TS Residence: Bringing the Horizon Indoors

RESIDENTIAL · FRANCE

TS Residence stands on a rocky peninsula on the French coast, with views of the sea in every direction from its elevated site. KERSTENS takes the distant horizon as a starting point for the interior: a line at roughly seat height continues through the rooms, appearing in joinery, window frames and curtain piping.

A doorway frames a view into the bedroom, with a fireplace and open shelving ahead.

Starting at seat height

The line divides the walls into upper and lower zones. Below it, oak grain and stone striations run horizontally. Above, plaster, fabric and selected limestone finishes have a vertical grain or no clear direction.

Separate volumes contain different functions, with circulation space between them. Doors and windows face the sea and bring daylight indoors. Some internal doors have open frames, allowing views from one room into the next.

A travertine fireplace sits within a white wall, beside open shelves and timber cabinets.

Timber frames and pale panels behind the headboard extend up to the ceiling.

Successive doorways lead to the bedroom, while curtains filter daylight into the passage.

A slatted door stands beside fabric panels, with horizontal timber grain below.

Directions in timber and stone

Deeply brushed oak has a pale tone and pronounced grain. Timber finishes continue from cabinetry to ceilings; in some rooms, exposed roof beams frame panels of handwoven raffia.

Stone borders enclose fields of flooring, alternating stone with timber parquet. Travertine also appears in fireplaces and elsewhere, with finishes ranging from honed to more textured surfaces. In the main bedroom, a travertine fireplace rests on a substantial rock base.

The bathtub sits near a Venetian blind, with a basin in a recess alongside.

A double-basin cabinet sits beneath a mirror, and the stone ledge beside the window is open underneath.

Looking towards the basin, door frames and ceilings extend along the passage.

A stone table stands before a Venetian blind, beneath a timber ceiling extending to the window.

Details at a shared height

Doors have oak or steel frames with timber or fabric panels recessed within them, casting shadows along the frame edges. Horizontal joints align with window frames and curtain piping, continuing the line across changes in material.

Bespoke bronze handles have a simple rectilinear form, adapted in size for doors, cabinets and other joinery.

Timber-framed panels line the passage, with sunlight on the lower part of the right-hand wall.

Fabric panels are recessed within timber frames; the timber below aligns horizontally with the adjacent stone.

A wall recess meets a stone ledge, with horizontal striations continuing below.

Curtain piping aligns with the top of the stone wall finish.

Taking the sea horizon as its reference, KERSTENS aligns the transitions between interior materials at roughly seat height.

Project credits

Project — TS Residence
Location — France
Interior design — KERSTENS
Project period — 2020–2024
Photography — Piet-Albert Goethals
Images and original feature — Leibal
Project information — KERSTENS
Editorial adaptation — 01DES