Renovation of a historic single-family house
Ville de Luxembourg
A kind foreign family had just purchased a historic house in the Luxembourg City commune—charmed by its character and, like many new homeowners, unaware of the 112 years of surprises waiting behind its dignified façade. Before moving in, they approached us with a simple but meaningful request: to help renovate the house into a comfortable home that would suit their lifestyle while respecting its unique past. We gladly accepted, knowing full well that when it comes to historic buildings, the floorplan is only half the story.
We began with a detailed feasibility study to understand the building’s status, regulations, and limitations. Renovating in Luxembourg isn’t just about good design—it’s about navigating a careful dance with heritage authorities, where every wall has a story, and every proposed change needs a very polite conversation (and a few permits). We worked closely with the family, offering design suggestions, understanding their needs, and helping align their vision with the soul of the house.
Built in 1913, the house spans around 280 square meters and carries layers of architectural memory, including a significant alteration in 1968 by ARBED. Despite these changes, the house preserved many beautiful historic features: wooden wainscoting, decorative plaster ceilings, and stone flooring—like a grandparent who still insists on wearing a suit to breakfast.
The front façade, facing the street, had been protected over the years and remained in impressive condition. The back façade, on the other hand, had been through a rougher journey—subjected to a series of unfortunate renovations that left it looking like a Pinterest experiment gone wrong. Our goal was to gently peel back those years of confusion, identify what truly mattered, and restore a sense of coherence and dignity to the structure.
Together with the clients, we developed a design that balanced history with modern living—respecting the building’s past while making it welcoming for its future. We also extended our work to the landscaping, giving both the front and backyard the care and structure they had long been waiting for.
Renovating a historic home in Luxembourg can feel a bit like archaeology mixed with diplomacy and the occasional existential crisis over tile samples. But in the end, what emerges is something far richer than just a house—it’s a space filled with history, thoughtfully revived for a new generation to live in and love.
