REAL LIFE
the installation of doors so low that anyone passing through is obligated to duck to try to avoid bumping their head. The artisans who worked
Clockwise from above: Tearing the house apart in 2000; Tom by the lovely but low kitchen counter; Caroline in front of the new staircase; the kitchen beams and throughout the house had to be treated; stone living room walls and untreated beams; finished stone walls; the characterful and bright living room
on my project explained that such cross beams could in most cases be easily repositioned. Traditional builders over the centuries put the horizontal supporting beams low for ease of installation. Structurally, they can usually be raised to a reasonable height without compromising stability. This advice enabled me to create a completely functional first floor over the original barn and three comfortable rooms and a bathroom on the second-floor in the original house.
COUNTERARGUMENT Another thing I’ve learned the hard way is counter-top height. A quarter century ago in Brittany, artisans working on kitchens proposed two heights: today’s standard 90cm and a lower option of 85cm that took into account the traditional height of many Breton women. I am not tall and given the choice… I made the wrong one. My kitchen today cannot
and bits of metal in the corners of a freshly tiled bathroom floor. I learned huge amounts from the French artisans who came in to do the work.
LESSONS LEARNED Here are a few examples of things I learned along the way, things that I’ve seen pose problematic choices for all those courageous people on TV programmes that I continue to find fascinating. First off, stone walls. If they
are or will end up becoming interior walls – say between a house and an incorporated barn or between the main house and a lean-to or a gîte added after the original structure – it’s fine to leave them exposed. They are, after all, original features, beautiful and natural, and probably one of the things that attracted you to the property in the first place. The joints holding stone walls together, however, are porous and the stone itself retains the cold, so exterior stone walls should be insulated, preferably from the inside so as to preserve the integrity of the original facade.
“Although I did my best, I didn’t do everything right when renovating my house in Brittany”
Not only does such insulation
keep a property warmer in winter, it allows plumbing pipes and electricity wires to be hidden and protected. Exposed stone also absorbs light, so insulated walls can make an interior lighter and brighter. Additionally, one exposed stone wall is often aesthetically more dramatic and pleasing than four stone walls, which tend to make a room feel like a cave. Another thing I was delighted
to learn about was beams. My house and gîte have lovely chestnut beams and I wanted to preserve them. The first thing my artisans told me was to treat them for woodworm and any other parasites that might have invaded them or attack them in future. This involved not only sanding but injecting every single one with insecticide. This was definitely
a job for professionals – thank heavens I followed their advice and arranged to have this done before anything else, the dust went absolutely everywhere! Sequencing – deciding what to do when – is certainly another important choice. A particular problem with
roof beams is the height of cross beams, those horizontal beams that brace the angled beams supporting the roof. On TV programmes I’ve seen prospective buyers reject an otherwise charming home because of the height of its crossbeams while those who do buy a property with low crossbeams often come to uncomfortable terms with them. They may leave the attic space as one open room in which people have to step over or crawl under cross beams at knee or waist height. I’ve seen
easily accommodate many under-the-counter appliances. I have a 23-year-old under- counter fridge that still works, but replacing it would require an expensive top-of-the-line model. I was luckily able to replace the built-in dishwasher when it ceased to function after two decades, but in the separate laundry area. I had to raise the counter when the washing machine finally gave up the ghost. New models of all these appliances are made for an industry standard not for traditional Breton women! Taking the time to reflect
on everything from current colour trends and evolving government regulations to practical solutions suggested by artisans will save you money in both the short and long term. It will also maximise the chances of creating a really usable, comfortable, durable and beautiful property for you and your family now and in the future. ■
Le Petit Lapin, Caroline's holiday rental cottage: airbnb. com/h/mycottageinbrittany
FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: May/June 2024 69
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