‘It’s important to be inspired, but more so to be true to yourself ’
We bought this house in the countryside just outside of Lyon. We love calm village life, and now we’ve transformed the property into a relaxing home. Light and openness are both essential.
The first thing we did was to knock down a partition wall between the two reception rooms to form a large open space. We put in French windows out to the terrace and painted all the walls and some floors in the house white. We particularly like white-painted wood for the light it adds to a room. It’s all about atmosphere.
I like using candles and fairy lights to create a warm atmosphere and a comforting mood. Also, soft furnishings aren’t just for decoration – they can turn a room into a cocoon, which feels psychologically reassuring. Rugs instantly make any space feel warmer and curtains add a sense of comfort and finish off the look. A room always starts with one thing.
It might be a colour, a wallpaper print, a fabric, a lamp – it depends what I find, but all of the objects in this house have a story. They are things that
I’ve either inherited or trawled markets for, and while I like them, I’m not afraid to sell a belonging and replace it with something else. I don’t become attached to things, even though I like them very much when they’re in my home. Everything is carefully chosen. I would rather leave a space empty until I can find exactly what I’m looking for, because it has to be a perfect fit. Even as a child, I liked moving furniture around my room to make the space work. Nicolas has ideas, too, but we’re not always on the same wavelength, so we have to negotiate! It’s important to be inspired, but more important to be true to yourself.
We all have different tastes and live in different ways, so you have to listen to yourself when you’re decorating your home. It’s the unique touches that reveal the personality of those living inside the house – my parents taught me that. They were very interested in décor and my childhood home was full of very personal touches.