Houzz Tour: An Eclectic and Colourful Home in the Heart of Bordeaux
Scandinavian style meets midcentury furniture and bold colours in the home of this French interior designer
Christine Gaspard
5 November 2016
After a fair share of travelling, Ninou Étienne, an interior designer and a decorator, finally settled in Bordeaux. The old, typically Bordeaux , house she purchased two years ago had been vacant for a decade. ‘It was a very dark house, entirely carpeted,’ Ninou says. ‘I had no other option than to restructure the full space in order to re-create a pleasant and functional living space.’ She was inspired by midcentury Scandinavian design, but this interior look is also the result of an irresistible blend of influences, from around the world, from the ’50s to today.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Fusion D interior designer Ninou Étienne and her family
Location Bordeaux, France
Size 15 rooms spread over 3 floors
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Fusion D interior designer Ninou Étienne and her family
Location Bordeaux, France
Size 15 rooms spread over 3 floors
The floor sets the tone for the house. It’s ‘made of cement tiles dressed with a ’50s cubic pattern,’ Ninou says.
Two graphics from the Scandinavian magazine House Doctor grace the walls by the door.
Two graphics from the Scandinavian magazine House Doctor grace the walls by the door.
When Ninou and her family bought the house, the kitchen was yellow. Liking it, she searched samples to find a similar tone to repaint the walls. To make it stand out even more, she chose with black tiles. The large extractor is one of the few elements she kept in place.
Ninou, an avid bargain hunter, also sourced a ’70s Formica table with a tulip stand and a Skaï chair.
Black metal shelves from ’50s designer Mathieu Matégot add stylish storage.
‘I like to not take myself too seriously when it comes to decoration,’ Ninou says, explaining the embellishment above her cutting board.
All the elements in this sitting room were bargains Ninou hunted down.
The Vertigo pendant light by Constance Guisset dominates the dining area. The wooden floors throughout the home were refinished.
Light fixture, Vertigo for Petite Friture, Nostraforma.
Light fixture, Vertigo for Petite Friture, Nostraforma.
‘Here sat a monstrous fireplace, which we replaced with this stove,’ Ninou says.
Chairs, Leroy Merlin. Hide rug, flea market.
Chairs, Leroy Merlin. Hide rug, flea market.
Ninou found this recycled-glass table with metal tube legs in London, where she once lived.
The armchair came from a flea market and was re-covered by an upholsterer friend, Laura Cawte. The mantel is from London. The crown on the skull found its place ‘after an evening of celebrations,’ Ninou says.
‘I set up my office where the former resident, an architect, had his before me,’ she says. ‘I kept one piece of furniture, which I renovated.’
On the wall in this office, which is full of history, is Piero Fornasetti’s Mediterranea wallpaper, here representing Jerusalem.
Frames hanging along the staircase showcase architecture projects from the ’50s.
‘For my bedroom I chose a striking colour, turquoise, and blended many influences, as I wanted the feeling of travel to be present,’ Ninou says. Rattan furniture adds texture and charm to a seating area.
The master bedroom also has a pinewood chest, an art deco dressing table and a confessional door leading to the dressing area and bathroom.
Glass windows with simple wooden frames illuminate the dressing area and bath.
Fornasetti is also present in the master bathroom, this time with Tema e Variazione wallpaper.
The freestanding bath and sinks came from a flea market.
The children’s bright bedroom was a kitchen before the overhaul. ‘Previously there had been a kitchen on every floor,’ Ninou says.
This blue door with glass leads to a small bathroom.
Inside, a stone sink and original tiles create a stylish corner for washing and grooming.
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Lots to enjoy about this article, from floor tiles, black and yellow statement and the Fornasetti.