Maison Nino

It’s hardly an insult to Villers-Cotterêts to say that the creation of the International City of the French Language has put the town back on the map. Fanny and her husband, Charles, were born here, left, built their lives in Paris, yet never stopped coming back. So imagining a house here—for themselves and for others—felt obvious; creating a playground for their children was no doubt a necessity too. An art director by profession, Fanny has crafted a whimsical universe that injects real pep into this 1970s brick house. A black ceramic-clad extension (matching the window frames), pop colors, joyful vintage finds (including the reissue of a Gae Aulenti lounge set for Monoprix x Prisunic!), wallpapers by Mathilde Cabanas, pale yellow in the kitchen and chocolate-hued ceramics in the bathroom, vintage IKEA chairs (yes, really!), bold nods to the Seventies and terrazzo in the living room—she had fun and imposed no constraints on herself. It instantly appeals to grown-ups who have kept their childlike spirit—and, above all, to actual children. Which is perfect, because this house, named Nino for no reason other than the good vibes the name evoked, was designed with them in mind: the kids.