Deauville is a minimal home located in Deauville, France, designed by Atelier Baptiste Legué, with styling by Lisa Sicignano et Studio Cøllected. Wood serves as the project’s grammatical backbone, establishing a syntax that flows seamlessly between interior and exterior, between functional necessity and aesthetic ambition. The designers understood what Scandinavian craftsmen mastered centuries ago: that wood possesses an inherent democracy, equally at home concealing storage and forming facades, bridging the gap between architecture and furniture with an ease that more precious materials cannot match. This approach echoes the work of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, who similarly understood wood’s capacity to create psychological warmth while maintaining structural integrity.

The material palette reveals careful orchestration. Polished concrete grounds the composition with industrial honesty, while oak provides warmth and hemp cladding introduces textural complexity. Against this foundation, marble and brushed stainless steel appear as accents rather than statements, their refinement measured against wood’s fundamental generosity. This restraint speaks to contemporary French design’s growing confidence in subtlety over spectacle.

The spatial organization follows the material logic. The ground-floor living room opens to the sea, establishing a visual dialogue between interior timber and the weathered wood of Norman beach architecture. Upstairs, bedrooms share an adjoining bathroom, creating intimacy through proximity while maintaining individual identity through the wood’s continuous presence. The gentle curves and soft lines mentioned by the designers represent more than aesthetic choice – they embody wood’s natural tendency toward organic form, its resistance to harsh geometry.