From Kitchen to Alcove: Custom Renovations Give a Bordeaux Home a New Identity — It Was in Good Condition, but Not Glamorous

When Blanche and Vincent visited this Bordeaux home measuring 160 m2, their excitement didn’t come through loud and clear: “It was in good condition, but truly not glamorous!” they recall. There was no doubt that this 1970s residence, with its highly compartmentalized layout, outdated tiling, and linoleum on the floor, needed to be completely reimagined. Only the original staircases were kept. “The first one, leading from the entrance to the living space upstairs, was enclosed between two partitions that we replaced with glass walls to allow light to circulate,” explains the team from the Bienvenues agency.

The three living zones gave way to a bright, through-and-through open-plan that stretches the length of the home, punctuated by custom-designed fittings that dress the space along its full span. The dining room’s banquette transforms into a library, then into a cocooning alcove around the fireplace. The kitchen, which had originally faced the street, now sits centrally opposite the terrace. Its island warmly marks the transition to the living room while promoting sociability and practicality.

With intentionally restrained finishes—white walls and oak flooring—the decor is free to express itself, energizing the entire texture and color palette: the matte beige of the island, leopard-print fabric, graphic wallpaper in the bedrooms, and a wall of artwork in the living room…

Upon arriving in Bordeaux, the couple pictured this house as a temporary stepping stone before finding something larger. “They feel so at home there that they’re still living in it!,” smile the interior designers, who likely see in this the most compelling proof of the project’s success.