Compartimos este artículo de la revista Magazine URBANNE sobre el proyecto Beautour en Vertou, un proyecto de interiorismo en vivienda de los años 20 centrado en su reforma integral.
On the outskirts of Nantes, in the Beautour neighbourhood in Vertou, a small 1920s house has been completely renovated under the direction of interior architect Marie Ararà. The Beautour Project is a perfect example of a bold vision meeting a renovation that respects the soul of the place.
"It all started when we met a young couple, full of energy and ideas, who had just bought this house to rethink it from top to bottom," says the interior architect. The house — dark, damp and heavily partitioned — had two major problems: on one hand, the waterproofing work needed to stop water infiltration from the roof; on the other, a complete reorganisation of the interior volumes to bring air and light back into a space that felt stifling.
Marie Ararà decided to start from scratch. "Waterproof, tear down, open up the spaces... We had to let the light in and bring out this house's full potential — something I never doubted for a single moment," she explains, smiling.
The first phase involved knocking down partition walls, removing false ceilings and taking out the old window and door frames. Load-bearing walls were opened up, following consultation with a structural engineer, while the structure and roof were completely rebuilt, incorporating skylights to fill the spaces with natural light. The exterior openings were enlarged to fit bigger frames, bringing even more light indoors.
A new layout for a transformed home
Once cleared of partitions, the house revealed its full potential. "The magic worked. Bathed in light, the spaces transformed before our eyes, and the future residents could already picture themselves living there," Marie Ararà says happily.
To preserve the spirit of the house, she carefully restored the original features. The parquet floors, once sanded, regained their shine, bringing a warm feel to every floor. The encaustic tiles, patiently restored, guided the decorative choices — in particular a deep blue that becomes the signature colour of this renovation. It appears behind the kitchen, in the laundry room, and upstairs, on the headboard and in the bathroom.
The light-toned wood, present throughout the project, pairs beautifully with this deep blue, creating a soft, contemporary atmosphere. Every corner has been optimised with bespoke furniture, as shown by the clever work nook under the staircase, with a light wood cabinet that is one of the architect's signatures.
An exterior in continuity with the interior
The house has a modest, but highly desirable and entirely necessary, outdoor space. Its design was not left to chance. True to her way of working, Marie Ararà created an outdoor space in perfect harmony with the renovated house. "The clients made this space their own right away, developing their own way of living in it," she smiles.
Thank you to the owners for opening the doors of their magnificent renovation to us.
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