Loire Design Lab - Chapter 5: Reality Check
Aug 20, 2025
Dreaming Within Constraints
As we geared up for the construction phase of our Loire Valley renovation, we finalized key design decisions that would set the stage for structural transformations. This is always one of the most exhilarating steps: the moment where ideas leap from paper into stone, timber, and tile.
We pushed ourselves to imagine what was possible while also honoring the constraints of the home’s compact footprint. Fortunately, limitations are fertile ground for good design. In fact, our most creative solutions often emerge when we work within boundaries.
Designing Flow and Flexibility in a Small French Home
Two priorities guided our design phase:
Creating a sense of space, even without added square footage. We wanted the home’s interior to feel larger, lighter, and more versatile.
Establishing the right flow throughout. With this historical home’s quirky floor plan, decades of patchwork additions, and multiple levels, making the spaces “speak” to one another was essential.
Big Moves and Bold Shifts
To achieve this, we embraced a series of architectural transformations:
Widening openings to improve sightlines and circulation.
Raising the ceiling to the roofline wherever possible, introducing light and spaciousness.
Adding skylights (Velux windows) which is a sustainable design strategy common in Europe but still rare in American homes.
Moving the existing second-story bathroom (once the only room with a Loire River view!) to a new, more discreet location.
Removing unnecessary wall framing and odd steps, the hallmarks of more than a century of “make-do solutions.”
These interventions required a delicate balance of preserving historic character while transforming a house into a brighter, more livable home.
The Joys (and Surprises) of a Century-Old Home
Every renovation has its mysteries. In this home, we secretly hoped to uncover hidden treasures: an original mantel, perhaps, or surviving historic flooring. Spoiler alert: we didn’t!
But fortune rewarded us elsewhere. Beneath layers of plaster, we uncovered a beautiful limestone pillar made of local tuffeau, a stone synonymous with the Loire Valley. Though in need of restoration, our mason honored the craftsmanship of this structural element and gave it new life. Today, it stands proudly on display, a tangible link between the home’s past and future.
Rethinking the French Kitchen
One of our greatest challenges — and opportunities — was the small, dismal kitchen. To reimagine it, we began by expanding the passageway to the living room, careful to keep both spaces distinct, since fully open floor plans are far less common in France than in the U.S. From there, we raised the kitchen’s extremely low ceiling all the way to the roofline, creating an immediate sense of volume and airiness. Finally, we introduced three skylights, transforming what had once been a gloomy corner into the light-filled heart of the home.
An American Idea, French Stone Walls
Perhaps the boldest move was upstairs: relocating the bathroom and rethinking its function. The original bathroom occupied the only space with a view of the Loire River, which was a frustrating waste of prime real estate.
Our solution? An all-American invention making its French debut: the Jack-and-Jill bathroom.
Though common in U.S. homes, none of our artisans had ever built one. Breaking through a two-foot, load-bearing stone wall to create the passage was no easy feat, but the team rose to the challenge. The result is a beautifully executed connection between the two second-floor bedrooms and a perfect marriage of French craftsmanship and American design ingenuity.
Matching Dreams to Reality
This phase tested the harmony between imagination and execution, and we’re happy to report that we achieved most of our structural goals exactly as planned.
The home is still unapologetically French: layered, historic, full of quirks. But it now offers the flow, light, and comfort that make it a joy to experience. For us, that balance of preservation and transformation is the essence of design.
✨ Coming next in the Loire Design Lab series: We’ll dive into the finishes and material palette, where we continue bridging French tradition with modern design solutions.
