The location is atypical: the former Bettembourg dairy La Celula has been transformed into a mixed complex of professional and residential accommodation. At the rear, in the courtyard, on the edge of the plot, was the former lorry garage. This is where Martin Dieterle and Maria Spada chose to live. "At the time, I was project manager for Aristide Gambucci's architectural practice, which was planning to renovate the whole complex. We divided the old garage into five residential units and chose to buy one of them," explains Dieterle.

"At the time, none of the banks would give us a loan, because they couldn't afford a mortgage," recalls Spada. So they renovated on a tight buget, making the most of what was there, with sensitivity and common sense. In the living area, there are light fittings from the dairy’s exterior, old pipes that were already there; in the bathroom, an old milk vat is used as a bathtub.

"The only elements we've added, apart from the furniture, are the multifunctional unit that separates the entrance and serves as a wardrobe, laundry room and kitchen, and a large wooden block on the first floor that houses the bathroom and bedrooms," explains Spada, who designed these two elements.

They also added an opening at the back to bring in more natural light and cut away part of the floor slab on the first floor to take advantage of the building's generous height. "Then the furniture was added as we went along, because each of these objects has its own story," says Dieterle.

To divide up the space, Maria designed the kitchen unit, which also serves as a laundry room and wardrobe. Photo: Eva Krins

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An old milk tank was adjusted and transformed into a bathtub, preserving the spirit of the place. Photo: Eva Krins

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Part of the slab was removed to enlarge the space. A tree has even been planted in place of an old hole in the ground. Photo: Eva Krins

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Old elements from the garage have also been preserved and reused directly in the house, such as this old electrical panel. Photo: Eva Krins

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Upstairs, a wooden block has been added to the space, allowing a TV room to be combined on the front, children's bedrooms and bathroom on the inside, and parents' bedroom on the top. Photo: Eva Krins

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This article was written for the October 2024 issue of Paperjam magazine published on 25 September. The content is produced exclusively for the magazine. It is published on the website as a contribution to the complete Paperjam archive.

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