Past and Present: A Montpellier Architect Restores a Historic Maison de Maître

Architect Pauline Percheron, based just outside Montpellier in Saint-Georges-d’Orques, was tasked with a delicate balance: to modernize and expand a historic maison de maître without losing its soul. Situated in a protected area, the home—a main house and small outbuilding—had been partially renovated 15 years prior. Its owners, now empty nesters, wanted to reimagine it as a warm, open retreat where their grown children and future grandchildren could gather. The challenge was to unify the fragmented ground floor and carve out generous, light-filled living spaces within the home’s modest 120 square meters.

A graduate of La Cambre in Brussels and having studied in Paris-Belleville, Percheron brings a confident sensibility to her work—anchored in context, proportion, and respect for history. Having left Paris five years ago to establish her own practice in the south of France, she approaches renovation as an act of continuity rather than contrast. In this project, she preserved the house’s defining details—the grand staircase, the plaster moldings—while subtly rethinking its volumes to accommodate modern life, achieving a thoughtful dialogue between past and present.

Photography by Mary Gaudin for Pauline Percheron.

Above: Outside, the existing pergola was preserved. Above: The front door is a blend of old (historic frame exterior) and new (wood door). Above: The original staircase is stone but was very worn in the center of each step so Percheron added a wooden stair runner, made custom by measuring each individual step. This ensured safety while preserving the original spirit. Above: Detail of the wooden “carpet” on the stone staircase. Above: The living room sofa is the Vico Magistretti 1973 Maralunga and the two club chairs belonged to the owners’ family. The living room is well-outfitted with eclectic lighting from the 1952 Alvar Aalto Hand Grenade Pendant and Charlotte Perriand Pivotante à Poser Table Lamp to the Richard Sapper 1972 Tizio Table Lamp. The coffee table is by Jean Nouvel. Above: The cowhide lounge chair is by Le Corbusier. The living room bookshelf was part of the renovation and the concrete bench extends out to the exterior. Above: The kitchen was designed as a long piece of exotic wood furniture used to store dishes on the dining room side behind. Above: The sideboard is vintage sourced by the owners at a local flea market. The green lamp is the 1930s Bureau Lamp by Jean Prouvé. The painting is from Montpellier artist Jean Leccia. Above: There are two bathrooms in the house and the main, seen here, is fitted with Starck for Duravit sinks and fixtures. Above: A view into the kitchen from the exterior. Above: Modern sliding wood panel windows are integrated on the exterior. Above: A view of the side yard leading into the exterior and outbuilding. Above: Canvas butterfly chairs are AA Chairs by Airborne. Above: A detail of new wooden doors under the pergola. Above: The property includes an outbuilding which houses the garage and wine cellar. Above: The pool was newly integrated into the backyard, with coping stones made of concrete but treated to resemble natural stone. Above: The outbuilding door is made of Corten steel.

For more inspirational French renovations, see our posts:

• La Maison Bernard: A 1959 French Villa by Edith Schreiber-Aujame Restored by RREEL
• Bioclimatique: An Arles Farmhouse-Turned-Artist Residency with Sustainability in Mind
• Modernity in Outer Paris: A 1910 House in Île-de-France by Mudo Architecture
• An Eclectic Composition in a Parisian Townhouse from Corpus Studio
• At Home with an Artful Couple in the South of Paris