Updated Oct 12, 2018 2:16 PM EDT
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Sometimes the plan falls apart — and that’s exactly when the magic kicks in. Back in 2014, Alix and Onur Keçe (he founded the design agency The Refreshment Club) were hunting for a weekend escape in upstate New York with zero luck. It was only when the couple cut their losses and swapped New York City for Paris that their renovation project finally started materializing.
In October 2018 they found The One: a 19th-century house 40 minutes outside Paris in the Vexin region. It had fallen into disrepair, sure, but it sat on plenty of land for their daughters Ellis (7) and Panda (3) to tear around on. “We had to redo everything, but that’s exactly what we were looking for,” explains Onur.
Luckily, Alix and Onur — both founders of their own companies — have creative brains, so working around the house’s quirky layout felt more like a fun puzzle than an obstacle, especially on the first floor. They knocked four small rooms into one open living-dining space topped with a 16.5-foot vaulted ceiling at its peak: Casa Keçe was born. “We wanted a place to cook, eat, socialize, and work. Friends and family are always rolling through on weekends. The table is where everyone converges,” Onur points out.
But even with walls vanishing left and right, the flow was still choppy: the sitting area sits just under a foot higher than the dining space. That split-level situation inspired the couple to build a custom 16-foot-long solid pink concrete table to knit the two zones together. “I like using objects to join spaces; the table brings that connection,” says Onur. The trick? The piece never changes height — only the floors do. Someone on the couch can use it as a coffee table and still make eye contact with the person way down at dining-table height.
Unpolished, raw textures are the through-line at the Keçes’ place — the kitchen countertops are also blush concrete. “It’s a country house; it’s going to get messy and dirty, and concrete won’t get damaged,” says Onur. The table’s inset firepit is one of six — yes, six — hearths in the home. “Alix wanted to have dinner with friends and watch the fire next to her on the same level,” notes Onur. There’s also electricity running through the table, so the couple can plug in laptops underneath. Because of course there is.
But bringing the piece to life with a general contractor didn’t go quite as smoothly as planned. “Our legs didn’t fit underneath because the top was too thick. So we curved the underside,” explains Onur. Problem solved, knees preserved.
Now people can gather comfortably, for any reason or none at all. “The table is where friendships blossom over conversation. It’s where the food gets eaten; it’s where we talk to our kids the most — mostly to tell them to eat their dinner,” he adds. “It’s really the centerpiece where everyone comes together.”
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