A series of horizontal window panes on the rear facade serves as vanes for ventilation and adds a craftsmanlike design come nightfall, when the house is lit up by the flicker of candlelight and gas lamps. Photo 8 of 16 in 16 Inviting Countryside Cabins from Modern Wooden A-Frame Retreat in France

16 Inviting Countryside Cabins

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Like a little chapel on the prairie, architect Jean-Baptiste Barache’s simply elegant retreat in the tiny Normandy town of Auvillier is a modern play on centuries-old forms and technology.