Many people are familiar with the feeling of wanting to recapture the mood and spirit experienced during their travels in their daily lives at home. We desire interior design elements, layouts, material choices, and colors to reflect these memories, making a beloved culture part of our everyday lives.

This was precisely the aspiration of a couple who wanted to create a harmonious home, both inside and out—an ideal living space reminiscent of the harmony they experienced most vividly during their travels in Provence, France. The couple has young, preschool-age children, making this the perfect time for a large garden, a vegetable patch, and open spaces.

Our designer, Kata Pallaghy, took great pleasure in working on this project, with particular attention to ensuring harmony between the interior and exterior through thoughtful material choices and coherent design, aligning the rhythm of the building’s volumes with the interior spaces.

The goal was to create terrace connections in as many places as possible, ensuring the terraces remain level with the surrounding terrain. Because the plot is sloping, the building’s lower level was designed with multiple split levels, fostering a garden-close atmosphere throughout. Another primary consideration was making the building open on all sides with windows and patio doors, ensuring not only brightness and transparency but also providing quick visual access to keep track of where the children are playing.

Entry to the house is through a sheltered, protected entrance terrace with façade wall cladding, leading into the foyer. From here, a sliding door conceals a wardrobe closet, keeping coats and shoes out of sight, allowing the hallway to maintain a clean, airy aesthetic complemented by an inviting console table.

When designing the guest restroom, accessible from the wardrobe area, a key consideration was providing more than just a small hand-washing sink. Given that this would serve as the primary hygiene point after gardening or outdoor play, the design called for a more generously sized basin.

From the foyer, you enter the kitchen and dining area through an open, arched passageway. Although connected visually, the living room is situated a few steps lower, creating a distinct but unified space. The living room occupies its own separate wing, characterized by a high ceiling, exposed roof structure, and visible wooden beams, enhancing the room’s spaciousness and charm.

With this style, it’s particularly important to ensure that modern mechanical and electrical appliances remain entirely out of sight. Wherever these devices or connections are necessary, they should be carefully concealed within bespoke carpentry pieces. In this home, this principle was successfully implemented throughout, maintaining the aesthetic integrity and seamless charm of the design.

Half a level above the foyer, the bedrooms and a bathroom were placed, clearly separating these private spaces from the communal areas below. The master bedroom includes a fully developed wardrobe area, while the boys’ current room is planned to later become a home office or guest room. For now, it’s more practical for the children to sleep together close to the parents’ room.

When the children grow older, they’ll move upstairs, where two bedrooms, a wardrobe, and a bathroom have been established. Currently, one bedroom serves as a guest room, while the other functions as a home office—a particularly advantageous arrangement, as this quietest part of the house ensures a peaceful working environment.