Fostering authenticity, warmth, and a tangible connection to the past, we step inside seven homes where exposed interior beams reveal the heritage bones of each space.
Villa Les Jours Heureux by Caprini & Pellerin
St. Tropez, France
Reflecting Caprini & Pellerin’s appreciation for artisanal, Mediterranean-inspired details, Villa Les Jours Heureux features exposed interior wooden beams that enhance the home’s connection to heritage. “The client desired an aesthetic subtly inspired by Greek and Provençal charms, opting for a fresh, monochromatic, and modern style rather than a traditional one,” co-founder Kevin Caprini says.
Santa Teresa 34 by Durietz Design & Development
Mallorca, Spain
Situated within a 123-year-old townhouse near Sóller’s main square, Santa Teresa 34 is deeply rooted in the history and traditions of the coastal town. The home features elegant architectural details—including a chiseled stone façade and grand spiral staircase—that Durietz Design & Development were careful to preserve.
In keeping with this respectful approach, the original exposed interior beams have been retained throughout the home. These structural elements not only highlight the home’s heritage but also create a subtle dialogue with contemporary interventions, including custom-designed furniture and carefully curated designer pieces.
My Space | Designer Pierre Yovanovitch
Provence, France
When French interior architect Pierre Yovanovitch purchased his chateau comprised of surrounding farm buildings kept in the same family for centuries—and a chapel that dates back to the 10th century—it was integral to the redesign that the historical charm was maintained, and life was breathed back into the site.
Yovanovitch hoped his work would appear as though it had always been there. Authentic materials affirm this dialogue in the former agricultural buildings, where exposed, raw timber beams and wooden floors underpin eclectic objects such as the Zigzag sofa, designed by Yovanovitch.
Designer Isabelle Stanislas’ Home
Paris, France
A testament to designer Isabelle Stanislas‘ love of materials and commitment to design details, the designer lifted cues from “the history of the building, the space and the light” when reimagining her Parisian apartment. “I don’t like to narrow myself to the word style—I love materials and I use them like an alphabet to create new words each time,” she adds.
Travertine, oak, and concrete exist cohesively within the home, while dark timber asymmetrical ceiling beams contrast the apartment’s strict symmetry and soft, subtle hues. “I struck a harmony between the interior and exterior and between lightness and heaviness, creating a space that feels like it always existed,” Stanislas reflects.
Where Architects Live | Contekst
Antwerp, Belgium
This former ground-floor warehouse and apartment, now home to Contekst architect and partner Sam Peeters, has been completely transformed into a character-filled family home. “We bought the house because it held opportunities for reusing original features,” Peeters says. “But on the other hand, it was in such bad shape that it allowed us to be bold and strip back a lot of worn-down elements.”
The wooden beams—a defining feature of the home—have been uncovered, cleaned, and treated, but they have been left raw, allowing the integration of light fixtures, shower heads, and ventilation.
Strandgade 104 by David Thulstrup
Copenhagen, Denmark
Architect David Thulstrup has taken his ‘conservation, transformation and elevation’ approach to a warehouse on Copenhagen’s Christianshavn canal, creating a new narrative expressed through the beauty and character of materials that reference the building’s industrial heritage. “I wanted to reveal the beauty of it all, using a small palette of original materials out of respect for the building, such as rendered walls, simple pine planks and Finnish stone, but putting them into another more relevant context,” the architect says.
The structural pine beams supporting the internal floors epitomise Thulstrup’s care for detail, stripped by hand to remove layers of paint, chalk and resin. “They were coated in Vaseline, wrapped and then left to sit for weeks, which was then scraped off by hand, so you can see the traces of history as well as the beauty of the aged pine,” he adds.
House in the Woods by dobrowolska.studio and Coucou Interiors
Mazovia, Poland
Located in central Poland and designed by dobrowolska.studio and Coucou Interiors, House in the Woods was designed as an escape from the crowded capital city of Warsaw, only one hour’s drive away. The feeling of being deep in the forest is not lost on the interiors, manifesting in warm, earthen colours, and organic textures and shapes—particularly the exposed timber beams throughout the interiors, which bring a raw feel to the space while echoing the surrounding forest.
