Loud brands: a house in Champagne Country that's full of sparkle.

Marie and Emmanuelle Bergey are from Reims and knew the area well, so they were surprised when their realtor showed them a neglected mid-20th-century home in the heart of the city that they had never seen before. "We found a real gem," says former stylist Marie, describing their first visit to the 1950s home, located in the unofficial capital of France's Champagne region. And it is indeed special: the architectural style is typical of the French modernist movement, in the tradition of Le Corbusier with large glass surfaces providing natural light. And of course, they hadn't seen it before - the two-story house is surrounded by mature trees providing privacy and a pleasant sense of isolation.

"Despite the state of disrepair, we immediately saw great potential in this house," says Marie. Turning it into a family home for herself, husband Emmanuel and three children was her main goal, but preserving or restoring as much of the existing tiling, glazing and architectural elements as possible was parallel to this. "We wanted to retain all the original elements, including the flooring, mosaics and even the pleated shutters," says Marie. "The house was built during the post-war reconstruction period between 1954 and 1956, it had post-war revival features - the owner was very avant-garde for the time, he had the spirit of the main character in Jacques Tati's movie My Uncle, he ran his business in the building next door."

The exterior of the house has large windows opening out to the garden.

Photo credit: Monica Spezia / Our Homes.

The house has changed owners several times since then, and when Marie and Emmanuelle bought it in 2013, it was in good condition but needed a lot of restoration work. "The previous owners didn't take much care of it," says Marie. "Luckily, we liked the elements that remained intact, such as the natural stone tiled walls and the bright blue kitchen."

The original kitchen was mostly intact, and they were able to find a carpenter to help them restore a few cabinets and complete the space. The previous tenants had at one point tried to update the electrical. "We were surprised to find that everything was done incorrectly and not up to code. We had to redo everything before we could move in," Marie says. "We were able to stay with friends for three months, and when we finally moved in, the kitchen wasn't finished and we didn't have a TV, so it all felt very 1950s." The original tile floors remained in the bathroom, while Marie was able to find replacement black tiles for the walls at Leroy Merlin, a popular French remodeling store. "We were even able to keep some of the plumbing fixtures and update the plumbing system."

Photo credit: Monica Spezia / Our Homes.

Renovating while maintaining the style of the architecture was a big challenge.

Many of the Leroy Merlin company's distinctive black and white designs, matching the home's design between 1954 and 1956, have been sold. Photo: Monica Spezia / Our Homes.

Some of her favorite acquisitions include the vintage Togo sofa in the living room, a Ligne Roset classic by Michel Ducarois. She also found the Mushroom armchairs designed by Pierre Polen for Artifort. In the kitchen hangs a Campari pendant light by Ingo Maurer, which pairs perfectly with the pink formica worktop and Vallauris Marie's collection of ceramics that she mounted on the dining room walls. "They remind me of my childhood - a magical time."

Back in the living room, large glass doors open onto the garden where the family spends most of their time with friends during the summer months. Panoramic views blur the boundaries between spaces, allowing them to enjoy the outside even in the cooler months. Despite the luxurious finishes and architectural elements, the house is a casual family home with a bit of chaos. "We usually start the weekend with a quiet breakfast, reading the newspaper and chatting over a cup of coffee and a croissant," Marie says. "Then everyone does their own thing during the day: repairing, cooking, gardening, reading, painting. Evenings usually end for us with parties with a big group of friends because we like to invite guests."