SUNNYSIDE UP

In Southwest France, an interior designer reimagines her grandparents’ home with joyful color and modern swagger.

- KATHY BARNES,JULIEN FERNANDEZ,AMANDINE BERTHON

Large-scale art by Tim Frager proves yellow is a party: Fun and energetic, it elevates the mood by simply showing up.

The words duplex and retreat don’t typically go hand in hand. But when French interior designer Aurélie Laborde and her brother decided to share their grandparents’ home on Lake Hossegor in Southwest France, they found a way to make both work. The siblings transformed the single-family home into two separate residences, with Aurélie and her family upstairs and her brother’s family living below.

Designer Aurélie Laborde opted for reissues of iconic furniture in the living room, opposite, including a tulip table by Eero Saarinen, a Flowerpot pendant, and blue Togo seating by Michel Ducaroy.

"These low-slung seats fit perfectly in my compact space, and they're ideal for family life," Aurélie says.

Aurélie, shown below with husband Pierre, chose the vibrant Pierre Frey wallpaper as a launchpad for the pink, orange, yellow, and blue palette.