The wabi-sabi way

Finding beauty in imperfection has never felt more relevant and, in this home/studio in rural France, it’s an ethos at the heart of family life

Imperfections enhance the ambience and rustic charm of this home-cum-studio in rural France

‘I find the light of the Charente region unique. There is nothing more beautiful than the setting sun at the end of the day illuminating the surrounding nature,’ says Justine Lacoste, who, last year, moved with her husband, Jean Hay de Slade, and daughter Alma to a small hamlet just south of the town of Cognac. ‘We are confirmed country people!’ jokes Justine. ‘We both grew up in the countryside, Jean in Brittany and me in the Périgord.’

Justine founded her own ceramics brand, Epure, in 2011, and Jean then quit his city job as an artist’s agent to work alongside her, and so the search began for a rural home and studio. ‘It took us three years to find just the right place,’ says Justine. ‘Somewhere that had enough space for both of us to work.’

Built in the 19th century, the property was in a bad way when they acquired it. ‘I must admit, I was petrified when we visited it for the first time,’ recalls Justine. ‘The house was occupied by an elderly man and he was living like a hermit, without sanitation or basic conveniences. He only used the kitchen and a tiny bedroom so as to heat the place as little as possible.’ The building’s natural charm had been concealed, inside and out, by a thick coat of grey plaster. Despite that, Jean fell in love with it immediately. ‘He just felt a certain energy radiating from it,’ says Justine.

Six months of non-stop renovation work ensued, with Justine’s father and Jean doing almost everything themselves, right up to the installation of the doors and windows. Although most of the interior walls were removed so as to gain an open-plan workspace, the couple endeavoured to preserve the character of the rooms. ‘Perfect interiors aren’t really our thing,’ explains Justine. ‘We didn’t want to use modern materials everywhere. We like a rougher look that shows traces of a house’s history.’

‘Jean and I are both fans of the Japanese wabi-sabi concept, which teaches that beauty lies in imperfections,’ she adds. It’s a style that has been popularised by interior designer Axel Vervoordt, whose A-list clients include Calvin Klein and Robert de Niro. Last summer, Justine and Jean visited Vervoordt’s foundation in Belgium, and got to meet the man himself. The influence of his style can be seen in this home’s pared-back, limewashed walls and concrete floors. It’s even apparent in the way they celebrate the passing of the year, with soft candlelight and tables dressed in a poetic mixture of worn linens and dried floral arrangements.

‘Our approach to decoration is instinctive, a combination of the eclectic things we love. But one thing is for sure: we need to live in a soothing atmosphere,’ admits Justine. ‘It’s the only thing we’re really after!’ And they aren’t the only ones. At the moment, it’s what we are all craving. Lucky, then, that the couple plan to convert part of their home into a summerhouse, hoping to welcome like-minded holidaymakers later in 2021. epure-ceramique.com

‘OUR APPROACH TO DECORATION IS INSTINCTIVE, A COMBINATION OF THINGS WE LOVE’

‘PERFECT INTERIORS AREN’T OUR THING. WE LIKE A ROUGHER LOOK THAT SHOWS A HOUSE’S HISTORY’

THE WABI-SABI INFLUENCE CAN BE SEEN IN THE LIMEWASHED WALLS AND CONCRETE FLOORS

Dining area All of the elements that give this home its traditional character – the stone fireplace, wooden ceiling beams and the decorative hearth tiles, worn by centuries of feet – have been carefully preserved. The leather club chair is a vintage find and the ceramic pieces lining the mantelpiece are all by Epure, available at the Louise Bradley showroom in London ➤

Dining area The large wooden table, which is second-hand, is laid for an intimate New Year celebration with the family silver, candles, crystal glasses and a porcelain service created by Justine and Jean. The linen table runner is by Mathilde Labrouche-Coté Pierre and the ceramic pendant lights are by Epure

Studio Large handmade shelving units house examples of Justine and Jean’s work Decorative details Subtle, textural touches include a wreath of dried flowers hung from an old carpenter’s ladder in the dining room (right) and a feathered ‘Juju’ hat (below), traditionally worn by dancers from Cameroon’s Bamiléké tribes – bought from Ritual Interiors – which adorns a wall in the living room ➤

Kitchen Justine and Jean made the worktops themselves, using black sandstone tiles from their workshop and aged sequoia Living room In this relaxed space sits an antique armchair inherited from a family member and a vintage sofa, draped in linen and occupied by Nino the cat. On the homemade coffee table, a Moroccan teapot from La Maison Poétique is displayed alongside vases (also seen below left) and cups by Epure ➤

Main bedroom With its headboard made from strips of reclaimed wood, this space has a calming, rustic aesthetic. The bedlinen is vintage and the pendant lights are by Epure, as is the stoneware bedside table Portrait Ceramicists Jean and Justine Exterior The building’s elegant 19th-century stone façade has been updated with a new door and windows See Stockists page for details