Modern Barn Conversion Oozing Luxe Simplicity
When New Zealand fashion designer Charmaine and her husband Paul decided to relocated to southern France they weren’t just moving their life to another country, they were also taking on a big challenge.
The couple had discovered a 250-year-old derelict barn sitting on 3 acres in the medieval town of Uzes that they decided to covert into a family home. Having lived in London, the European lifestyle wasn’t foreign to them, but moving into a crumbling old building with no floors or kitchen at 8 months pregnant was a different experience altogether.
However, the hard work paid off. Charmaine set out to renovate the home which echoed Contemporary New Zealand architecture while embracing the barn’s historic past. The design aesthetic mixes together old, rough, and smooth textures of sand-blasted beams, rustic stone walls and modern stone tiles.
The attention to detail is visible everywhere from the bespoke door frames and the exposed staircase, to the black-waxed concrete benches and glossy cabinetry.
We can appreciate the skill it requires to take the interior of a neglected barn and convert it into an inviting, modern space that combines laid back luxury with an earthy, natural aesthetic.
Photography by Bob Smith for Living Etc