A French Farm Gets Fixed Up for a Family of 14
Nineteenth-century farm buildings become a comfortable, bright and modern vacation getaway for a multigenerational group
Agnès Carpentier
29. september 2018
Bertrand Dupuis’ mother wanted a country house where her big family could vacation together. It took three years for her dream to be realized. First they had to find the ideal home, which wasn’t easy: In addition to Dupuis and his mother, it had to comfortably accommodate his wife, his two sisters and their husbands, and seven children. Then they had to renovate what they eventually found — a farm dating to 1863 in Sarthe, France. Dupuis spearheaded the house hunt and helped general contractor Édouard Cottin manage the gargantuan renovation efforts.
Photos by Victor Grandgeorge
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Bertrand Dupuis, his mother, his two sisters and their husbands, and seven children
Location: Sarthe, France, about 135 miles southwest of Paris
Size: 4,844 square feet (450 square meters), consisting of a 2,153-square-foot house, a 1,076-square-foot sheepfold and a 1,615-square-foot “chapel”
General contractor: Édouard Cottin of Les Chantiers Cottin
“We all live in Paris or its inner suburbs. My mother first started looking around Deauville [in Normandy]. She was looking for a house with at least eight rooms and with no immediate neighbors, though she didn’t want it to be completely isolated,” Dupuis says. “We couldn’t find anything in this area, but in the process, we realized that we didn’t want one single house. In France, properties with eight rooms or more are huge and look like cold bourgeois buildings or small castles. We’d seen a hundred properties before we finally discovered this late-19th-century farm in Sarthe — two hours from Paris by car — which is made up of several buildings.”
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Bertrand Dupuis, his mother, his two sisters and their husbands, and seven children
Location: Sarthe, France, about 135 miles southwest of Paris
Size: 4,844 square feet (450 square meters), consisting of a 2,153-square-foot house, a 1,076-square-foot sheepfold and a 1,615-square-foot “chapel”
General contractor: Édouard Cottin of Les Chantiers Cottin
“We all live in Paris or its inner suburbs. My mother first started looking around Deauville [in Normandy]. She was looking for a house with at least eight rooms and with no immediate neighbors, though she didn’t want it to be completely isolated,” Dupuis says. “We couldn’t find anything in this area, but in the process, we realized that we didn’t want one single house. In France, properties with eight rooms or more are huge and look like cold bourgeois buildings or small castles. We’d seen a hundred properties before we finally discovered this late-19th-century farm in Sarthe — two hours from Paris by car — which is made up of several buildings.”
Behind the bocce court is the longère, a traditional French farmstead where the outbuildings are in a row. In one consists of five buildings: the pool house, the barn, a structure nicknamed the “chapel,” the sheepfold and the main house.
“It was ideal because we wanted to spend as much time as possible with the family but also have our own separate spots so we could have alone time if necessary and stick to our own habits. We don’t all go to sleep at the same time, for example,” Dupuis says. “The property was in very bad condition when the former owner bought it in 2003, and he did a lot of work on it. But there were still a lot of problems when we bought it, and it needed more repairs than we had expected.”
“It was ideal because we wanted to spend as much time as possible with the family but also have our own separate spots so we could have alone time if necessary and stick to our own habits. We don’t all go to sleep at the same time, for example,” Dupuis says. “The property was in very bad condition when the former owner bought it in 2003, and he did a lot of work on it. But there were still a lot of problems when we bought it, and it needed more repairs than we had expected.”
One of Dupuis’ brothers-in-law is an architect, and he drew up the plans for the renovation. He then put the family in touch with Cottin, who specializes in construction management: He does not run his own building company but instead selects professionals according to the needs of the client and manages them throughout the project. He managed the work along with Dupuis, who acted as the family’s representative. The renovations were carried out in two six-month periods over two years and were completed in 2017. The budget for the project was about $290,000, excluding the windows, garden and fence.
“The challenge in this project was passing my client’s instructions on to several companies with nothing getting lost in the process. I then had to coordinate with a local company on the plumbing and electricity while working with another company in Paris for the insulation,” Cottin says.
