. The staircase that starts from this room and leads to the bedroom is made to measure in shades of beige. This room has incredible volume. We have left the period frame visible, even if we redo some parts. This allows you to feel the very essence of this house. This room also had a fireplace in the Directoire style with a mantelpiece illustrated with diamonds. This fireplace and this motif were the starting point for this room. The woodwork we created includes a diamond detail.
As I explained for the living room, the fire is essential to create a warm atmosphere in the Norman style. So we installed the small stove in the fireplace, which allows us to have a fire at the foot of the bed. I chose an open space for the bathroom because I wanted you to be able to hear the crackling of the fireplace in there if you couldn’t see it. To ensure privacy at the same time, I designed a 1.60 m high partition. It serves as a headboard on the bedroom side. On the side of the bathroom, I leaned on it a storage with plaster cases. To delineate the spaces, I painted the bathroom floor a black-brown shade. The legs of the bathroom were repainted in the same color. I wanted this whole area to be quiet. This is why the common thread is beige, which is quite rare in my projects. All the walls are whitened with this shade. It was an aesthetic bias, but also a technical one, because touching the walls in any other way could cause the house to weaken.
There are so many decorative details in this room that I love. There is a big hammock in front of the fireplace. We bought it in Mexico at a great Coqui Coqui store. It is impressive and the leather tips are the same color as the frames. The curtains are sheets from Simrane that I diverted. There are no external shutters. Like the house across the street from us, I wanted to install internal shutters, but that was impossible because it required me to remove the stone window frames, which I really like. So I had to imagine a solution to replace them. Curtains were imposed, but there is no specialist in the region who can produce special rods. So I created a hanging system to hang these sheets as curtains. And it is a very beautiful option that can be admired inside and out when they are photographed.
To learn more and rent the house: @estellequilicidécoration
(1) Embellishment of emotions, 224 pages, 30 euros, Editions Flammarion.
Source: Le Figaro
