The owner of this 1939, half-timbered, 1,300-square-foot landmark building on the Normandy coast hired Nous Studio for a complete renovation. (The bones were good, including original oak floorboards protected for decades by rugs.) Traditional materials used in innovative ways helped update the look: for example, on the sidewalls, where molded plaster creates a light-and-shadow stripe effect, a wink at the postcard-perfect beach-like furniture.

The deeply-tufted, jewel-tone-upholstered sofa and armchair in the living room provide sink-in refuges from which to admire the bookcase by Christophe Delcourt and a 1950’s Italian chaise longue.