Before & After: A French Castle Turns Into a Modern Family Home
Once at the heart of a 15th-century civil war, this castle has turned into a surprisingly contemporary family home
Situated in what is considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in France, the family castle of Apremont-sur-Allier was left untended over many years. Its heirs called on architect Olivier Chabaud to revive this jewel of French history. The goal: to transform part of the castle into a family home for this couple in their forties and their three children.
The castle was at the heart of the Armagnac–Burgundian civil war at the end of the 15th century, and the fortress was entirely destroyed before being rebuilt again between 1450 and 1500 in its current form. The oldest part of the building dates to the 8th century, while the most recent extensions were added in the 19th. “In this approximately 10,000-square-metre castle, we arranged about 400 square metres in one of the wings into a functional and cosy living space for this family, who were hoping to turn it into their main residence,” Chabaud says. “We found different kinds of walls and materials due to the extensions that had been added over time. The goal was to transform these spaces into a comfortable living area adapted to this family’s lifestyle. We notably simplified the layout in order to benefit from more fluid circulation and as much light as possible, while preserving the spirit of this place steeped in history,” Olivier Chabaud explains.
The castle was at the heart of the Armagnac–Burgundian civil war at the end of the 15th century, and the fortress was entirely destroyed before being rebuilt again between 1450 and 1500 in its current form. The oldest part of the building dates to the 8th century, while the most recent extensions were added in the 19th. “In this approximately 10,000-square-metre castle, we arranged about 400 square metres in one of the wings into a functional and cosy living space for this family, who were hoping to turn it into their main residence,” Chabaud says. “We found different kinds of walls and materials due to the extensions that had been added over time. The goal was to transform these spaces into a comfortable living area adapted to this family’s lifestyle. We notably simplified the layout in order to benefit from more fluid circulation and as much light as possible, while preserving the spirit of this place steeped in history,” Olivier Chabaud explains.
Before Photo
Before. Chabaud kept the imposing, sculpted wooden door at the entrance.
Before Photo
The architect turned this ground-floor space into a new entrance from the garden.
After. “We created a cement staircase to the garden. Here we outlined a wrought-iron railing in an ultra contemporary design,” Chabaud says.
Before Photo
Before. This old ground-floor bathroom has been transformed into a large cloakroom augmented with a tap, toilet and laundry area.
After. In this multi-use space, wood-effect melamine creates an at once contemporary and warm ambiance, matched with a custom vanity in rose tones.
Before Photo
Before. This first-floor corridor leads to the living spaces: kitchen, dining room and living room, as well as the library and the children’s playroom.
Before Photo
Chabaud converted this aged bathroom into a large, contemporary kitchen.
After. Several rooms were combined to create this kitchen wreathed in light. This space was completely revamped from floor to ceiling.
At the far end, the passage leading to the dining room was expanded to create more fluid circulation. “Expanding the passage between the kitchen and the dining room, but also between the dining room and the living room, made it possible to create an interplay of perspectives and volumes,” Olivier says.
At the far end, the passage leading to the dining room was expanded to create more fluid circulation. “Expanding the passage between the kitchen and the dining room, but also between the dining room and the living room, made it possible to create an interplay of perspectives and volumes,” Olivier says.
Before Photo
Before. This oeil-de-boeuf window is now incorporated behind the glass plates that house the extraction hood in the brand new kitchen.
After. The kitchen cabinets are made of MDF in two different, intense shades of blue. These are matched with elegant white tile emphasised with black inserts.
The splashback is finished in beige Zellige tiles that create a strong contrast to the oak worktop. “Here the idea was to create a brilliant ambiance by simplifying the geometry of this space with its trapezoidal lines,” Chabaud says.
Upper cabinets and a floor-to-ceiling cupboard are housed in steel and wired glass, and offer the maximum possible storage space. The door leading to the hallway, made out of the same materials, blends subtly into the space while bringing light into the corridor.
The splashback is finished in beige Zellige tiles that create a strong contrast to the oak worktop. “Here the idea was to create a brilliant ambiance by simplifying the geometry of this space with its trapezoidal lines,” Chabaud says.
Upper cabinets and a floor-to-ceiling cupboard are housed in steel and wired glass, and offer the maximum possible storage space. The door leading to the hallway, made out of the same materials, blends subtly into the space while bringing light into the corridor.
Before Photo
Before. We opened out the load-bearing walls to simplify the circulation in the dining and living rooms,” Chabaud says.
Before Photo
In this space with its spectacular dimensions, the interior architect took care to highlight the existing features alongside contemporary additions.
