de l'Épée Residence by Michael Godmer Studio

Some projects begin with a brief. This one began with a conversation. When Michael Godmer Studio was first contacted, the clients had already lived in the house for several years. The call was exploratory — an open exchange of ideas rather than a defined request. The couple — an art therapist who works intuitively with the body, gesture, and emotion, and a social programmes manager focused on building sustainable human structures — had lived internationally, gathering cultural and spatial experiences that would contribute to the narrative of their home in Montreal.

Their return to Canada was a way to reconnect with family, to offer stability for their two children, while preserving the openness shaped through travel. What began as a conversation soon evolved into a full renovation, developed patiently over time, with Michael Godmer Studio guiding the process and assembling a network of local artisans and collaborators around a shared vision.

Even before construction began, the house became a kind of laboratory. Drawings appeared on walls and family-made artworks acted as spontaneous gestures that inscribed the family’s identity into the space. From the beginning, the intention was clear: to create a home that felt singular and expressive, far removed from standardised imagery, and deeply attuned to colour, theatricality, and a vibrant family life.

The house already carried a rich history. A character-filled residence in Outremont, it was defined by warm woodwork and material depth, generous proportions, and a central staircase that anchored the plan. Rather than erase these elements, the design sought dialogue. The staircase was preserved exactly as it was, acting as a point of balance between past and present. Elsewhere, interventions extend the architecture rather than replace it — rounded door frames, reconfigured openings, and redesigned windows soften transitions and introduce a sense of flow.

Function and family life shaped every architectural decision. This includes working from home, with a dedicated art therapy space integrated seamlessly into the domestic flow, and an upstairs office offering focus and retreat. Cabinetry takes the place of traditional partitions, defining zones and creating versatile spaces. Custom doors, in particular became a central design element: glazed wood-framed, solid bespoke designs and louvered wardrobes were developed in close collaboration with local artisans. Each one is functional, tactile, and quietly expressive — part of a broader commitment to craftsmanship and personalisation.

Throughout the house, the atmosphere shifts gently from one zone to the next: a theatrical powder room in soft pinks nodding to the world of Wes Anderson, vibrant and playful spaces for the children, and, in contrast, the parents’ wing — calmer and more sensual, where bedroom and bathroom engage in a quiet, intimate dialogue. Each variation feels deliberate, responding to mood, function, and the rhythms of daily life.

Materiality is layered with restraint. A warm, mayonnaise-toned base colour envelops the home, allowing preserved woodwork to sit comfortably alongside brushed lacquered woods, uniform lacquer finishes, Botticino Fiorito marble, and travertine flooring. Limewash paint introduces sandy textures that interact with sculptural and decorative elements, referencing the clients’ travels and eclectic sensibilities.

Curves are a recurring element throughout the house, softening the lines of the kitchen island, door frames and bathrooms and creating a fluid language that resists being fixed in time. The kitchen itself is restrained and abstract, avoiding overt references — particularly to the French bistro — through a subtle repetition of tile lines between floor and island. One of the project’s signature details — which immediately caught my eye — is the narrow-plank white oak floor, recalling the home’s origins, framed by a tiled border that echoes the kitchen. A single small tile marks the transition between wood and ceramic, a detail repeated throughout the house, forming a discreet narrative thread.

Lighting is intentionally understated, designed to reveal textures and materials rather than competing with them. Sourced largely through local collaborations, it contributes to the home’s sensitive, coherent and deeply personal composition.

More than anything, this is a project shaped by relationships — between a family and their home, between past and present, between architecture and craftsmanship. It has been designed to evolve, welcome, and grow richer over time, without ever losing its soul.

Photography by Maxime Brouillet

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A Textile-Led Transformation of Château La Banquière

Set among vineyards and centuries-old oaks near Montpellier, France, the 18th-century Château La Banquière has been thoughtfully reimagined by Marianne Tiegen Interiors as a hospitality destination where architecture, landscape, and textiles come together in a quiet, contemporary take on sustainable luxury.

