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It often takes courage and a good dose of imagination to take on a renovation project head-on. These are chapters in family life that forge strong bonds. Here at The Socialite Family, we follow them assiduously, so we can design the most appropriate creations to complement them. All the more so when it comes to breathing new life into an unusual property. A 12-room mansion, for example, dating from 1750 and left for dead, like the one chosen by the founders of the Maison Marcel concept store, Lysiane and Laurent Marcel. Chosen for its old tiles, old stone and cosy fireplaces that the parents and children rarely leave in winter. The happy tribe is writing this step-by-step story just a few kilometres from Villefranche-sur-Saône. Each room in this home has come to life through patience, DIY and the welcome help of other specialist tradespeople in the region. And because decorating is a matter of spontaneity and the thing that mum Lysiane loves to do, an abundance of delightful, charming and curious objects rub shoulders happily here. Some creations chosen for their soft tones that Lysiane hasn’t hesitated to combine with treasured finds as she instinctively mixes the materials and shades in their interior colour palette. Colour is used extensively, including on the walls of the property. “This was the first time I could put colour on the walls. So I let myself go with the colour chart as you can see in the green bedroom, the children’s peacock blue corridor and the blue library…” she explains. A buzzing hive of activity where every corner holds a surprise for our eyes and designed to welcome friends and family all year round “around a large table or on the dance floor with the disco ball”.
Lysiane and Laurent, can you introduce yourselves?
Laurent, 42 years old and Lysiane, 37 years old, parents of three children, Léonce 11 years old, Bertil 9 years old and Colette 6 years old. We created Maison Marcel together. It’s a hybrid concept store that reflects us and combines a hairdressing salon area specialising in plant use and a shop that stocks my favourite pieces, brands and designers. Laurent is a hairdresser and I manage the concept store.
Tell us more about your background.
Laurent has been a hairdresser since 1996. For my part, I studied law and worked as a notary clerk for several years before taking maternity leave after the birth of my last two children. Once I was ready to return to work, I wanted to turn my interests into a job, so the Maison Marcel adventure began.
Tell us about your upbringing. What sort of environment did you grow up in, and which consequently developed your taste?
Laurent grew up in a family of business people, which involved working incredibly long hours. He spent long hours in his parents’ hairdressing salon. I was raised by my mother alongside my two sisters. I had a happy childhood, which also involved travelling. My parents loved DIY, so we learned at a young age how to do various jobs ourselves, which helped us a lot during our numerous renovations.
Our parents loved DIY, so we learned at a young age how to do various jobs ourselves, which helped us a lot during our numerous renovations.
Today we are in your mansion in Beaujolais. Tell us about how you came to live in this property.
After several years in Lyon and with the arrival of our third child, we wanted space and greenery. We chose Beaujolais because we had friends in the area. We visited various houses, including this one, which we liked a lot due to its old features.
How did you go about the renovation?
As the house had been left empty, there was a lot of work to be done. We installed sanitary facilities on the ground floor, insulated the windows and attic, changed the boiler, and repainted and rewired the place. The kitchen was entirely designed from A to Z. We moved in and renovated, little by little while living on site. Some work is ongoing because doing up a large house like this never really ends! It took six months to complete the work on the ground floor. Right now we’re doing it up one room after the other. At our own pace and according to our budget. Our advice to others who want to embark on such a project: use good professionals, don’t be afraid to try things, and if you know a bit of DIY, even better!
The old and new work perfectly together here. What inspires you regarding the house’s decoration?
I don’t have any particular thing that inspires me. It’s really the place that dictates what I want to do. I wanted a black wall in the living room because the room is very large and bright. It was the first time I could apply colours to walls. So I had fun with my colour charts as seen in the green bedroom, the teal used for the children’s corridor, the blue library… I’ve always liked a mix of genres, blending vintage pieces, modern furniture, and designer items. I find that such a mix gives life to a home and makes it a pleasant place to live. In the end, I always follow my heart, I can easily fall in love with an object!
Is there any room you particularly like here?
I particularly love the living room because we spend a lot of time there and during winter, nothing beats a good fire!
We moved in and renovated, little by little while living on site. Some work is ongoing because doing up a large house like this never really ends!
What does this interior say about you and your family life?
I think our interior reflects us as a family! It is a lively house, perfect for a dynamic family, extremely pleasant in all seasons, and ideal for gatherings and welcoming our loved ones. It is also a perfect home for weekends with friends and fun evenings around a large table where we also create a “dance floor” and hang our disco ball.
For you, The Socialite Family is…?
For us, The Socialite Family, it’s a superb selection of original and timeless pieces. An original medium that allows me to discover wonderful families and beautiful interiors. An inexhaustible source of inspiration.
What’s your favourite piece in our collection?
I absolutely love the Rotondo leopard print sofa. It’s a unique eye-catching piece.
It’s that time of the year again! What are you planning for the festive season?
It’s a very intense time for us. Before Christmas, we had the festival of lights. I love this tradition where we put our lights in the windows. Then we’ll go and celebrate on the 24th and 25th of December with our family in the Loire.
I think our interior reflects us as a family! It is a lively house, perfect for a dynamic family, extremely pleasant in all seasons, and ideal for gatherings and welcoming our loved ones.
Photography : Jeanne Perrotte – Text : Juliette Bruneau
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