DECK THE WALLS

CHRISTMAS SPARKLES IN THIS AIRY HOME – THE PRODUCT OF AN INSPIRED RENOVATION BY A TALENTED STYLIST

A converted barn in northern France takes on a magical Yuletide look, thanks to its stylist owner

There can be few places more appropriate to celebrate Christmas than in a barn – although this beautifully restored space, all soaring ceilings, whitewashed brickwork, tactile timber and light-reflecting surfaces, is a far cry from its original incarnation as a brick-built stable.

The transformation from farm building to family home is the work of interior stylist Rachel Coppens. “As soon as I saw this place, with its exposed framework and cathedral roof, I knew that I had found our home,” says Rachel. “There was everything I loved – volume, untouched space and nature all around.”

At the time, Rachel was living in a converted silk factory in the centre of Lille in northern France, but was looking to move to the country before her son Louka was born. “I wanted to have outdoor areas as well as big, open-plan spaces,” says Rachel, who found just what she wanted in this lofty building on the outskirts of Lille. “I love to start from scratch and dream up my own home. I could easily imagine living here.”

Rachel, who has renovating form, was heavily involved in the project from the planning stage through to the finish. The 95-square-metre barn proper has been converted into an expansive living area with an open-plan kitchen, dining area and sitting area, whose airy dimensions perfectly accommodate a generous Christmas tree studded with glittering baubles. A broad corridor leads through to a 130-square-metre extension, which houses the master suite, two further bedrooms, a powder room and bathroom. Structural elements that could be conserved, such as the exposed framework, were restored and their natural beauty left to form an eye-catching feature complemented by stretches of whitewashed original brick. Elsewhere, the walls were clad with panelling for insulation.

Not everything went according to plan. The barn’s newly laid timber parquet flooring had to be replaced by concrete anhydrite flooring, covered with a white epoxy resin, after it suffered extensive water damage. Having finished the wooden floor, Rachel went away on holiday. “We came back home to find ourselves knee-deep in water,” says Rachel. A combination of heavy rain – “like a tsunami!” – and the slope of the ground around the barn had flooded the house. “It was a complete shock,” she says. “I didn’t have the strength to start all over again and decided to entrust the second phase of the work to others!”

She made the most of the situation, however, by having the level of the flooring raised and underfloor heating installed, and the calamity did have one silver lining: “At the end of the day, we have gained in comfort and light,” says Rachel.

“The white floor brightens things up and adds a more modern touch to the house.”

As soon as the damage had been dealt with, Rachel – who trained as a visual merchandiser before an internship with a photographic stylist encouraged her to switch creative tracks – turned her attention to the interior design. Her style is a melting pot of rustic and ethnic bohemian influences, with an emphasis on texture and tactile timber. Travels to far-flung destinations such as Morocco, Asia and South America are a source of inspiration, and as an interior stylist she has the inside track on the best places to find furniture. “I am lucky to live in Lille and near Belgium, in a region full of interior design stores and antiques shops,” says Rachel, who sourced the railway sleepers for her kitchen benchtops at a local architectural salvage store.

Further evidence of her hands-on approach to interior design comes in the shape of some of her furniture. She crafted the dining table from timber planking, and when she couldn’t find the teepee bed that she dreamt of for her son’s bedroom, she made one herself. “I learnt to use a jigsaw during my carpentry lessons while doing the visual merchandising course,” says Rachel. “I quickly came to enjoy DIY. It allows me to make my own unique pieces of furniture at a low cost.”

Seasonal touches in the form of sparkling fairy lights, stars and gold objets glitter and gleam against a harmonious backdrop of materials and tones. Wood, cushions, soft rugs and an array of candles create a homely setting, perfect for Yuletide celebrations – while the Christmas tree, decorated in varying shades of white and gold that work seamlessly with the restrained scheme, only adds to the magic of European winter evenings spent by the fire.

“As soon as I saw this place, with its exposed framework and cathedral roof, I knew that I had found our home”

LIVING “It’s so cosy here that, once installed on the sofa, it’s hard to move!” says Rachel about her favourite area, the living room. Either side of the fireplace two sofas from Mon Salon à Moi face each other across a handmade coffee table crafted from a pallet and castors. Cushions and candlesticks from H&M Home add to the warmth of the room. Festive reindeers and metal tray from Famiflora.

MASTER BEDROOM The main bedroom, with its own dressing room and bathroom, is part of the barn’s extension. The La Redoute bed is dressed in bedlinen and cushions from IKEA, with a floating shelf displaying Rachel’s artworks and objets. A black feature wall and faux fireplace (above right and opposite) add a stylish note to the monochromatic scheme, which is grounded by a geometric vinyl rug. Rachel injects personality with an eye mirror, stool from Morocco and striking photography.