Carine Giraud

Lured from the busier left bank in the city of Bordeaux to the quieter, more edgy right bank of the river Garonne, Carine Giraud, her husband Florian and four-year-old son Charlie now reside in La Bastide – a neighbourhood currently undergoing extensive regeneration. The future planned for this area is based on the development of a ground-breaking eco-neighbourhood, spanning out from the existing Darwin Eco-Systeme - a former military barracks - which now houses co-working spaces, a skateboard park, an organic supermarket, a trendy café/bar and an urban farm.

BUILDING THE FUTURE

The Darwin had significant appeal to Florian, a keen skateboarder, while the Jardin Botanique and great views of the city sealed the deal for Carine, but while the location was perfect, they did have to compromise on the style of house. Their preference is for older properties with period detail, but their current home was built in the 1990s. Despite this, it hasn’t deterred the couple from creating a charming family home since moving in in August 2017, and Carine admits that she loves the larger rooms a more modern home provides.

In the brief time since moving in, Carine and Florian have used their creativity to add colour, fun and unexpected details to the space. Initially the kitchen was nothing more than a sink, but the couple has since hand-built cupboards and shelving, painting them in cheery pink, yellow and white. They then added free-standing furniture and appliances, such as their second-hand pink Smeg fridge, a vintage cupboard and a wall mounted storage system by Dutch brand Tolhuijs. ‘I love to spend time in the kitchen - it’s simple and clean and looks out onto our little garden,’ says Carine. ‘I often change things around and create little vignettes with vintage finds and plants, and the bright colours make me happy.’ The vintage spice drawers are a favourite of Carine’s, which she discovered in an antique shop in Switzerland. ‘I was tempted to paint them at first, but instead decided to leave them as I loved the patina they had acquired.

Words: Caroline Rowland

Photography: Jemma Watts