Château La Banquière sits within a serene park, framed by centuries-old oaks and sprawling vineyards — a setting that became a natural starting point for the design. Each room is conceived as a dialogue with natural light and the surrounding landscape, where stone, wood, air, and textiles interact and animate the spaces throughout the day.

In this project, textiles move beyond decoration to become spatial anchors. They help define rooms, soften acoustics, frame views, and introduce a sense of tactile warmth more often associated with private homes. For this hospitality setting, Marianne Tiegen Interiors has used textiles for key elements — canopies, screens, bed throws, and wall panels — to create intimacy and comfort without overwhelming the classical architecture.

La Banquière's textile palette draws deeply from its Mediterranean context. Working with botanical dyers and local specialists, the team developed shades derived from the estate itself: Blush, from grape seeds harvested on the château's vineyards, warm coral and apricot tones from garance (madder root), and soft blues and greys from pastel (woad). These plant-based pigments speak to the the estate's history and romance — a former honeymoon gift, cast in the tradition of an Italian villa.

Alongside newly dyed linen, hemp, and cotton, the design includes a curated selection of antique fabrics — Provençal damasks, Venetian block-prints, and couture-surplus textiles, sourced through a long-established network of collectors and dealers. In many rooms, antique textiles served as the starting point: their unique texture, patina, or pattern helping define the overall design direction. In others, naturally dyed linen or hemp sets the tone, its subtle variations and depth imparting a quiet, living luminosity.

Where antique materials were fragile, they were either restored, backed with light cotton, or embraced as imperfect surfaces, repaired rather than disguised, celebrating their history, much like a textile-bound equivalent of kintsugi.

La Banquière marks the return of European artisan skills once confined to couture ateliers. Woven Belgian linens, hand-printed serigraphies from historic Lyon workshops, and block-printed Venetian fabrics sit alongside embroidered panels executed with haute couture techniques. The project's signature motif, a subtle bee rendered in the Pont de Beauvais stitch, unites the estate's biodiversity, regenerative spirit, and circular design philosophy.

Bed canopies, privacy screens, and bed throws, anchored in metal frames or removable structures, combine grandeur with practicality: they can be unfastened, cleaned, repaired, or even redyed over time, without compromising the design integrity. Upholstery features removable covers, while cabinetry and screen panels can be restored or replaced — meaning the château is not just furnished, but designed to evolve, age gracefully, and grow richer with use.

For Marianne Tiegen, La Banquière is a manifesto: sustainable hospitality does not mean austerity; it means selecting materials and techniques that age with dignity, that carry memory, and that contribute to a circular, regenerative design economy.

"Luxury today faces an identity crisis," she says. "Its renewal lies in craftsmanship, authenticity, and rarity. With La Banquière, we show that sustainability can be a form of true luxury — rooted in nature, in history, in care."

In twenty or thirty years, the fabrics, colours, and textures of La Banquière will tell their own story: one of place, of patience, and of beauty truly lived-in.

Photography by Jeremy Wilson

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Casa San Francisco by Jorge Garibay Architects

The Casa San Francisco project, by Jorge Garibay Architects, began as a request for a vacation home in a vineyard on the outskirts of San Miguel de Allende, a small colonial town in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. The vineyard setting naturally informed a design approach that mirrors winemaking, where time, materiality, and process are integral to the result.

The founding of San Miguel de Allende—originally known as San Miguel el Grande—in the 16th century coincided with the introduction of grape cultivation to Mexico by Franciscan friars. Alongside this, the missionaries’ broader task of Catholic evangelisation shaped the planning and construction of colonial cities, particularly through monastic and convent architecture.

In winemaking, terroir describes how climate, soil, and human intervention shape a wine’s character. A similar process occurred in architecture. Building traditions brought to Mexico by European missionaries were transformed by local conditions, adapting to a new landscape and cultural context. As with viticulture, these imported forms evolved into something distinct — shaped by place, time, and environment.

