Perfect place : Maison Roz

Does a pair of architects have twice as many projects? Driven by a frenetic energy, Élodie Dumas and Augustin Decaux are constantly creating new spaces. At the helm of the Wunder architecture studio, they offer a multifaceted and comprehensive range of services that commands respect. They welcome us to their family jewel, now a place for sharing: Maison Roz, available for rent on the banks of the Aven River. A Breton retreat in an enchanting setting.

Élodie et Augustin, can you introduce yourself?

We are Élodie Dumas and Augustin Decaux, architects and founders of the Wunder studio. We are also husband and wife, and parents to Marilou and Roméo. 😊
We met at the École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Bretagne before continuing our studies at Paris-La Villette. Following a formative experience in Berlin, we founded Wunder studio in 2008 in Rennes. We now run Wunder, an architecture, interior design and global design agency, as well as Café Wunder, a neighbourhood café on the ground floor of our agency, Wunderful, a lovely furniture and homeware shop in Rennes, and Maison Roz, our guesthouse situated on the banks of the Aven, ten minutes from Pont-Aven. 

Your decorating mantra?

“Everyday life should be filled with places that inspire and bring joy.”: We often say this, and it’s become our motto. Our work explores architecture as a vehicle for emotions: creating joyful, light-filled, sensitive spaces where people feel truly at ease.

What do you think of the concept of good taste?

According to us, there is no universal rule; it is not a fixed standard. Naturally, there are colour schemes and materials that we find more pleasing to the eye than others, but what matters is sincerity, the story we want to tell, and the soul of an interior. A living space that is authentic, even if imperfect, will always have more charm than a space that is too polished or controlled. We also enjoy occasionally playing with the interpretation of certain elements that good taste usually rejects out of habit or cultural convention, breathing new life into them with unexpected twists and well-balanced touches that allow us to see them in a new light.

If you were a room in the house?

It would have to be the kitchen. Not only are we food lovers, but that’s also where the best conversations take place. The living room and its open-plan kitchen remain the heart of the home: we have a quick coffee there, we host large gatherings, and we never lose sight of the Aven, its tides, its light, and the incredible sunsets. It’s the place where everything happens, where the days begin and end, where guests linger without us needing to keep them there.

The top 3 on your bucket list?

• To successfully complete a personal project that is close to our hearts and makes us proud.
• To spend part of our career, however brief, abroad, to immerse oneself in another culture, and to compare different approaches to the profession.
• To spend a summer in Brittany, to look beyond preconceptions about its unpredictable weather, and to discover all those little corners of paradise that only Brittany knows how to offer.

Your dream project?

In a way, we’re already lucky enough to be living our dream project. With Wunder, we’re currently working on some wonderful projects – hotels, restaurants, cafés, shops and private homes – all across France. Every location is different: a town, a landscape, a history. What we love most of all is immersing ourselves in these unique contexts and designing spaces that reflect the identity of a region or neighbourhood and the owners’ vision. We obviously hope to continue this adventure for as long as possible.

And there’s also a more personal dream: perhaps, in time, to develop a small collection of houses, in the spirit of Maison Roz. Places on a human scale, deeply rooted in their surroundings, where you’d find that concept of a guesthouse – intimate, warm and thoughtfully designed down to the last detail. Different houses, but with the same underlying theme: to create places you’d want to return to, those places where you walk through the door and feel at home, as if you’d already spent happy times there.

Your commitment to the future?

Our commitment to the future is, ultimately, quite simple: to continue working with kindness and in close collaboration not only with our teams, of course, but also with our clients, tradespeople and everyone involved in our projects. We also wish to continue prioritising local businesses and expertise as much as possible. Finally, we enjoy working to preserve what already exists; we struggle with the idea of a clean slate. Giving a new lease of life to old objects, materials and spaces that have a history: by integrating them into interiors designed for contemporary use, they are given new value. The idea is always to write a new story, but by first considering what already exists, heritage in its true value, for its authenticity, and through a careful approach to conservation rather than total transformation and the overconsumption of building work.

Maison Roz: why did you choose this name?

Maison Roz takes its name quite simply from the port of Rosbras or Roz-Bras (both spellings are used), located a minute’s walk from the house. In Breton place-name tradition, ‘roz’ refers to a natural elevation near the sea. We liked the idea that the house is both grounded and elevated. Rooted in its surroundings, yet open to the horizon and the spectacle of the tides.

So we approached the project with great respect, even though almost the entire house had to be completely refurbished. We drew on old photographs, family archives and the memories shared by various people. We restored the wooden friezes on the façade, uncovered a fresco in the living room and preserved the ornate spiral staircase made of turned wood.

The idea was not to turn it into a ‘house museum’ or a dramatically transformed home. We wanted it to remain true to what it has always been: a family home, welcoming and simple in its elegance, yet suited to modern-day living. We wanted to restore its solidity, comfort and light, without erasing what made it unique.

