well, my contribution is not really a tutorial, but I hope it will find some interest. I want to show typical Normandie houses and some interiors, too.
Quite often, I see dioramas or even commercialized model houses with the term "Norman house". Very rarely, it corresponds to one. The description "Normandie house" simply creates a link to '44 invasion. Otherwise, such houses correspond to indistinct Western European houses - absolutely indistinct and featureless.
That is a shame because there are some very characteristic and typical types of houses in Normandy, and these actually even correspond to a majority of houses. Just like the landscape is very distinct.
First of all, Normandy is characteristic of quite a lot lone-standing houses scattered in the countryside (a bit like southern England). Everything is somewhat hidden, roads, houses, fields behind scrubs, hays and small woods. Small hamlets are encountered everywhere.
Two types of houses really stand out. First, the houses with logs or timbers apparent ("maison à colombages"). These exist as small farm houses everywhere. They are usually with one level even to the ground and a further level under the roof. Reet roofing is very typical and a real Normandy classic ("chaumière"). Other roofing is from black shingles ("ardoises"). These timbered houses are also found in towns. In that case they have 2 storeys.
The other type of houses is the land-owner type house called "maison de maître". These exist in different sizes and can be found lone-standing in the countryside (with farm depencies in form of half-timbered granges nearby). These houses always have minimum 2 levels and are made from red brick which - at least in the countryside - is left apparent. In towns such houses are usually covered with plaster (?).
This maison de maître type is always highly symetrical and has at least 4 rooms. Variants exist in all sizes, some reaching the style of a small palace. Some are tiny (always to today's standards).
Interiors of Norman houses are small. Rooms and chambers are realy small to toay's standards making classic Norman houses not so popular to live in. Very often people convert old granges to modern houses (with apparent timber) or recreate "Norman style" houses, but with modern sizes.
Insides, have apparent timber, clay-tiled floor and an open fore space (open chimney). All rooms communicate - you have to pass one room to reach the next (no corridors), in French "enfilade".
Hope you find this useful
Michael
Maison à colombages et chaumières
Maisons de maître
Intérieurs Normands
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I think I stay in my cave!