Renovation of a grange
The building is located in the French village of Chevry, at the border with Switzerland.
Originally it was a barn, in the context of a small agricultural complex.
The grange, already converted into a house during the '80s, had to be transformed by a project with contemporary identity while maintaining its original peculiarities.
The house is spread over two floors and an attic, visually united by a double height that creates a magnificent open space.
The building is located in the French village of Chevry, in the department of Ain in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, at the border with Switzerland.
Originally it was a barn, in the context of a small agricultural complex.
As required by the owners, the grange, already converted into a house during the '80s, had to be transformed by a project with contemporary identity while maintaining its original peculiarities: the local stone building (such as Burgundy stone) of the external walls, the wood of the internal vertical structural and of the attic.
The house is spread over two floors and an attic, visually united by a double height that creates a magnificent open space.
The main entrance overlooks the private inner courtyard. On this front the façade recalls its past agricultural use thanks to the design of a large portal, which has now been transformed into a fixed window, thus creating an interesting dialogue between the courtyard and the living room. The floor is still in the original stone. A decorative tapestry hides the service rooms.
The ground floor consists of a large bright space. A darkened wooden staircase connects the ground floor to a large sleeping area. An iron-staircase leads to the attic of the building.
The whole structure is surrounded by enormous iron windows framing the magnificent surrounding landscape. The view and perspective towards the garden become an integral part of the interior.
The suspended and rotating iron fireplace welcomes guests in the living area while still creating space continuity along the height of the rooms, through the iron mezzanine, up to the attic.
The use of natural délabré plaster for the walls simulates the effect of time passing, attenuating the original colors, giving warmth to the room due to the soft reflection of the light in the space.
On the first floor, darker shades of color and a natural oak floor have been chosen to create a more intimate and welcoming environment within the rooms. The effect creates a significant contrast with the lighter colored bedrooms.
