An Apartment in the French Countryside Is Filled with Sun and Color

Cullen Ormond
·7 min read
Light reflected around eclectic living room.
Dweller holding dog in pink living room chair.
Orange and purple throw over sofa in living room with wavy mirror above caned bench.
White shelf speakers on top of wooden credenza in eclectic living room.
Pink chair with red cushion on top in living room.
Disco lights reflected around living room with light green oval mirror over fireplace mantel.
Disco ball reflections in living room with large paper pendant and wooden credenza.
Pink accents around living area of apartment.
Large paper pendant near pink painted kitchen in eclectic apartment.
Art prints on wall in apartment.
Door open in pink painted bathroom.
Toiletries on ledge in pink bathroom with red and pink oval mirror above vanity with pink sink.
Built in shelves in pink painted bathroom.
Toiletries on ledge in pink bathroom with red and pink oval mirror above vanity with pink sink.
Light reflected around eclectic apartment living room.
Eclectic bookshelf in apartment with wavy mirror above caned bench.
View into bedroom from apartment living room.
Paper pendant hung above neatly made bed in eclectic bedroom.
Paper pendant above bed.
Componibili storage unit beside neatly made bed in minimalist bedroom.
Paper pendant hung above bed in minimalist bedroom.
Dog sits in cantilever chair at white and chrome desk.
Overhead view of graveled backyard with lounge and dining furniture.
Magnolia in bloom in backyard with bistro table.

After living in the city center of Lyon, France, Julie Caylet, a school teacher and aspiring design store owner, and partner Aurélien Jacob, who owns a bar called Super5 in Lyon, decided to “go green” after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dweller and dog standing outside in garden of apartment entrance.

“We therefore looked for a property to buy in an area close to Lyon while having a ‘countryside’ aspect and a little garden,” Caylet shares. “The first time we entered the apartment, what caught our attention was this large, bright, and spacious living room and its high ceilings.”

Light reflected around eclectic living room.

The two-bedroom apartment is inside an “old bourgeois house” built in 1850, and the building’s charm convinced the couple that this was their future home.

Black and white marble coffee table in eclectic living room.

And while the sun-drenched interior is great for the pair and their pup, Ohana, the surrounding views aren’t half bad. Situated 20 minutes from Lyon (which makes for an easy commute for Jacob), Collonges au Mont d’Or is surrounded by forests and the Saône River.

Wavy mirror in entryway of apartment.

Since buying the home two-and-a-half years ago, Caylet has filled the space with a rainbow of colors. “I am a very happy person by nature. I love all colors and can never decide which one to choose for an object, clothing, or piece of furniture,” Caylet shares. “Choosing is giving up, and giving up is not in my temperament, so I put all the colors in our apartment.”

Resources

Toiletries on ledge in pink bathroom with red and pink oval mirror above vanity.

PAINT & COLORS

Disco light reflections in living room with matching sofa and chair.

LIVING ROOM

Green arched lamp over blue shelf in eclectic living room.

DINING ROOM/KITCHEN

Neatly made bed in eclectic bedroom.

BEDROOM 1

Dog sits in cantilever chair at white and chrome desk.

BEDROOM 2 / OFFICE

Toiletries on ledge in pink bathroom with red and pink oval mirror above vanity.

BATHROOM

Thanks, Julie!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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