The perfect integration of different types of wood and doors
Invisiframe makes the inside doors disappear into the walls
Right in the heart of the Ardennes, in the small village of Hives, near La Roche-en-Ardenne, is where the family adventure of Serge, Virginie and Benoît began with the opening of the holiday cottage ‘L’Ardenne Autrement’. The five guest rooms all reflect the atmosphere of the Ardennes. From one room to another, you travel through the different seasons; each room is finished in a different type of wood found in the Ardennes forests, so dear to the owners. All the inside doors are elegantly concealed in unique walls thanks to the argenta invisiframe invisible door frame system.
‘L‘Ardenne Autrement’ opened its doors in July 2020. It took three years of preparation before construction of the project began. “We wanted to create a guest house with all the comforts of a hotel and the family atmosphere of a holiday cottage. Above all, the house had to be welcoming, with that personal touch we wanted to give it, and also thanks to the choice of materials”, explains the owner.
Each one of the four rooms is named after a different season, while the fifth, called the ‘Four Seasons Suite’, is the very essence of comfort and luxury. Each room boasts a different atmosphere and is finished in a specific kind of wood. In the ‘Autumn’ room walnut wood was used, in the ‘Winter’ room larch wood, in the ‘Summer’ room acacia, while the ‘Spring’ room enjoys a wonderful fresh feeling thanks to the use of maple. Each room is equipped with a user-friendly home automation system, a private covered terrace (some with a jacuzzi), and access to the wellness area. In the open kitchen with a table d'hôtes, Belgian chef Benoît shares his passion for good food. At ‘L’Ardenne Autrement’, everything revolves around pleasure, relaxation and fitness.
How was contact made?
The owner of ‘L’Ardenne Autrement’, Serge Etienne, runs the company ‘Seetech’, specializing in home automation and lighting. It was through his architect that he came into contact with Atelier JS, which was responsible for the design of the cottage. “We wanted to create something together. We tried to put our experience and techniques at the service of the metal and wood that are so evident in this project. This is why the final result is so surprisingly unique. We were on the same wavelength and we got on well right from the start”, Serge continues.
How did ARLU get involved?
“We joined the project a little later, knowing that originally there were no plans to use ARLU products. Once I had a good overview of the project, I suggested to Serge that he use argenta's invisiframe systems. This type of door endows the room with a minimalist aesthetic and a refined design. It allows you to concentrate on the other elements of decoration, which are all important in this exceptional cottage, with its emphasis on nature and the comfort of light. From a practical point of view, the product provides optimal acoustic comfort, thanks to the magnetic lock and the peripheral acoustic sealing. This is an essential and often overlooked comfort in a holiday cottage. We could never have achieved this result with a conventional solution”, explains Julien Schautteet (Atelier JS).
“The main advantage of the invisiframe is its aesthetics”, adds Serge Etienne. “It makes spaces look cleaner and can even conceal more private access. We visually enlarge the rooms by removing the doorframe(s). I wouldn’t want to put in any other type of door than invisidoor because it adds real value to embellishing living rooms.”
Why did you choose the argenta ‘invisiframe’ system?
“The fact that the mechanism of the ‘invisiframe’ systems is concealed and the aluminium frame is completely invisible gives you numerous aesthetic possibilities. Doors and walls can be perfectly aligned and you can make a really creative use of the layout. In this project, every door is different. But they all blend in perfectly with the wall they form part of. Invisidoor provides a perfect finish, with no visible hinges or frames. The house has laminated doors, oak-clad doors and doors that disappear behind wallpaper or a printed photo, but it could just as easily have had glass steel doors. The Invisidoor system also allowed us to go a long way in customizing the inside doors, such as by inserting the logo or using coloured glass”, continues Julien.
Why is this project so important to ARLU?
Cédric Courtois (ARLU): “This project allowed us to reveal our multiple facets by showing all the possibilities provided by the ‘invisiframe’ system, with its invisible hinges and frames, in all the different versions. The cottage also has a wine cellar. An old postcard with a picture of the village on it has been enlarged to decorate the wall that gives access to this wine cellar. The door, which is now part of the picture, is therefore hardly noticeable in the overall picture. Again, the system has been integrated invisibly.”
How do you see this project?
Julien Schautteet - “We like functional things, but we also wanted to add an artistic and original touch to this project. We have managed to do this thanks in particular to argenta invisiframe. The inside doors never distract from the decorative elements, on the contrary, everything fits together perfectly. When you come to a guesthouse, you want to feel like you are somewhere different. In my opinion, this is exactly what you feel here. The versatility of argenta invisiframe also played a significant role in this. With every type of panel, trim and door finish, we have always managed to ensure that the door blends discreetly into the wall.”
Architect: Hotua Poncelet Architecture
Contractor: Atelier JS
