A dream stone house set in the lavender fields of the Luberon in France
With its craggy hilltop towns, lofty cypress trees and plentiful vineyards, the Luberon in France is unyieldingly beautiful. Composed of three mountain ranges, the region has long been a summer retreat for well-heeled Parisians, but it also holds an exquisite romance for many Brits. Driving towards a pretty house of buttery Provençal stone encircled by lavender fields, it is easy to see why its English owners fell for it.
For them, it was the view across the valley that clinched the deal; by contrast, the building was distinctly underwhelming, consisting of a labyrinth of subdivided rooms, shoddy dropped ceilings and Sixties decor. Thankfully, the estate agent had brought with him the architect Hugues Bosc, who was fluent in the local architectural vernacular and could see the house was steeped in potential. Having worked with the owners on their boat, interior designer Sophie James of Bucknall James was already on board. And so a three-and-a-half-year project ensued, during which the footprint of the house barely changed, but the interiors were slowly reworked to what feels like the original mid-eighteenth-century layout, but in reality is far from it.
The most pleasing discovery was in the entrance hall, where the ceiling was plasterboard. Hugues, suspecting that things were not quite as they should be, poked his finger through the gypsum to reveal a series of elegant vaulted arches. The addition of a wide stone staircase at the entrance to the house elevated the room from architectural afterthought to a handsome space of classical proportions.
The building has proved to have strong opinions and so the hall, much like the rest of the house, is a pared-back affair. 'It spits things out that it doesn't like,' explains Sophie. So, rather than fight the architecture, they have let it sing. The walls tend not to be hung with art; the furniture is chic yet simple; and the colour palette is understated. Most of the downstairs walls are limewashed and both the wooden and the stone floors are reclaimed.
Sophie and the owners spent two years accumulating furniture with one clear rule in mind: every piece they bought had to have three potential places where it would work within the house. It is a clever trick that stops the house from looking overly immaculate. There are loose-covered sofas, comfortable armchairs and light linen curtains.
This considered approach was applied both inside and out. Having spent a lot of time on boats, the owners have a keen eye for the practicalities of space. There is always a bright spot in which to sit as the sun moves around the building, every bedroom has a place you can work at and it is possible to have a full house without guests ever tripping over one another.
But, for the owners, the pièce de résistance is the kitchen, which comprises two adjoining rooms - one is where the bulk of the cooking takes place, while the larger area houses the dining table and opens up onto the garden. Katie Fontana of Plain English oversaw the project and nothing was left to chance. 'We built every cupboard knowing what would be going in it,' explains the owner.
Equally important was the garden. 'We wanted it to be authentically Provençal, but with its own personality,' says the owner. She and a great friend, garden designer Janie Lloyd Owen, did the planting, while the designer Michel Semini masterminded the landscaping. There is a cutting garden and a potager and, of course in summer, the surrounding brilliant purple lavender fields, which are preceded by a wash of scarlet poppies.
The house and garden are the products of unwavering efficiency and an acute eye for detail. The muted colour palette and understated furniture bely the level of work behind its exacting composition, but this was a complicated project. Sophie and the owners are keen to attribute one another plentiful credit, but it is clear that this is a house built on the foundations of collective effort
For more information on Bucknall James, contact 020-7349 7216
Richard Powers1/27Limewashed walls and loose-covered sofas lend the sitting room a light, relaxed feeling, with two reupholstered green armchairs from Lee Wright Antiques adding colour.
Richard Powers2/27A large mirror is propped against the sitting room wall.
Richard Powers3/27Black lamp shades are a stylish contrast to the otherwise pale colour pallete.
Richard Powers4/27A plasterboard ceiling was removed to reveal the hall's original arches.
Richard Powers5/27The wide stone staircase is a new addition.
Richard Powers6/27Dried lavender creates a rustic look and brings inside outdoor bounty. Provencal House
Richard Powers7/27Lanterns bought at the Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair hang in the flower room.
Richard Powers8/27Dining Area
The dining area houses the dining table and opens up onto the garden. Provencal House
Richard Powers9/27A custom table and chairs bought from Restoration Hardware. Through the arch is the area used for cooking.
Richard Powers10/27Light touches of pattern, including a headboard custom-made by Bray Design, add personality to the main bedroom.
Richard Powers11/27The bathroom chandelier is from Lee Wright Antiques.
Richard Powers12/27Four bunk beds line one wall of the kids' room.
Richard Powers13/27Sally Storey of Lighting Design International designed the lighting scheme in the spare room and throughout the house.
Richard Powers14/27A chair in the dressing room is covered in a Nicholas Herbert linen.
Richard Powers15/27Every piece of furniture Sophie and the owners bought had to fulfil the requirement that it would work in three potential places throughout the house, including this chair on the landing.
Richard Powers16/27Bannisters
The staircase leading from the ground floor has tastefully simple bannisters.
Richard Powers17/27Hanging lamps with netted shades give the wine cellar a charasmatic light.
Richard Powers18/27Surrounding lavender fields.
Richard Powers19/27The pool house has traditional, teracotta roof tiling.
Richard Powers20/27The house's exacting composition made it a complicated, communal effort.
Richard Powers21/27An sectional sofa runs along the side of the pool house.
Richard Powers22/27The pool has views of the Luberon landscape.
Richard Powers23/27Steps lead down from the covered entrance to the pool house with its seating area.
Richard Powers24/27Seating near the pool.
Richard Powers25/27The garden, like the house, has a muted colour palette and understated furniture.
Richard Powers26/27The view across the valley clinched the deal for the owners.
Richard Powers27/27The drive approaching the house.
