Loire Design Lab - Chapter 4: Orchestration

The Real Work Begins

If you caught our last post, you know we set ourselves the ambitious task of transforming not one, but two buildings along the banks of the Loire River. With the vision mapped out, it was clear that our first priority had to be the Design Lab space—a blank canvas brimming with potential and possibility.

Designing on paper is one thing; bringing those plans to life is another. The first real-world challenge? Assembling the right team. Our initial plan was to manage the project ourselves, but frequent transatlantic flights between France and the US quickly made that impossible. We briefly considered hiring a “maître d’oeuvre”—the French equivalent of a general contractor—but, as with everything in this journey, serendipity had other plans.

A Personal Connection, An Unexpected Gift

Shortly after purchasing our first building (the future living showroom), we lost someone dear: Marc’s father. He was the reason we even knew about this magical little French village, having discovered and invested in it decades earlier as a real estate developer. In a twist of fate, one of his properties being sold in the region needed a painter—recommended by the realtor. That painter, a skilled local artisan, often worked alongside his entrepreneurial wife, who just so happened to be a construction project management extraordinaire.

You can probably guess where this is going. Sometimes, the universe introduces you to the perfect collaborators just when you need them most. Suddenly, we had a solid foundation to our team and we were well on our way to expanding our network of artisans.

Trades Day: Orchestrating the Chaos

With a core piece of our team in place, we dove into fine-tuning the plans and, six weeks later, organized our very first Trades Day. Coordinating ten different trades for an official walkthrough and project debrief is no small feat—think of it as conducting an orchestra, with each artisan playing a vital part in the symphony of renovation.

French Permits & Local Particularities

One quirk of renovating in France: interior work usually doesn’t require permits. But touch the facade, and things get complicated—especially if your building is in a protected zone or near historical landmarks. Ours faces La Mairie (city hall) and sits just yards from a protected church, meaning even swapping out Velux windows required a detailed dossier, drone photos, and product specs.

And then there’s the matter of regional aesthetics. In France, each region requires you to stick to approved materials and color palettes. No mixing Spanish, Brutalist, and Tuscan styles here—each region has its own visual language. For us, this mainly affected the front door. Fortunately, we’d already fallen for the local favorite: sage green, which just so happens to be officially encouraged.

Crunch Time: Quotes, Budgets, and Big Decisions

After Trades Day, we spent two months gathering quotes, reviewing plans, and making tweaks. Then came the least glamorous part of any renovation: analyzing the numbers. As designers, we’re used to guiding clients through this process, but being in the hot seat ourselves was a new—and humbling—experience.

With most trades not available before fall and winter, we had to make some tough, grown-up decisions in the final days before leaving France for the month of August vacances. The biggest? We chose to phase the living showroom project, focusing first on the ground and first floors, while leaving the uncertain third floor for later (more on that in a future post). It was a strategic move that allowed us to channel our energy into the some of the most impactful transformations first.

Stay tuned as we dive into the design choices that are turning our vision into reality—one carefully considered detail at a time.