Always a good time to revisit interiors and architecture with modern French style imagined by this designer since they offer inspirational moments along with actionable ideas for home. We need the names of those paint colors! (Oh la la, Maison de Lee has a glorious modern French kitchen!) This Canadian home with award-winning architecture and freshened Old World style interiors by Jenny Martin Design has an unforgettable facade.
Project: Maison de Lee (in Victoria’s South Oak Bay neighborhood); Builder: M. Knight Construction; Home Design: Zebra Group; Interiors: Jenny Martin Design
Maison de Lee: Modern French Interiors
1. White Brick Exterior
While plenty of people believe brick should never be painted, there are a good number ready to paint it.
Who can blame them when you see the potential results!?!
Look at those sweet gates!
“Aiming to incorporate traditional elements with an aged vintage quality, this project integrates detailed mouldings, rustic white-oak beams and soft arches, pairing them with unlacquered brass and natural marble specifically selected to age gracefully over time. The aesthetic was elevated with a restrained palette of natural tones.” – Jenny Martin
Wondering about paint colors for the exterior?
The combination of brick and trim reminds me of another set apart home where Sherry Hart chose BM Balboa Mist and SW Amazing Gray:
I offer more paint color educated guesses in THIS.
2. Understated White Modern French Style Kitchen
I could move right into this kitchen! It’s elevated, luxurious, and elegant but not too frou frou or fussy.
I love the warmth of the wood island, and notice how it is stained to exquisitely harmonize with the beauty of the wood flooring.
3. Deep Shelves That Actually Function
You know by now I’m into slowwwww decorating. While I fully respect folks in a hurry who say tomorrow is too uncertain, there are more alternatives. Slow, for example. We just returned home a few days ago from our Arizona snowbird house, and even though we renovated our kitchen in 2022, I’m only now thinking about adding some shelves. It may take time to live and know your non-negotiables or what is unnecessary. Here’s the thing. We’re always evolving so our needs change.
What I love about these particular shelves is how they are substantial but so properly scaled and usable. But I’m not sure they would work in my own kitchen where I’m considering a shallower shelf for art display on either side of the range hood.
4. Bespoke & Thoughtful Millwork
Since our own kitchen renovation was fairly recent, I am aware of the dozens of design details to address. The finishing details are so important!
If you notice the base molding, you’ll see it enhances the furniture look of base cabinets. We were too worn out to address our own base cabinets, but maybe in 2.0!
5. Pantry or Scullery to Hide Appliances
It’s such a bonus when you have an area away from the main working area for bulky items, appliances, and the stuff of everyday life you’d prefer to not take center stage.
When I gathered my thoughts about my own kitchen’s re-do, I knew I wanted to create a mood that felt peaceful and livable. A room for living, if you will. For us, this entailed softening all the edges, hiding utilitarian stuff that isn’t pretty (hello, microwave), and losing clunky factor (too many doors and 90s staggered upper cabinets!). I even removed the door to the pantry to make it a pretty moment!
6. Brass & Gold in a Modern French Kitchen
Have you noticed how much French-inspired charm and warmth the gold tones add to this kitchen?
7. Rugged & Rustic Built-ins
What a beautiful and highly useful wall of cabinets and shelving in this breakfast area!
8. Narrow Arched French Doors
What do you think of these narrow pairs of doors? There’s something both dramatic and elegant with such a romantic architectural gesture.
“Awarded 7 care awards, including the coveted title of Project of the Year, project Maison de Lee resulted in a stunning marriage of styles, creating a traditional home that sets the stage for stories to be written within its walls.” – Jenny Martin
10. Harmony of Bright White & Oak
While you might imagine a black and white kitchen in a modern French home, all of the natural tones here feel lightened up, soft, established and timeless. Do you miss the black?
Black does show up. Notice the door in this stunning mud room with built-ins.
11. A Mix of Modern in a Music Room
While the architecture of this space feels traditional, the decor is rather Midcentury Modern with nods to Industrial style. Isn’t it unexpected?
12. Not So Fancy Entry
Like the music room above, the entry is surprisingly casual and relaxed with its natural woven textures, absence of color, and understated mood.
13. Shaker Style Custom Closet With Stunning Ceiling
I am crazy about this closet design and in awe. Can a closet can sell a house? I say oui.
14. Modern French Bathroom Design Elements
This bath inspired my own plans for our bath reno here at the Georgian.
I love a clawfoot tub, and the herringbone marble is so classic. The ceiling height is something I can’t add, and it’s so glorious here:
Choosing tile for a bath? Make sure to select a timeless, neutral, high quality one since you won’t need to update it (ahem) any time soon.
The baths in this beautiful home!
Sweet cozy Moses, I would never tire of looking at these vanities!
To see this home decorated for the holidays, GO HERE.
Have a favorite feature from today’s inspirational house tour? Let me know! I love it when you leave comments or questions or random, and believe it or not, a lot of bloggers do not share such enthusiasm.
Blogging has become such big business that simple questions like “what paint color did you use on…” are a bother to many bloggers weighted down with other concerns.
But I’m old school and love the continuing conversation percolating since January of 2010! I actually started blogging in 2008 (I deleted that other blog when Hello Lovely debuted) and am so tickled that some of you still visit daily!
Behind the Blog
Where are you? What creative pursuits hold your attention at the moment? Where are you going? What is saving your life? Right where I am on a Northern Illinois prairie my senses are filled by the changing season…Green grass. Deer visiting in the yard. Cardinals dropping by our kitchen window with a little chirp to make it clear I’m safe. DIY projects big and small. Creating a large scale mixed media art work. Immersed in energy work to help me cope, grow, and learn to move through life as a conduit for grace with integrity. Helping a son move to build a life in a new location. Cheering on friends entering a fresh chapter of post-midlife. Practicing my faith. Staying gentle with myself as I adopt a slower pace for all of the above because it’s both nourishing and empowering. Praying for all of us in uncertain times.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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