After spending nearly two decades in and around Paris, Isabelle and Patrice longed for a reprieve from the hustle and bustle, or “Métro, Boulot, Dodo,” as the Parisians say—“commute, work, sleep.” Setting their sights on Caen in the country’s northwest, the couple opted for a rental at first, hoping they would find their dream home quickly. After a year of searching, however, they realized they might need to build rather than renovate. So in 2018, when they visited a multistory stone house, expectations were low—and largely proven correct. The home, much like the neighborhood, was rebuilt in the 1950s following WWII, and its multiple levels didn’t suit the couple’s lifestyle. But when they stepped into the property’s back yard, which abuts a former limestone quarry, the couple and their two daughters were immediately smitten. “We went into the garden, and I think all four of us said, ‘We want to live here, not there,’” Isabelle says with a laugh, pointing to the stone house, which they now rent out. Once they decided to move forward with the new build, the couple enlisted the help of @jean_baptiste_barache of Arba-. The team soon began thinking about the structure from the top down rather than the ground up, and from there conceived the single-story home’s unique roof which addressed city height restrictions while also creating space for a lofted art studio. All in all, it’s a pretty brilliant home—and exactly what they sought out to find. See more photos at the link in our bio, or in our latest issue.
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Photos by @jeremieleon
Story by Bennett DiDonna
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