Hi guys, it’s Holly Marder and I am excited to show you around a harmonious French apartment with subtle wintry and rustic touches to kick off March. This home, a culmination of two buildings - a former post house for horses dating back to 1755 and its hay reserve - has been lovingly melded into a family home for webshop owner Fanny Roux, her husband and two children. I'm sure you will love the open layout, moody kitchen and the many delicate details to be found in this chic Saint-Germain-en-Laye home, which is located in the western suburbs of Paris about 11 miles away from city center. I hope you love it just as much as I did photographing and styling it together with Fanny!

When their second child was on the way, Fanny and her husband went in search of an apartment that was large enough to accommodate their growing family. When they first laid eyes on what would become their home in 2007, it was NO love affair. The space was dark with cracked walls and unattractive tiling throughout. Its only saving grace was the size and history of the building - it was spacious with potential in spadefuls.

The couple had dreamed of a home where the whole family could interact and live together without feeling cramped, in a green neighborhood that would offer a quiet and safe environment for their children but also be close to Paris.

With a knack for seeing beyond imperfections and an expert in the art of rethinking and reinventing abandoned objects, Fanny quickly realized the potential the property possessed ,and on the condition that she could make the necessary changes to the space to make it into the family home she dreamed of, she and her husband purchased the space and got to work.

The renovations took two months and were an intense time for the family. Walls, floors and ceilings were renovated with the help of local builders. Hardwood flooring was fitted throughout and skylights added to the ceiling to increase natural light to the living area. The original structure of the apartment remained untouched so the original wooden beams became a feature in the spacious living area. Gradually, their characterless and gloomy apartment became a bright and comfortable family home as you can see.

With a penchant for vintage and diverting objects from their original function, Her love of vintage goes beyond the walls of her home - Fanny turned her hobby of unearthing and reinventing vintage objects into a small business success with her online shop Le Repere des Belettes. Fanny creates surprising yet beautiful moments throughout her home through carefully crafted corners, shelves and tabletops. In the kitchen, an old manger serves as a vegetable rack, an old cake mould becomes a flower pot and an abandoned window becomes a mirror. Fanny balances out her passion for vintage and antique with modern and simplistic pieces, creating a peaceful harmony between the old and the new.

Fanny carefully selected the color scheme for each space, wanting to give each room a different atmosphere while maintaining a sense of harmony throughout. She used soft, neutral colors as a base, only adding color through furniture and accessories, which allows her to change up the interior regularly as she shuffles things around and brings in new pieces. As a webshop owner, this is not only a fun hobby but a necessary part of the job enabling her to live with the products she sells which makes her closer to the product and able to help her customers in a more intimate way. In fact, many of the things in her home she sells online.

Launched in 2011 with her partner Karine, the online store offers a carefully curated selection of design, crafts, industrial, unique and contemporary objects with a nod towards earthy materials and natural textures. Old military crates, chairs and school desks are cleaned, sanded and stripped before painted in harmonious colors and given a new lease on life.

What are your favorite aspects of this home? I can’t get past those beautiful wooden beams and all the textural lines throughout.

See you guys next with another inspiring home tour not fall in love with - Holly

(Photography, Text, Styling: Holly Marder. Editor: Holly Becker.)