“The insulation was the heart of the project because we wanted a house that would be easy to close and open up and that would have low utility costs,” Dupuis says. “We were burned by my grandmother’s family’s house in Sologne [in central France], which swallows up money and is so difficult to open up that we stopped going there on weekends.
“We decided to insulate everything in this farm with glass wool and thin insulation. To avoid being dependent on fossil fuels, the main house has been equipped with an air-to-air heat pump, and the other buildings have electric radiators by Verlec that use very little energy and can be switched on by smartphone when we’re setting out from Paris. It’s very convenient.”
The utility costs are about $3,300 per year for water, electricity and heating. “At the end of the day, this farm is cheaper to heat than my [2,153-square-foot] apartment in Boulogne,” Dupuis says.
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“The challenge in this project was passing my client’s instructions on to several companies with nothing getting lost in the process. I then had to coordinate with a local company on the plumbing and electricity while working with another company in Paris for the insulation,” Cottin says.
“The insulation was the heart of the project because we wanted a house that would be easy to close and open up and that would have low utility costs,” Dupuis says. “We were burned by my grandmother’s family’s house in Sologne [in central France], which swallows up money and is so difficult to open up that we stopped going there on weekends.
“We decided to insulate everything in this farm with glass wool and thin insulation. To avoid being dependent on fossil fuels, the main house has been equipped with an air-to-air heat pump, and the other buildings have electric radiators by Verlec that use very little energy and can be switched on by smartphone when we’re setting out from Paris. It’s very convenient.”
The utility costs are about $3,300 per year for water, electricity and heating. “At the end of the day, this farm is cheaper to heat than my [2,153-square-foot] apartment in Boulogne,” Dupuis says.
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The Main House
Dupuis’ mother lives in the main house year-round, and one of her daughters also stays here when she’s on vacation. The rest of the family sleeps in other buildings.
The entrance to the main house leads to the living room, on the right, and the large kitchen-dining room, out of view on the left. It was completely redone and furnished with items the family already owned, vintage finds and contemporary touches.
Upstairs are the mother’s master bedroom with en suite and the bedroom suite used by her oldest daughter and her family.
Dupuis’ mother lives in the main house year-round, and one of her daughters also stays here when she’s on vacation. The rest of the family sleeps in other buildings.
The entrance to the main house leads to the living room, on the right, and the large kitchen-dining room, out of view on the left. It was completely redone and furnished with items the family already owned, vintage finds and contemporary touches.
Upstairs are the mother’s master bedroom with en suite and the bedroom suite used by her oldest daughter and her family.
A chandelier adds drama to the staircase. It is made up of several pendant lights with glass shades at varying heights.
The layout and colors were largely chosen by Dupuis’ wife, who is passionate about decor. “It was difficult for her to assert herself within the family, and at first it was a little hard for her to feel like she had the right to make suggestions. But we finally came around to her ideas because she is very skilled,” he says.
The layout and colors were largely chosen by Dupuis’ wife, who is passionate about decor. “It was difficult for her to assert herself within the family, and at first it was a little hard for her to feel like she had the right to make suggestions. But we finally came around to her ideas because she is very skilled,” he says.
Before: The beams, furniture and floor tiles made the magnificent 592-square-foot living room very dark.
After: The new owners brightened up the room with sanded beams, contemporary furniture and a light oak floor. Paired with the two large black floor lamps, the exposed I-beam gives the space a less rustic and more modern look.
The door at the back right of the room leads to a laundry room, boiler room and secret playroom. “The kids are all under 10 years old. There they are not too far from the adults — and even a little too close sometimes,” Dupuis says jokingly.
The door at the back right of the room leads to a laundry room, boiler room and secret playroom. “The kids are all under 10 years old. There they are not too far from the adults — and even a little too close sometimes,” Dupuis says jokingly.
In the living room, the old oak bookcase was replaced with a more modern, custom-made MDF shelving unit, which was painted blue.
Before: This is the way the other side of the living room looked before the remodel.
After: The sitting area is still arranged around the fireplace, but Dupuis isn’t quite satisfied with this setup. “I don’t think the library area is highlighted enough, and it’s isolated” from the rest of the room, he says. “I wish it only had two sofas and a more contemporary table than this one, which I brought back from Bali. This would bring back the room’s original spacious feel.”