After. In the dining area, the large flagstones and existing ceilings were preserved. The large oak-and-chestnut table was designed to measure to integrate perfectly into the space, paired with exceptional paneling. The former was built out of wood from the castle’s sawmill, while the inserts were made out of stones recovered from the castle’s battlements.
“We had carte blanche to design the spaces, but we reintegrated many of the existing pieces of furniture, like the wooden chairs, which match this table perfectly,” Chabaud says. A crumpled-paper chandelier completes the decor of this vast dining room, alongside a black-metal console and a contemporary painting that breaks with the castle’s original feel.
“We had carte blanche to design the spaces, but we reintegrated many of the existing pieces of furniture, like the wooden chairs, which match this table perfectly,” Chabaud says. A crumpled-paper chandelier completes the decor of this vast dining room, alongside a black-metal console and a contemporary painting that breaks with the castle’s original feel.
Before Photo
Before. Chabaud brought this space up to date to serve as the current living room.
After. Chabaud matched a light-coloured, Nordic-style wood floor with a display unit in shades of green. Crowned with the beams on the ceiling, this creates depth and vibrance in the space.
Before Photo
Before. The old monumental chimney fit in with the current living room of the family home.
After. Chabaud created a narrow opening between the living and dining rooms to create a visual interplay between the two spaces.
In the living room, he juxtaposed a large, minimalist bookshelf against the original features of the space to create a dialogue between historic and contemporary. The bookshelf was designed to measure in MDF and solid oak. The vertical panels curve at the top to echo the intersecting ribs in the ceiling above this eight-metre-long structure.
Find a designer from the Houzz directory to transform your home into a french chateau
Find a designer from the Houzz directory to transform your home into a french chateau
Before Photo
Before. Downstairs, there is a playroom for the kids, with a TV room upstairs.
Before Photo
“We completely opened the second floor of this part of the house,” the architect says.
This space, with its 18th-century joinery, was extended in the 19th century.
This space, with its 18th-century joinery, was extended in the 19th century.
After. This luminous space was opened to create a large platform. The beams were whitened and painted grey in order to add a more contemporary touch to the TV room. These were matched with a pair of wicker chairs and two retro coffee tables.
Staircases border this corridor, which leads to the bedroom wing, on both sides.
The owners opted for a seagrass carpet in order to bring a warm and comfortable note to this space.
The owners opted for a seagrass carpet in order to bring a warm and comfortable note to this space.
Before Photo
Before. The family bedrooms open out from this once dark hallway.
After. This corridor is now beautiful with bright colours, bringing in as much light as possible and creating a soft and cosy feel. “Having softened the complex shapes of each space, notably under the roof, we opted for pure white walls and natural materials,” Chabaud says.
In the guest room, a spectacular, dreamlike wallpaper brings in vintage charm and elegantly ornaments the headboard. It is underscored with sky-blue paint to create a warm atmosphere. The flooring is a lush, off-white carpet.
This attic bathroom on the kids’ storey, in one of the castle’s keeps, is decorated with a camaïeu of blues paired with a vanity in shades of yellow to create a contemporary feel. The custom-made vanity fits the bizarre geometry of this space.
In this nursery, a wallpaper with a pop animal pattern is matched with a beige fitted carpet and pure white walls. A series of custom built-ins make it possible to store clothes and toys while a storage bench in painted MDF serves as a reading nook.
This old storage room, transformed into a washroom, combines a vanity in an intense blue with a green wallpaper with a botanical print. These contemporary elements are matched with an imposing, original wood door.
Read more:
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Tell us:
What are your thoughts about living in a castle? Share with us below in the Comments
Read more:
100 Most Beautiful French Homes on Houzz
Colour Used As Architecture in Milan Flat Inspired by Corbusier
Tell us:
What are your thoughts about living in a castle? Share with us below in the Comments
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At a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their three children
Location: Apremont-sur-Allier, in Berry, cetnral France
Area: Around 400 square metres
Length of work: 5 months
Architect: Olivier Chabaud
Olivier Chabaud faced the huge challenge of modernising this castle for a family and their young kids while respecting its history. “In this wing, which encompasses four levels, certain rooms were particularly dark and tiny while others were gigantic. Therefore, we worked on comfort and safety above all when adapting the spaces to the life of a 21st-century family.” Chabaud says. “Certain spaces were in very bad shape, while other parts had been renovated in the ’70s. The roof had been remade and numerous partitions were added in order to rethink the configuration of the rooms. Painting, electricity and plumbing were also completely redone.”