Island home
A considered mix of antiques and own-design furniture has made this former fisherman’s house on the Île de Ré the treasured retreat of one of France’s best-known interior designers
A carefully curated mix of collected treasures has transformed the Ile de Ré retreat of interior designer Christian Liaigre.
This was a simple home for a fisherman and that is reflected in the decoration.”
French interior designer Christian Liaigre is famed for his refined and luxurious yet pared-back schemes
and for his elegant, handcrafted furniture. His work graces the houses of design luminaries, including Karl Lagerfeld and Kenzo Takada, as well as landmark hotels such as The Mercer in New York and Hôtel Costes in Paris. At his country home on the Île de Ré, a picturesque island o≠ the west coast of France, Christian presents a more earthy sensibility inspired by its rustic 18th-century architecture, the quiet village atmosphere and the raw beauty of the surrounding landscape.
What originally brought you to Île de Ré? It is a place I visited a long time ago, during childhood holidays. All my family were born in or near La Rochelle, which is now connected to the island by a bridge. I like the island because it is quite wild and untamed, with salt marshes, small forests and many freshwater and sea birds.
When did you purchase your home? I bought the first house around 20 years ago. Then, 12 years ago, when my son Léonard was about to be born, I bought the house next door. I imagine, in the past, it was originally one building, so reconnecting them was a very natural process. There are now six bedrooms and we have more living space, including an additional sitting room. We also have a much larger garden, which is important for privacy as we are situated in the middle of the village.
Can you describe your vision for the interior? It is di∞cult to speak about the interior design because it is so uncomplicated. This was a simple home for a fisherman and that is reflected in the decoration. There is wood cladding on the walls, but that is practical and typical in houses on Île de Ré as plaster peels quickly in the salty air. I have used a lot of white, which is also common here and is sometimes called Ré la Blanche. Beyond that it was simply a matter of choosing the furniture and accessories.
Where did you source the items from? I designed much of the furniture and almost all of the lighting myself and mixed these with a number of antique furnishings. At weekends, during the winter months, I visit the flea markets of Paris, which are a very rich source of interesting pieces.
What prompted you to use the strong shade of red that can be seen on some
of the woodwork? That was inspired by the front doors I saw in Nantucket, Massachusetts. The origins of this colour are in the 17th and 18th centuries, when that island had a thriving whaling industry. The men would come home with blood on their hands after fishing for whales, which would leave stains. To hide the marks, the doors were painted the same shade as the blood. The colour reminds me of the inside of a crab shell.
How do you spend your time on the Île de Ré? We like going to the beach, which is big and unspoilt, and we ride our bicycles and go for walks, but we also enjoy doing nothing.