Maison Trianon 1928
Our Family House: A Journey of Love, Legacy, and Restoration
When the De Wendel steel group decided to privatize the historic Cité Dorémieux in 1970, it opened up a brand-new chapter for the neighborhood. No longer just corporate housing for factory workers, these beautiful, steep-gabled homes were finally offered to the individual families who brought the community to life.
It was at this exact moment that the neighborhood's history became permanently intertwined with my own. In 1970, my grandparents, Renée and Edmond Ratajczak, stepped forward to purchase our home, making it a cornerstone for our family.
Why "Maison Trianon"?
You might wonder why we call our project Maison Trianon. Although it is a humble terrace home, this house was my grandmother Poupette’s absolute sanctuary. To her, it was her own small castle, much like the Petit Trianon was a private, beloved haven to Marie Antoinette.
The house heavily reflects Poupette's deep passion for interiors and travel. She possessed a brilliant creative spirit; she was a passionate sewer who meticulously made her own clothes by hand. Poupette had a golden rule: she always invested in true quality. That intentional culture of craftsmanship, beauty, and durability has been passed straight down to me, serving as the guiding light for our entire restoration.
The First Waves of Change: "Modernizing" the Past
Every home reflects the era it lives through. From the initial acquisition in 1970 up until 1978, my grandparents set to work renovating the house. In the true spirit of the 1970s, they sought to "modernize" the 1928 structure.
Decades later, in the late 1990s, my grandmother spearheaded a second major wave of updates. It was during this period that the rear windows were installed and the rear bathroom extension was completely rebuilt.
Unfortunately, as is so often the case with mid-century modernizing, these updates meant that many of the home's original architectural features were lost. The historic facade windows and the original front door disappeared. The distinctive grey ceramic damier (checkerboard) tiles were covered or removed, the original fireplaces were taken out, and almost all of the vintage interior doors and their intricate locks were replaced.
Coming Home: A Vision of Restoration Across Oceans
Following my grandmother's passing, I purchased the home directly from her estate in 2016 to fulfill her deep wish: for her beloved house to remain within the family line.
When I took over the keys, my mission was clear: I wanted to interpret and restore the house’s original 1928 soul, painstakingly bringing its historic features back to life while making it liveable for the modern day.
Because I live and work far away in Australia, the early stages of this renovation were a unique challenge. The project was managed in pieces—hurriedly executed during my precious visits home, and carefully coordinated from thousands of miles away while I was back in the Southern Hemisphere.
I began by reinterpreting the original spaces. I introduced beautiful glass doors to respect the home's original room configuration while finally allowing natural light to flood seamlessly through the ground floor. Upstairs, I removed a restrictive wall to significantly increase the size of the landing, successfully pulling glorious daylight deep into the center of the staircase. The historic upstairs wooden floorboards were also carefully uncovered and restored.
A Pandemic, a Family Project, and a Master Carpenter Dad
When the world ground to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, my family stepped in to turn my vision into reality. What could have been a lonely lockdown project became a monumental family labor of love. Together, we tackled the kitchen, the bathroom, the doors, and the staircase, with everyone uncovering a hidden talent:
Dad transformed himself into a master carpenter, skillfully handling the custom woodwork and structural timber.
My brother became the absolute king of plastering and wallpapering, perfectly smoothing out the historic walls.
I took charge of the endless, precise painting.
Mum brought the warmth, meticulously sewing all of the custom window curtains—a beautiful nod to Poupette's own sewing legacy.
The Heartbeat of Cité Dorémieux
Beyond the brick, mortar, and slate, the most beautiful thing about this restoration has been the connection to the neighborhood itself. Throughout this journey, the local community has been right there with us.
These are people I have known since I was a child. Together, we have lived through the natural rhythms of a neighborhood—we have bid painful, final farewells to some of the old guard, and we have warmly welcomed new faces into the fold.
Today, despite the passing of time and the shifting of eras, the Cité Dorémieux remains a fiercely tight-knit community. This house isn't just a testament to 1928 architecture or a tribute to my family's hard work; it is a living, breathing piece of a neighborhood that still looks out for one another.
What's Next?
With the interior layout, the gardens, and the grounds beautifully completed, we are now actively saving up for our final, grand milestone: fully restoring the historic street-facing facade and reinstating the original style of the facade windows and front door. We can't wait to share that next chapter with you!