The surrounding landscape, along with the property’s purpose as a place for rest and retreat, informed a third aspect of the design concept for Casa San Francisco. The goal was to create a space for contemplation to encourage reflection on the natural order of the world and celebrate seasonal cycles of growth, change, decay, and entropy.

To realise this, the house is composed of five distinct volumes, each opening onto a landscaped area with clear views of the vineyards and the surrounding environment. A transverse corridor runs through the volumes, guiding the layout of the spaces. Accessed via an entrance with a double-height ceiling, it acts as a threshold between exterior and interior. The west wing accommodates the public areas — dining room, terrace, kitchen, living room, garage, and service areas — while the four private bedrooms are positioned to the east.

To convey, through materiality, the idea of nature shaped by time, and to translate conventual architecture into a contemporary language, the project was guided by a principle of restraint. A limited palette of materials was used to achieve maximum impact, giving the house a sober presence and enduring character. Honest materials were selected for their ability to age gracefully, alongside the revival of traditional construction techniques. The primary materials include locally sourced stone from a nearby site, unpolished Mexican marble flooring, and lime-based paint applied by hand in a tone that complements the stone’s natural hues, resulting in a series of monochromatic, monolithic forms.

The interior design continues this quiet approach. Oak furniture was chosen for its simplicity, while the lighting design takes cues from the warm light temperatures found in 16th-century convents, without sacrificing contemporary levels of illumination. The result is a sequence of warm, contemplative spaces where natural light plays an essential role.

This project's unpretentious approach aligns with Luis Barragán's idea that "time also paints" and the notion that beauty is imperfect and revealed gradually over time.

Photography by Cesar Belio

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A Paris Home Shaped by Wood and Light

With their latest project, German design studio Holzrausch brings a sense of calm to a vibrant Paris neighbourhood. The award-winning studio has created a retreat that also serves as a tribute to woodworking — fitting, given their beginnings as a modest workshop before expanding into interior design. Set in the bustling, densely populated 11th arrondissement, the family home becomes an unexpected oasis, a quiet composition in wood that gently contrasts with the world outside.

The owners wanted an interior defined by calm and simplicity, deliberately avoiding anything trend-led or Instagram-driven. “As a former model and gallery owner and a creative himself, the client was naturally drawn to our focus on material quality and restraint,” explains Petri, cofounder and design lead at Holzrausch. Despite their deep connection to the art world, the owners requested that nothing disturb the stillness of the space — no decorative elements, no artwork.

Located behind a closed gate and down a winding path through a long courtyard — ending in a lovely garden — the home’s harmony comes from its tight palette of materials: oak, plaster, stone, and stainless steel in the kitchen. Every design element is intentional, balancing functionality with a desire to let the materials take centre stage. Lighting is fully recessed, most of the furniture is built-in, and appliances are hidden behind wooden doors. 

While the original concrete floors were retained, the façade and skylights are new — essential additions given that all windows in the L-shaped building face the courtyard. Bringing natural light in from above became a defining consideration and informed the sculptural staircase. Crafted from wood that matches the oak used for the wall panels and furniture, its form helps distribute light across all levels.

The house spans four floors, including a small basement, totalling around 3,800 square feet, and includes a private garden at the entrance. Its central feature — the undulating staircase — acts as the home’s spine, introducing natural light from the skylight above. In warm weather, doors open to the garden, subtly shifting daily life toward indoor–outdoor living. Craftsmen from several countries contributed to the project: plasterwork from Italy, massive oak floors from Denmark, and lighting also from Denmark.

After expanding from a woodworking workshop into interior design, Holzrausch  eventually unified fabrication and design under one roof. “Many clients come directly to us because the distance between design and fabrication is extremely short,” says Petri. He describes the studio as simultaneously interior designers, interior architects, and master carpenters.

“Our philosophy has always been simplicity, minimalism, and timelessness — this project reflects that completely,” he adds. “The name ‘Holzrausch’ is difficult to translate. It expresses a fascination with materials — wood among them, but not exclusively — and that mindset is visible throughout the project.”

Credits

Interior Design: Holzrausch Studio

Photography: Salva López

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