EXPERT INSIGHT

With its palette of charred grey, petrol blues and burnished bronze, the home of interior designer monica damonte may be the most unconventional one on the riviera

‘I WANTED A PLACE WHERE I COULD RECHARGE, A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD REGAIN THEMSELVES’ Monica Damonte

Monica Damonte, interior designer The interior of this home is geared towards creating a warm, cocooning effect through use of a dark palette – layered tones of grey and blue – and an abundance of textures.

In the medieval hamlet of gassin, in the southeastern Provence-alpes-côte d’azur, you’ll find the decidedly alternative villa of acclaimed interior designer – she counts Francis Ford coppola among her clients – Monica damonte. here, surrounded by oleanders and scented pine trees, she’s eschewed every trace of beach-house cliché – no bright ceramic tiles for ‘pops of colour’, no mélange of prints and certainly not a touch of seaside cerulean in sight. Instead she’s opted for, as she calls it, the ‘warm embrace’ of smoky shades of grey, black and brown.

however, for Monica, this hasn’t so much been a redecoration project as an entire reconfiguration of the building’s blueprint. When she first came upon the 1950s Provençal home it was in a bad way, while the layout was overly simple for her needs. her mandate was clear: to create a space where she could relax, one that made the most of its locale while still offering a cocooning escape for its inhabitants. ‘I wanted a place where I could recharge,’ says Monica. a‘ place where people could regain themselves.’ her first move was to add a second level, essentially doubling the space, which is presently used to accommodate guests. The muted dusky palette followed closely, a side of the spectrum to which Monica has always naturally gravitated, while soft fabrics, such as velvet and leather, soften the mood and add a deeper level of comfort. ‘The original floors were clementine yellow while the

THIBAUT ‘MYKONOS KEY’ FABRIC IN NAVY AND SKY, R2 738.28 PER METRE, ST LEGER & VINEY UPHOLSTERED ‘SELENA’ CORNER SOFA IN BLUE VELVET, R22 995, BLOCK & CHISEL

‘ICONIC’ RECLINER WITH OTTOMAN IN BLACK, R24 995, WEYLANDTS

‘LUX’ BOWLS IN GOLD AND BLACK, FROM R395 EACH, PEZULA INTERIORS

‘ROUND SQUARE’ CABINET, R16 000, FLAUNT CONCEPTS

‘E’ UNIT IN METEOR, R10 773.04, STUDIO 19; LEFT: AY ILLUMINATE ‘THIN WOOD’ BAMBOO PENDANT, PRICE ON REQUEST, STREAMLIGHT

‘MR BONES’ PLATE (12 PER SET), R4 400, STUDIO 19

TOM DIXON ‘FAN’ STOOL, R9 440, CRÉMA DESIGN

‘POSH’ CUSHION IN VELOUR PETRO, R450, SOFACOMPANY.COM

The living room in Monica Damonte’s Saint Tropez villa includes a Baxter sofa, a Charles and Ray Eames ‘Lounge’ chair and a Tom Dixon coffee table opposite page a Flos floor lamp and ‘Bolle’ light by Massimo Castagna lights up the living room