BEST SOLUTIONS – From garage to kitchen, a contemporary conversion

Sometimes, even a wonderful eighteenth century villa, complete with entry staircase, can have a flaw, like not having direct access to its beautiful garden. When a new generation moved into their ancestral home, this issue was radically resolved: they turned the old garage and tiny cellar into a bright new kitchen and breakfast room, a space where they could enjoy the Provencal air of Montelimar, a historic town closed to this wonderful French region

The garage is a straightforward building that was added to the villa in the sixties. Right on the street level, it’s a simple cube with a wide opening. The owners decided to renovate it in a modern key, so you can tell the different periods apart. A large iron framed glass façade, white painted walls and the industrial-style resin floor create a sharp contrast with the period property.

The minimal ambience is softened by the warm tones of colour of the utility-closet walls with built-in cupboards on one side, by furniture in light shades and above all by a collection of pendant lamps. Light drops in different sizes are hung at varying heights over the central table, the breakfast bar and in the kitchen, breaking up the layout and creating a fun game of light.   

Once upon a time there was a villa where gentry lived in the drawing rooms, servants in the small kitchen and with a carriage tended by farmers… Passing centuries and changing ways of life have led to a new type of home, where a large modern kitchen and a multifunctional breakfast room are the focal point for the whole family, possibly including a lot of light and an interaction with the outdoors. The young offspring were certain that it was preferable to park their car in the street than to retain their dark and poky kitchen. And it was obvious that the villa’s new and instantly much beloved space should have a contemporary design.