Dupuis also wants to move the TV and put a bar in the corner instead. “The right side of the chimney is curved. We are looking for a way to enhance this feature while placing a nice piece of furniture here for storing an ice machine and the things we need for aperitifs,” he says.
The refurbishments never end and, in this family, there are always discussions about the decor.
The refurbishments never end and, in this family, there are always discussions about the decor.
Before: To the left of the entrance was the old kitchen with its fireplace, shown here during the renovation just after the floor had been leveled.
After: The family members were unanimous in their decision to have only one big kitchen. Although they all enjoy their privacy, the goal was to spend a lot of time together, especially over meals.
They went for high-end, matte blue kitchen cabinetry and a cement tile floor. It was installed by Créa-Cuisine.
These Kitchens Do Blue Cabinetry Just Right
These Kitchens Do Blue Cabinetry Just Right
Dupuis and his wife love to cook, especially when the whole family gets together. They are happy with the layout of the kitchen, which offers the perfect amount of storage.
Before: This is how the former owner had laid out the second-floor master bedroom.
After: “It was a gigantic space, and at first my sisters were going to split it in two. But we thought about it and reached the conclusion that, in case of resale, it would be important to have a beautiful master bedroom in a house like this,” Dupuis says.
Not to mention that his mom, who initiated this extraordinary project, deserved to have a dream room!
Not to mention that his mom, who initiated this extraordinary project, deserved to have a dream room!
Before: The bed originally stood against the partition wall in the middle of the room.
After: Dupuis’ mother preferred another arrangement, so the bed now sits against the shortest attic wall. They painted the space a blue that complements the sanded yellow beams, and they covered the floor with new wall-to-wall carpeting.
The partition hides a walk-in closet from view.
Before: The bedroom already had an en suite.
After: The team enlarged it and turned it into an extension of the dressing room, leaving the bedroom with a beautiful view of the freestanding tub. There is also a large walk-in shower.
Browse freestanding tubs
Browse freestanding tubs
Before: Here is another one of the upstairs bedrooms before the remodel.
After: The three renovated rooms above the large kitchen-dining room on the second floor were taken over by Dupuis’ oldest sister and her family. Shown from left to right are the children’s room, master bedroom and bathroom.
Before: The children’s room was originally part of the hallway.
After: It was closed off to accommodate the two older children. The beautiful wooden framework helps partially partition the bed areas. A bargain-hunted desk, repainted yellow, brings a nice contrast to the walls’ new blue paint.
The parents — that is, Dupuis’ sister and her husband — sleep next door.
Before: This is what the adjacent bathroom originally looked like.
After: The fixtures stayed in the same place, so the plumbing didn’t need to be altered. Cement tiles, a new vanity and a blue ceiling give the space character.
The Sheepfold
This unusually shaped building, whose roof almost touches the ground on one side, once served as a sheepfold. It has two entrances, one on the left at the top of a staircase, and the other at the back.
“The building was very charming, and both of my sisters wanted it. I had to fight to assert my job as supervisor of the renovation,” Dupuis says jokingly.
This unusually shaped building, whose roof almost touches the ground on one side, once served as a sheepfold. It has two entrances, one on the left at the top of a staircase, and the other at the back.
“The building was very charming, and both of my sisters wanted it. I had to fight to assert my job as supervisor of the renovation,” Dupuis says jokingly.
Before: The staircase on the left side of the building led to this magnificent wood-framed space.
After: Dupuis turned this room into a master bedroom. “We owe the curry and gray-blue color scheme to my wife. She came up with this idea and got additional encouragement from a professional from Ressource, which she needed because yellow is always a scary color. Before we had applied all three layers of paint — which illuminate the space incredibly — it looked horrible,” he says.
Insulation was a key challenge in this project, especially in the sheepfold. “To bring it up to standards, local companies suggested that we install [2 feet] of glass wool on the ceiling in two crossed layers,” Dupuis says. “This would have covered the beautiful wooden framework. That’s why we got help from a Parisian company, who were able to lay down [1⅓ feet] of glass wool, combined with a 16-layer sheet of aluminum insulation as a vapor barrier.”
