La Bluette, Art Nouveau cottage in Hermanville-sur-Mer, France.
La Bluette is an Art Nouveau house in Hermanville-sur-Mer on the Normandy coast, featuring a limestone and pebble facade with curved timber framing and seashell decorations. The building was later extended with a garage and bedroom, and sits just steps from the shoreline.
The house was designed in 1899 by architect Hector Guimard for a Parisian lawyer and represents his only known collective holiday residence from his early period. During the 1920s the building received practical expansions that complemented its original form.
The cottage displays rare Art Nouveau design in Normandy, with blue-painted woodwork and maritime details that celebrate seaside living. Visitors immediately notice how the decoration brings coastal imagery into every corner of the home.
The house sits in a quiet residential street just steps from the beach and is easily reached on foot. Visitors should note that while visible from outside, it stands on private property, so respectful viewing from the street is important.
The building was originally not designed for a single family but conceived as a shared holiday rental, making it an unusual project in Guimard's career. This purpose shows in the open space planning and shared areas that differ from the typical homes he created.
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