Holiday home L’Em­ballage

Actually, ever­y­thing was planned dif­fer­ently. A demo­lition, a small extension. But then sud­denly the idea arose to pre­serve the over 100-year-old, visible con­crete structure of the former nursery and make it the light-flooded cen­tre­piece of today’s L’Em­ballage. Anyone who enters the lush, sprawling grounds on the edge of the seaside resort of Paramé – a rather quiet dis­trict of the proud port city of Saint-Malo – can sense the special atmo­sphere. Founded by the grand­father of the current owner, colourful freesias and ger­beras were once grown here in green­houses, packed by hand into boxes and sent by train to all corners of France.

The name L’Em­ballage – the pack­aging – is a tribute to this era and at the same time an allusion to the ‘shell’ of the two-storey main building with a flat roof, which architect Laurène Baratte, tog­ether with owners Jacques and Fran­çoise Populus, has trans­formed into an open, imposing living area.

The striking con­crete structure, dating from 1922, has been com­pletely exposed and now defines the archi­tecture and spatial structure: a clear grid of beams and posts that con­tinues in the façades and is repeated in the huge window fronts and wood-panelled ope­nings. The ensemble is com­ple­mented by a his­toric stone barn with a slate roof opposite, which is con­nected to the main building by a glass gallery and houses two double rooms, a four-bed room under old gable beams and three bath­rooms, all of which follow dif­ferent colour schemes.

The ori­ginal pack­aging hall now presents itself as a spa­cious, bright mul­ti­func­tional room with a living room, a spa­cious kitchen, various dining areas and a gallery with a library and lounge. Con­crete, alu­minium and wood cha­rac­terise the room, com­ple­mented by modern, mini­malist fur­niture, coor­di­nated colours and mate­rials, and a carefully con­sidered lighting concept that creates a cosy atmo­sphere despite the hall-like floor plan.

Behind the living area, the con­crete ske­leton opens onto a patio that leads into the garden and two ter­races. Alt­hough the house is located in a quiet resi­dential area, it is an almost enchanted green oasis away from all the hustle and bustle. Those who want to take a dip in the sea in the morning can walk to Plage de Rochebonne in 10 minutes, the his­toric old town of ‘Intra-Muros’, sur­rounded by an imposing wall, is 15 minutes away by bus, and the dra­ma­ti­cally beau­tiful monastery island of Mont-Saint-Michel is an hour’s drive away. In the garage behind the patio, there are two bicycles and a table tennis table, and on hot summer days, a shady, cool home. A place close to nature where you can relax, blossom and grow.

What to do

Bathing, swimming and walking on the beach (10 minutes' walk), including a beach club for children, a sailing and surfing school and a seawater spa, other natural beaches in the immediate vicinity, hiking, e.g. on the 30 km long coastal hiking trail, biking through the picturesque landscape, discovering the maritime history of Saint-Malo (15 min by bus or 40 min on foot), golfing (in Saint-Briac, 15 km away), excursions to the surrounding towns and, of course, to Mont-Saint-Michel (approx. 1 hour's drive away).

Why we like this house


Extraordinary architecture with a colourful history.

This house is great for

For beach, nature, architecture and culture enthusiasts, up to eight people, e.g. two families or three couples

Sustainability

Electric charging station at the house, public transport: a bus stop with several lines is 400 metres away.

Details

Availability calendar

The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with white background the accommodation is still available. On days with dark gray background the accommodation is not available.

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