A furniture designer skilfully updates a house built by her great-grandfather in the twenties
Most of us - or those reading a magazine such as this - are itching to get our hands on a renovation project, and none more so, usually, than Anne-Marie Midy. She and her husband, Jorge Almada, are the talented duo behind Casamidy, which produces distinctive furniture hand-crafted by Mexican artisans. They are certainly not shy of a project, having created numerous beautiful homes for themselves filled with bespoke pieces, in Paris (where Anne-Marie grew up), Brussels (click here to see inside) and Mexico (where Jorge was born).
But for Anne-Marie, taking on this house in Saint-Paul-de-Vence was slightly different. Lou Miedjou was built by her great-grandfather in the Twenties, on land bought from the Roux family, owners of La Colombe d'Or hotel and restaurant, and she and her brother, Emmanuel, inherited it from their father in 2008. It is bound up with memories of happy holidays throughout her childhood and teens, and of her beloved grandmother, who herself had a keen eye for beautiful things. 'I was scared to change it,' says Anne-Marie. 'I was nervous I would pull away its soul.' She talks nostalgically of the smell of orange blossom, lunches on the terrace and stone floor tiles damp from the August rain.
It is not a large house. As it was one of the earliest on the hillside, Anne-Marie's great-grandfather did not want it to attract too much attention. But it has a grace, with its wonderful loggia, perched high above the cobbled street below and with spectacular views of the Mediterranean. It also has its charming quirks, such as the ingenious winch installed by Anne-Marie's great-grandfather and still used today to haul up luggage and groceries, so that you do not have to carry them up the many uneven stone steps that ascend to the house. Outdoor meals are eaten in the shade of bougainvillea at a table her father created by placing a sheet of glass on top of an old stone well.
MAY WE SUGGEST: The elegant townhouse of the French & Mexican furniture designers behind Casamidy
In the end, some change was a necessity. Built with almost no foundations, the house was literally starting to slide down the hill, woodwork was rotting and the plumbing had been undermined by a tree. The house needed to be saved. Old family albums were helpful, providing not only visual references but also reassurance. Anne-Marie could see the touches her grandmother had brought to the house when she inherited it - including adding bathrooms and changing wall colours. 'I realised it is OK to love the house in your own way,' she muses. While Anne-Marie and Emmanuel's aim was to tread lightly, restoring the structure to its original appearance, they were also able to bring the house up to date, to suit the way that they live now.
To make the most of the wonderful views and provide space for a barbecue, they created a larger paved terrace and seating area in front of the house. Iron benches were made by the Casamidy craftsmen specifically to take off-the-peg cushions Anne-Marie could buy locally and therefore replace regularly. 'This is a house where we have fun and relax; it needs to be practical and stress-free. The kids need to be able to sit down with wet trunks without us worrying.' At the bottom of the terraced garden is the pool, which Anne-Marie's grandmother added - here Anne-Marie turned a dining area into a covered seating area.
Internally, they were able to incorporate what had been the caretaker's apartment into the house, creating an extra bedroom and a television room. They also moved the dining table out of the sitting room and into the hall. And upstairs the twin beds found in every room were replaced with doubles - other than those in the bedroom of Olivier, 11, and Antoine, 10 - to make the house more comfortable.
Decoratively, Anne-Marie's touch was perhaps even lighter. As much as possible, she tried to match the wall colours to those that her grandmother had used, keeping the bedrooms the same subtle colours, but in some adding 'ribbons' of colour to outline the architecture and 'dress the room'. She bought little furniture for the house, instead working with the existing furniture. She re-covered the sofas in the sitting room and choose a blue Sunbrella fabric for the chairs in the loggia, recalling a specific blue that her grandmother had used. In the sitting room, she had elegant loose covers made to lift two Provençal chairs that had rather gloomy needlepoint seats. Her two sons sleep in the same 'squishy' beds of Anne-Marie's childhood, albeit re-covered.
Every cupboard is filled with collections of local artisanal ceramics, glass and linen collected by Anne-Marie's grandmother, which she continues to add to. 'I'm always buying things - it's a bad habit,' she admits. 'I often don't know how I'm going to use something and it can sit in the cupboard for ages, eventually gaining a new life.' Now, vividly coloured Mexican textiles mixxc.comfortably with Provençal table linen and throws, adding a sense of fun to outdoor seating.
With renovations complete, Anne-Marie says she's now waiting for it all to grow old again. But for those of us who did not know it before, the Lou Miedjou of today feels perfectly timeless and at ease with itself, reminiscent of a different era without being staid or tired, with little touches that lift it and ensure it moves forward as every house should.
Simon Upton1/19Stone steps lead down from the house to the terrace garden, where Mexican textiles add colour to the seating area. The bronze donkey on the level above was bought by Anne-Marie's father.
Simon Upton2/19The main entrance to the house with a dark stained antique wood door and red candles on the wall.
Simon Upton3/19Blue and white living room with brown stone tiled floor. Red painted beams add punch to the original character features.
Simon Upton4/19The bedroom workspace features framed images of Saint-Paul-de-Vence hung against the pink painted walls.
Simon Upton5/19An elegant loose cover lifts a Provençal chair in the sitting room, which is decorated with a blue and red colour palette.
Simon Upton6/19Archway leading through to the staircase and dining area of the house.
Simon Upton7/19The curved plaster staircase painted in a pastel blue.
Simon Upton8/19The monochrome paint scheme is softened by an earthy carpet in this hallway leading to the spare rooms.
Simon Upton9/19A large piece of framed artwork hangs above the blue sofa in the living room. Alcoves on both sides have cleverly been used to store books.
Simon Upton10/19Casamidy's 'Hacienda' silver-leaf headboard provides a focal point in another bedroom, creating a glamorous space. Red bedding and a matching ribbon of colour running around the top of the walls complete the scheme.
Simon Upton11/19A fresh pastel colour scheme modernises the curved bedroom.
Simon Upton12/19The sons' room with 'ribbons' of colour decorating the walls and upholstered headboards adding cosiness.
Simon Upton13/19This English country style bedroom features floral chintz details and a cream fireplace.
Simon Upton14/19The covered loggia has blue and white furniture and overlooks the town and outdoor dining area.
Simon Upton15/19The ceiling of the loggia is painted blue to mimic the sky. It makes this space a perfect transitional area between indoors and out.
Simon Upton16/19The path in the garden winds around the curved façade of the house.
Simon Upton17/19Anne-Marie's father made the table in the outdoor dining area by placing a piece of glass over an old well.
Simon Upton18/19The barbecue terrace with its view of the town. Furniture in sunny colours add to the holiday feel.
Simon Upton19/19The pool and poolhouse with bright patterned seating in the shade.
