Bonjour Monday, Plus A 17th Century French Château in Provence

Bonjour, mon amis!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  I was feeling under the weather most of the weekend but we did get to a movie night on the hill of our local art museum.  They played one of my favourite movie’s, Funny Face.  The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful for watching this classic and sharing a lovely picnic with good friends.  Although it wasn’t their cup of tea, the guys and kids were troopers and still found ways to have fun.  Those ways mostly consisted of ways getting “shhhhh’d” by neighors. 

Paris designer, Pierre Yovanovitch, said he never dreamed of owning a château nor was he interested in owning a country home; however, back in 2009 while flipping through a magazine, he spotted a real estate listing for a 17th century château in Provence.  The listing peaked his curiosity and he decided to take a look… the rest is history.  He knew the moment he laid eyes on the stunning château he was going to buy it.

Living room: The custom-made sofas are covered in a Rogers & Goffigon linen, the circa-1940s armchairs are by Otto Schultz, and the stucco mantel, in the traditional style, is by Joël Puisais, and the custom-made rug is by Holland & Sherry.  The wood sofa was one in five in that style by Axel Einar Hjorth in 1931.

Master bedroom: Yovanovitch designed the master bedroom suite’s sofa, made of rough-hewn oak beams and covered in a wool-mohair by Chapas Textiles;  and the rug is by Ateliers Pinton.

Yovanovitch designed the bed and sconces in the master bedroom, the floor lamp is by Gabriella Crespi, and the rug is by Ateliers Pinton.

The office: A circa-1948 light fixture by Paavo Tynell, Hans Wegner table, a 1950s American chair, and the floor is paved with Jura and Hainaut stones.

Staircase: Custom-made ceramic light fixture, and Provençal tiles.

The restoration took three years to complete.  The designer wanted to keep the integrity of the architecture while creating a look that is “today.”  For example, he installed gypsum fireplaces with traditional motifs with 20th century furnishings.  One of his best memories was watching the craftsmen replace the colorful roof tiles; “They were so happy, they would sing while working.”  If only everyone would love their job as much…

Dining room: The table, chairs, and buffet were designed by Christen Emanuel Kjaer Monberg in 1923 for a Copenhagen home; the light fixture is by Paavo Tynell, and the carved-wood and painted portrait is by Stephan Balkenhol.

Outdoors: The rooftop tiles were refabricated based on original drawings; the garden was designed by Louis Benech, who added linden trees and an orchard.

Entry Hall: The wall sculptures by Richard Nonas (left) and Michel Gouéry in the entrance hall; the circa-1960 cast-iron urn is American, and the floor is paved with Burgundy stone.

Master bath:  The bathtub is by Agape, the fittings and towel rack are by Dornbracht, and the floor is marble.

  Yovanovitch says purchasing the property was vraie folie {crazy} – too large, enormous grounds, and drains endless amounts of money and time; yet, it is perfect for him.  Who wouldn’t feel that way?

Wishing you a lovely week!

xoxo, B

If you would like help in creating a home you love, please contact me at Brenda@atelierdhautedesign.com

More on this château here.

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2 Comments

  • Reply VM Creation Atelier July 21, 2014 at 8:44 am

    Adorable choices of designs and interiors dear B.!!!
    THANKYOU again for you lovely visit girl,it's always so appreciate to hear from you:)))

    Hugs,
    V.

  • Reply Jennelise July 21, 2014 at 10:20 pm

    What beautiful spaces! So many creative ideas! Thankyou for sharing!
    Jennelise

  • Leave a Reply to Jennelise Cancel Reply

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