Seashells by the Seashore

Overlooking France's Bay of Arcachon, this family holiday home, decorated in the traditional style of the neighboring oyster farmers' huts, allows for a dream retreat ... and feet in the water!

SAND SPECIES. The landscaper, Eddy Herriau, imagined the sandy garden, with its local plant species and wooden palisades, as a continuation of the beach.

The bay's landscape takes us on a constant journey according to the ocean's fluctuations and between the verdant scene of the natural salt marsh reserves and the beautiful marine composition. The owners, expatriated abroad, were looking to create a family home in France.

"Finding this idyllic place was a dream come true for the sea-loving boaters. They bought it more for its location than for the building itself-a house with 1970s ochre plaster," explains architect Sandrine Mercurio, who oversaw the property's transformation, along with Sylvie Langaud, the interior designer from Agence Paule M. "The clients really liked Sylvie's house that we built in Cap Ferret, France, several years ago. They gave us carte blanche," she confides.

STYLISH STORAGE. The impressively large island is not only a statement piece, it also serves as storage via its enclosed cabinets and drawers on one side and open shelving on the other.

BEACH GLASS BEAUTY. The kitchen, designed by Paule M, was made to measure. In addition, the floor tiles were encrusted with polished beach glass ("Piastrelle" in bordeaux).

RAISE THE ROOF