Casa Keçe

French Country Estate turned Family Design Temple

A converted 19th-century barn, abandoned rural house and its agricultural outbuildings tucked into the Vexin Natural Regional Park has been reincarnated as an energetic, 21st-century family farmhouse. It brims with notable interior design and makes an architectural nod to Frank Lloyd Wright, in a beautiful, soft meets strong style that truly sets the home apart.

The modern minimalist residence has earned its place in the pages of Marie Claire Maison, Milk, Dwell and Elle Decoration, among others, for its creative melding of the historically pastoral and strikingly modern, designed at the creative hands of its owners and extended family.

Helmed by The Refreshment Club, a cutting-edge Parisian design agency led by architect Onur Keçe and his wife Alix Petit, creator of the fashion label Heimstone, the bespoke home redesign relies on a concrete interior rebuild softened by a soothingly matte color palette throughout. The couple retained the abandoned structure’s original framework and beams, covered the walls with smooth Venetian plasters, and remodeled the vast space to ramble elegantly across several levels and additional outbuildings. 

Ceilings soar over 20 feet in the former hay storage that is now the central gathering space, anchored by a sleek, 15-foot, pink concrete dining table with a built-in barbecue. The kitchen, living room, bedrooms and baths extend beyond, each unique room distinguished by its own soft colorscape and furnishings from the likes of Mario Bellini for B&B Italia and Knoll, ceramics by Alix’s twin sister Caroline of Three Seven ceramics, and a Moon 120 paper orb by Davide Groppi. With ample wood and innovative brick screens dividing the spaces architecturally, a dozen fireplaces emphasizing the home’s warm styling, and massive interiors softened by painted tiles and satin- and silk draperies designed by Alix, the estate bears a deeply personal stamp.

Set on a country lot in the Vexin Natural Regional Park, the estate is made up of the main home and two independent guest suites in a planned garden with a greenhouse, a wood-fired Nordic bath for half a dozen under the pines, a pétanque court, and an outdoor kitchen with a barbecue and wood-fired pizza oven.

AROUND

At an hour from Paris, the property offers country respite with ease of access. A destination for nature lovers, the protected regional forest covers over 70,000 hectares and feels far from the city, given its wealth of woods and valleys, rivers and streams. Hikers and cyclists can choose from dozens of paths, and horseback riding is another popular way to move around the park. Fishing the park’s pristine waterways is possible, and birdwatchers and other wildlife seekers will find their pleasures there, too. Sightseeing within the park area includes the Chateau de la Roche-Guyon along the Seine River, the village of Auvers-sur-Oise, last home of Van Gogh, and the medieval Abbey of Royaumont. This is France, so vineyard tours aren’t far away, and the area is known for its simple country fare, with influences from both the Burgundy and Normandy regions found on the plate. 

LOCATION

Ile de France, Vexin, France. Nearest airport: Paris (50km). The home is a 55-minute train ride to Paris (45km).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Year-round