New-build house
Echoing the soft tones of the surrounding olive and palm trees and the glorious Mediterranean sky, this beautifully considered home offers its owners sanctuary from their busy working lives
A contemporary sanctuary suffused with the soft tones and natural textures of the surrounding French landscape.
On summer mornings, René Goossens takes his co≠ee sitting beneath the pergola of his Provençal home, which he shares with his partner, Ric. The air is scented by citrus blooms and lavender catching on the breeze, and sunlight dances on the surface of the pool. The globetrotting couple, who hail from the Netherlands, split their time between Paris, Brussels and London, retreating to their ‘garden of Eden’ whenever they can. ‘Our shoulders drop the moment we walk through the door,’ says René, who is a property developer, entrepreneur and decorating enthusiast. Indeed, the stripped-back, timeless interior exudes peace and tranquillity; it is a masterclass in southern French simplicity, with a soupçon of California cool.
Situated in a medieval village on the edge of the Alpilles mountain range, the contemporary, lightfilled property is a far cry from the ramshackle bungalow that René and Ric bought several years ago. ‘The location was the attraction,’ says René. ‘As for the house, we debated the pros and cons of renovating or rebuilding. In the end, we decided to start from scratch and to create a brand new home.’
SIMPLE VISION
The design that they devised with the help of their architect, the late Anne Infante, was not brought to fruition without overcoming some challenges, however. The clean, contemporary lines of the planned new building were very di≠erent from the local vernacular. ‘Navigating the complex planning permissions took considerable time and patience,’ recalls René. The resulting two-storey house is disarmingly simple: an unfussy, thoughtfully designed building set in a lush tropical garden.
It is the a∞nity with nature that has shaped René and Ric’s blurring of boundaries within their home. ‘Life is lived close to nature in Provence, so it was important for the house to reflect this,’ explains René. Concrete flooring is used throughout and continues on to the terrace, while the palette of delicate grey paint and furnishings in shades of blue, green and yellow is inspired by the olive trees that punctuate the landscape. ‘We’re surrounded by olive trees,’ says René. ‘Their grey-green hue is incredibly calming and restorative, which is precisely the atmosphere we wished to cultivate.’
UNDERSTATED STYLE
For the interiors, René looked to the easy-going decorative style of California for inspiration. The mid-century modern bench, which serves as seating for the dining table, and a pair of Raoul Guys armchairs in the summer room, are certainly more reminiscent of Palm Springs than Provence. Natural materials are used throughout and enhance the harmony of the scheme. ‘Elements such as the walnut Bo∞ kitchen and the poured concrete floor are incredibly beautiful, but they don’t shout for attention,’ says René. They are, like everything else in René and Ric’s home, perfectly pitched and poised.