Renovating an apartment with stunning sea views
Malcolm and Cherry Edwards first got in touch with Beyond Biarritz through a recommendation from one of our bank partners in 2005. They were looking for a small apartment with a sea view in the centre of Biarritz, within easy walking distance of beaches and restaurants.
They initially found a small office, and with our help, purchased and renovated it into a luxurious one bedroom apartment with sea views. They aspired to greater heights and a more tranquil location and moved up the road to a top floor apartment in a typical 1920s mansion with a superb roof terrace. Again Beyond Biarritz assisted with the purchase and renovation. Then, in 2008, they decided that a bigger sea view was needed - both indoors and out! They found the ideal location near the lighthouse in Biarritz – tranquil with open, sea views and no possibility of buildings blocking their precious view.
In typical Edwards' style, the apartment required a considerable amount of TLC! Beyond Biarritz was again on hand to get the place transformed within four months for their February holiday.
The apartment was a 1920s high-ceiling property with fabulous views but very dated decor. The bathroom had dark blue tiles with a bidet, small bath, old-fashioned vanity unit and non-descript cupboards. The kitchen was a very basic and dark room with grey formica units, badly in need of modernisation. The sitting room was shabby, as was the bedroom. However, it had great potential and Beyond Biarritz came in with our team and literally transformed the apartment into a modern, open-plan, fresh and airy property – adding considerable market value within a period of only five months.
The bathroom and kitchen were literally stripped and all cupboards removed, as were some of the partition walls. The kitchen is now partially open to the sitting room, giving a modern feel and also offering more light. The bathroom is now spacious having got rid of the fitted cupboards, bath and bidet. The WC is no longer separate and there is now a large walk-in rain shower, bright acrylic units and a completely new vanity area.
Farrow and Ball colours adorn all the walls and the bedroom has a large wengé fitted cupboard providing great storage. There are superb views of the ocean too. New outside doors and electronic blinds were fitted and new laminate flooring was laid. We organised new electrics and plumbing and a brand new fitted kitchen with funky granite work surfaces.
The final touch was the addition of beautiful draped curtains, made by our curtain maker; these add a much-needed splash of colour and really lift the place. Malcolm and Cherry are delighted with the finished look and so are we. We are just waiting for them to break the news that they are off again in search of a new renovation!
"Julia from Beyond Biarritz has provided us with a superb service throughout all our renovation projects (now on our third!). She helped immensely with the purchase of the apartment, liaising with the selling agent and notaire and providing professional support throughout each stage of the transaction. Julia translated key documents, arranged meetings and even provided transportation when necessary. She is extremely well connected in the area, with reliable contacts with sales agents, banks, builders and all the suppliers essential to complete a renovation project reliably and to the highest of standards. Having someone like Julia to manage the project on our behalf whilst we remained in the UK for the majority of the time removed the stress and worry normally associated with such an exercise. We were regularly updated by telephone and email, including progress photographs, so we never felt far from the action and never worried that the project was ever out of control."
Malcolm and Cherry Edwards, UK