Thursday, July 30, 2009

Shore Front Villas and Cottages

Typical of the turn of the century villas along the Esplanade du Général Leclerc is the building composed of three attached houses: Le Tourbillon, Le Crépuscule and Clair de Lune.

The slightly elevated ground floor provides for a small terrace as well as windows bringing light into the basement kitchens and servants' quarters in true "Upstairs, Downstairs" fashion. Below is an image of the interior of a Mers villa showing the dining room fireplace flanked by a dumbwaiter to the right.

The various levels articulate the social status of the occupants. The servants were lodged in either the basement or the garret. The levels below the garret were for children and guests, below them were the parents and the ground floor was used for reception and living areas. The master bedroom is marked by an arched and carved bow-window. In addition to the carved and painted wooden details, the decor of the façade is made up of colored bricks and applied architectural ceramics such as the cartouches with the names of the villas and the cabochons below the windows.


Villas along the Esplanade du Général Leclerc.

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