At Maison Roz, we welcome a wide variety of guests. From families getting together for a weekend or a multi-generational holiday, to groups of friends and wellness retreats, as well as professionals who choose the house for intimate seminars or who simply wish to get away from it all in a comfortable and inspiring setting.

Our guests come from Brittany, of course, but also from Bordeaux, Paris, Belgium and even Australia. Some are already very familiar with the region and want to experience it in a different way, staying in a unique house. Others are discovering it for the first time and are looking for a gentle immersion that is both authentic and comfortable.

Maison Roz is what is known as a guest house: you enjoy the freedom and independence of a whole house: you live at your own pace, cook your own meals and organise your days as you wish, whilst enjoying the level of care you’d expect from a hotel: top-quality bedding, carefully selected linens and toiletries, décor with attention to detail, a personalised guide and a concierge service to arrange breakfast delivery, book a chef, organise boat trips or recommend fine dining. The idea is to offer a setting that is both welcoming and sophisticated.

Origin: Brittany

Élodie : We are both from Brittany. As for me, my family roots lie more in the Dinard area; but for Maison Roz, the story is even more personal: Augustin spent many of his childhood holidays here. I discovered the Pont-Aven area over twenty years ago now when I met Augustin. As young adults, he used to take me to the opposite bank and tell me that his dream would be to renovate this house.

The house that has become Maison Roz is full of memories for him: the sound of the bell on the gable marking the start of meals, the clatter of clogs on the path, the sails gliding across the Aven, and the return from fishing trips or walks. All of this is truly part of the project. We wanted to keep the house’s history very much alive and carry it forward.

We also wanted to showcase a gentle, luminous Brittany, far removed from the clichés. But that doesn’t mean erasing its identity; on the contrary, we are very fond of Breton folklore, its patterns, colours, artefacts and traditional crafts. Indeed, there are numerous nods to this heritage throughout the house, in the choice of furniture, certain earthenware pieces, the fabrics, a few paintings and a beautiful lithograph by Henri Rivière. The idea was to create a dialogue within the house between this strong Breton culture and a more contemporary approach.

The places to be nearby

In the area around Maison Roz, we like to share a few simple, local spots that really capture the spirit of the region.

First of all, you simply must go and eat oysters and seafood at the restaurant Chez Jacky, right on the port of Bélon. You sit with your feet practically in the water, right by the oyster beds, and enjoy the oysters right where they’re farmed. It’s rustic but incredibly fresh, truly delicious and very authentic.

In Pont-Aven, we really enjoy having delicious crêpes for lunch at Armelle’s, in a simple, cheerful and welcoming atmosphere. And for a slightly more sophisticated dining experience, with an added artistic touch, there’s Les 3 Buis, which is both a restaurant and an art gallery.

While in Pont-Aven, a visit to the Pont-Aven Museum is a must. It serves as a reminder of just how much this region has inspired painters and helps visitors appreciate the light and the unique aesthetic of the Aven.

One of the most wonderful experiences, right on the doorstep, is to hire a small boat at Rosbras harbour, just a stone’s throw from Maison Roz. You can then take a leisurely trip upriver along the Aven or head down towards the estuary and the beaches of Port-Manec’h. It’s a very peaceful way to explore the countryside. And of course, there’s the GR34, which runs right past the house. You can set off for a walk of a few kilometres… or much further. The path follows the river, winds through the woods, leads to the coves and offers scenery that changes with every tide.

Architect duo

At Wunder, we support projects from the architectural stage right through to the finest interior details. The name means ‘wonder’ in German: it originated in Berlin, a city that has greatly unleashed our creativity and our desire to design spacious, open and joyful spaces. Today, we are a team of around twenty people based in Rennes, working primarily in the premium hospitality sector, creating destination venues where the experience and attention to detail matter just as much as the architecture. The team comprises architects and interior designers, as well as a buyer, sales and administrative staff, and a marketing & communications department.
We are often involved at a very early stage, helping to develop the concept, identity and positioning of projects, always in close collaboration with the owners. Among our recent projects, we have worked on the Emeria Dinard Thalasso & Spa Hotel, the Hôtel Celtique & Spa in Carnac, the Hôtel de la Mer in Brignogan, the Bloom House Hotel in Paris and the Square Lodge in La Roche-sur-Yon.

And the adventure continues! Several new hotels are in the pipeline, in Paris, Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Dinard, Pornic, La Baule, Lyon, Quimper… At the same time, we’re working on restaurants, retail outlets and residential projects, as this variety of scales greatly enriches the way we design spaces and experiences.

What does Le Monde Sauvage inspire in you?

We really love Le Monde Sauvage for the quality of its materials. It’s a brand that has managed to create a unique, sensitive and adventurous world, and that really speaks to us. We share your taste for natural materials, colours and patterns with texture and depth, as well as for items that don’t strive for perfection.