Insulation was a key challenge in this project, especially in the sheepfold. “To bring it up to standards, local companies suggested that we install [2 feet] of glass wool on the ceiling in two crossed layers,” Dupuis says. “This would have covered the beautiful wooden framework. That’s why we got help from a Parisian company, who were able to lay down [1⅓ feet] of glass wool, combined with a 16-layer sheet of aluminum insulation as a vapor barrier.”
As in the main house, the bed went against one of the short walls. The carved headboard is painted MDF.
The switches, outlets and lights are black, as they are elsewhere on the property.
Before: The entrance on the other side of the sheepfold overlooked a room that had been made into a kitchen-laundry room. A spiral staircase led to a small attic room.
After: “We really liked the wobbly old staircase, but we could not secure it. Édouard made this straight staircase that leads to the sheepfold guest room,” Dupuis says.
The original tiles had to be scrapped, unfortunately, since the floor had to be insulated.
The original tiles had to be scrapped, unfortunately, since the floor had to be insulated.
Before: Here is the laundry room before the remodel.
After: The laundry room was transformed into a bedroom for Dupuis’ two daughters. A sisal carpet covers the floor tiles since replacing them in this space would have put the project over budget.
There is a cellar below. “We turned it into a wine cellar. And as it turns out, it does the job well,” Dupuis says.
There is a cellar below. “We turned it into a wine cellar. And as it turns out, it does the job well,” Dupuis says.
Before: The sheepfold already had a bathroom, which had been installed by the former owner.
After: The new version is minimal, simple and efficient. “Like elsewhere in the house, we chose quality and sustainable materials,” Dupuis says.
This is the guest room. The roof was insulated, and sisal carpeting now covers the floor.
The ‘Chapel’
Adjacent to the barn is a building the former owner called the “chapel” for its cathedral ceiling.
Adjacent to the barn is a building the former owner called the “chapel” for its cathedral ceiling.
Before: The former owner used space under the gable as a summer living room. Another section was taken up by two rooms that had been left unrenovated.
The space was cleared out and rearranged into two bedrooms and two bathrooms for Dupuis’ youngest sister and her family. “We had to tear all this down and even redo the cracked floor screed,” Cottin says.
After: The new master bedroom is enhanced by the soaring ceiling and its carefully preserved framework. A built-in closet was custom-made out of MDF.
The master bathroom has a walk-in shower.
Dupuis’ sister has three children — an older boy and twins — all of whom sleep in this large bedroom.
Green Moroccan tiles adorn the children’s bathroom.
The success of this kind of project is based on the strength of each link in the human chain that participated in its creation: Dupuis’ mother gave the initial push, and her son took things in hand from there. “As a family, if you do too many things together, you do not move forward. Sometimes it is necessary to know how to decide for the good of all and to do so in a timely way,” Dupuis says.
The contributions of the professionals can’t be underestimated. “I can’t even count how many meetings started at 9 or 11 p.m. because the owner had schedule constraints due to his work,” Cotttin says. “The hardest part was, however, juggling the availabilities of the two companies, one from Paris and the other from Sarthe. My site manager, who is very experienced, was on-site every day and was a great help.”
A professional’s work is never done, however. Happy with Cottin’s fantastic job on the renovation so far, Dupuis and his family have called on his services again to expand the pool to about 51 by 13 feet and to renovate the pool house and barn.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
The success of this kind of project is based on the strength of each link in the human chain that participated in its creation: Dupuis’ mother gave the initial push, and her son took things in hand from there. “As a family, if you do too many things together, you do not move forward. Sometimes it is necessary to know how to decide for the good of all and to do so in a timely way,” Dupuis says.
The contributions of the professionals can’t be underestimated. “I can’t even count how many meetings started at 9 or 11 p.m. because the owner had schedule constraints due to his work,” Cotttin says. “The hardest part was, however, juggling the availabilities of the two companies, one from Paris and the other from Sarthe. My site manager, who is very experienced, was on-site every day and was a great help.”
A professional’s work is never done, however. Happy with Cottin’s fantastic job on the renovation so far, Dupuis and his family have called on his services again to expand the pool to about 51 by 13 feet and to renovate the pool house and barn.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
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@Katrin sorry, I don't speak German...). They mention the brand "Ressource", which makes beautiful paints. You can find them online if you search "Ressource Peintures".