Explore the impressive contrast of Porte 22’s “Before & After” pix as we proudly showcase the metamorphosis of this unique space on the 1st floor.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, right? So thank you José for bringing your stone mason mastery skills to this home: stones cleaned and re-pointed from top to bottom on the front and inner façade, and the balcony railings removed and scrubbed clean. Ian repainted all the shutters while Marc replaced all the French doors with new ones. The iconic front door with its loving heart impressed in the middle is a story in itself. Head up to the Musée des Portes in the old town where you will find a replica of our door. You might even catch a glimpse of Serge Ivorra, one of the most celebrated woodwork artisans in France, at work on his next project. It was Monsieur Ivorra himself who completely restored our front door in 2018.
The living fireplace used to be a gleaming black marble until our Master decorator Ian described it as “sucking all the energy out of the room”. From that point, there was no turning back as he transformed this focal point with ease and panache! We kept the original floor stones with its characteristic dip leading into the kitchen (verified as fully stable by a local expert).
Lovingly selected and custom made by a Brussels based kitchen design specialist, BadenBaden, the Porte 22 kitchen is the heart of the home for those who love to cook. The stone cut-out in the (unintentional) shape of Vancouver Island is our special feature.
This room needed a new floor, which is just what we did to provide a nice continuation from the kitchen. The exposed stone around the door frame was our stone mason’s José’s doing, while the desk and set of drawers were sourced from the local antique markets.
A glass door to replace the old curtain and a new sink to spice things up is really all this refreshment room needed, apart from the shower head and shower gel dispenser for our guests’ comfort.
We tried a few wall colours for the WC before settling on this one. The throne itself was re-positioned and a little handsink added for effect. Throw in a couple of shelves with travel books within arms’ reach and you have yourself a little sit-down library!
Here too one of the characteristic fireplace hearths from an era when heating was generated by wood, is the focal point of the room. The wooden beams now exposed, waxed, and stained give you something to admire before you close your eyes for the night.
An empty, unfurnished space on arrival in 2012, we had the giant sunbeds custom-made to relax in the shade. We upgraded the kitchenette, added a bit of cover for more shade, and planted flower plants in the three corners. We cleaned up the stone walls and replaced the wooden floor with tiles. The current dining table is extendable and super hot when the sun beats down upon it!
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