Meet Ambre
Terracotta, Wood and Light: Inside Ambre's Bonnevoie Renovation
In Bonnevoie, a 1960s house was hiding in plain sight. Dark terracotta floors. A wrought iron railing. Heavy wood furniture. Little light. The bones were good. The mood was not.
Ambre Ennen is an interior designer. She took on the full renovation of this house for her sister and brother-in-law. Every floor, every room, every surface. The goal was simple. Keep the soul. Bring back the light.
She did not tear everything down. That is the interesting part. The old terracotta tiles stayed, repainted. The entrance door stayed. A few old doors stayed. What worked, she kept. What felt dated, she changed.
The signature is in the details. Paint the radiators the same color as the walls. Lacquer the custom furniture to match. Let everything fade into one calm surface, so the owners’ taste can come forward.
There is even a birch trunk in the entrance. Her sister found it. Ambre cut it to size and turned it into a screen. No fixing. It just stands there.
In this visit with She Said Yes!, Ambre opens the doors. We explore a house brought back to light, one floor at a time.
City
Luxembourg Bonnevoie
Date
July 2026
Photos & Video
She Said Yes!
SSY Welcome Ambre. What did you find when you walked in?
Ambre It was a 1960s house, really in its original state. There was a lot of terracotta tile, which I like in general, but it was very dark. So we decided to keep it and repaint it. A special paint, made for heavy traffic.
SSY The staircase railing is a big change. What did you do there?
Ambre The old railing was wrought iron. Very 1960s. We removed it completely and worked in wood across the whole vertical of the house, all the way up to the third floor. It changes the entire feel of the place.
SSY You repainted the whole stairwell. Why that color?
Ambre It is a kind of putty tone. You would not think so, but it is quite dark at the base. It takes the light well during the day. And in the evening it gives a much softer atmosphere than white.
SSY There is a birch trunk standing in the entrance. What is the story?
Ambre My sister found a birch trunk. We placed it in the entrance as a little screen. I just cut it to the right height and added a few small accessories. It holds well on its own.
SSY Some of the old doors are still here. You kept them on purpose?
Ambre At first we thought about changing them. Then, as the project went on, we said they are really nice. It was a budget to redo them. So we kept them and integrated them.
SSY In the living room there is a low wall with oak tops. What problem did that solve?
Ambre The bay window went all the way to the floor. From the entrance you could see straight through the whole living space. It lacked privacy. So we added a low wall, topped with solid oak. You get more intimacy in the lounge, but you keep the light and the open feel.
SSY The kitchen is open now. What was it before?
Ambre The kitchen was closed off. Much more partitioned. There was a door in the middle. The bay windows were very small, so it was dark. The whole idea was to open the space and let the light in. We enlarged the bay windows. Those were actually the only frames we changed. The rest we kept and repainted.
SSY You also built a hidden scullery. Why?
Ambre The kitchen is very present in the living space. The goal was to calm the whole thing visually. So we put the technical part in a back kitchen. Everything has its place, even the water bottles.
SSY The fireplace and bookshelf unit feels like one continuous line. Was that the design intent?
Ambre Yes. The idea was one line drawn across the whole room, with just a difference in height. We lacquered it in the same shade as the walls so it melts into the space. The point is to keep it pure and leave room for the owners’ own decoration.
SSY The double living room is unusual. How does it work?
Ambre At first we struggled to find a purpose for that space. But the idea was to keep it modular. You can host, set a big table, add a sofa for the kids. It adapts to the family.
SSY And the terrace? It feels like an extension of the house.
Ambre That was the goal. We laid the decking in the same direction as the indoor floor, for continuity and perspective. We added some vertical planting to separate the space a little. There is an apéro corner and a dining corner, and the spot where the sun stays.
SSY Upstairs is the kids’ floor. We noticed the radiators are painted to disappear.
Ambre In my projects I like to paint everything the same color. Skirting boards, radiators, window frames. It really lightens the whole. These are not beautiful cast iron radiators you want to show off. So they fade away.
SSY What happened to the old furniture?
Ambre There were 1960s pieces, quite massive, heavy wood. We took them apart and moved them to the garage to serve as storage. A third life for them.
SSY The bathroom has a full wall of mirrors. Where did they come from?
Ambre They are all chined. It is really the accumulation that makes it work. One mirror would not have the same effect. A whole wall does. The floor is microcement, very functional with the shower.
SSY The second bathroom is very calm, but there is a small twist in the tiles.
Ambre We wanted it timeless, so very sober tones. But we allowed ourselves one little fantasy in the tile. Same color, same model, but with a relief. Before, there was a big masonry vanity in dated blue and white faience. We redid the whole thing, including the plumbing.
SSY The attic became the parents’ suite. That is a full transformation.
Ambre There was wood paneling everywhere. The atmosphere was crushing. We reworked the insulation, re-plastered everything, and laid the same parquet as the lower floors. We also reshaped the roof and created a bigger opening, so it feels airy. The light is incredible now, even on a grey day. A former office up there became a third bathroom.
SSY Second project in a row, and another success. What was the feedback from your sister?
Ambre I think they are happy. That was the goal. To make a home where they feel good and where life is pleasant. And a place where they can express themselves, with their own taste.
Watch the full video
Ambre Ennen takes us through the full renovation of a 1960s Bonnevoie house, floor by floor. From the repainted terracotta to the wood railing, the open kitchen, and the bright attic suite.
👉 See Also :
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