‘I've Brought This Old Barn Back To Life'

Converting a ramshackle barn in the northern French countryside has been a long but ultimately satisfying journey for Rachel Coppens

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‘The barn was dark, empty and abandoned, but when I looked up and saw the magnificent ceiling, I was just in awe,’ says Rachel. ‘We preserved the beams and brick walls where possible, but some walls had to be panelled for insulation.

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It was the stunning vaulted ceiling that clinched it for Rachel Coppens when she first visited this ramshackle barn just outside Lille. While the dilapidated structure needed a huge amount of work, for Rachel and her now ex-husband, the exposed beams, stunning vaulted ceiling, vast open-plan space and countryside location far outweighed any negatives.

‘We were living in the centre of Lille, but wanted to move out into the countryside,’ says Rachel. ‘The large, open interior and outdoor space was everything we needed.’ They undertook much of the renovation work themselves, conserving and restoring the barn’s original framework and adding a timber extension. The original 95sq m outbuilding houses the living and dining space and connecting kitchen, while the main bedroom, en suite, two additional bedrooms and bathroom are in a new extension.

Towards the end of the project, a parquet floor that had been painstakingly laid was ruined by a flood. ‘We came back from holiday to find ourselves knee deep in water, with the house flooded due to heavy rain,’ says Rachel. ‘We didn’t have the energy to start over, so we had the floor raised, installed underfloor heating and fitted a concrete floor with a white epoxy resin coating. I’m so glad we did, as it makes the space feel so much brighter and is more comfortable underfoot.’