A home on France’s genteel Ile de Ré that pays homage to Tintin, elderly aunts and the seafaring past of this stunningly beautiful Atlantic island
Located off its west coast and linked to the mainland by a bridge, the Ile de Ré is one of France’s most sought-after seaside destinations. Renowned for its picture-perfect villages and 60 miles of sandy coastline, it has, over the years, attracted a well-heeled, essentially bourgeois crowd, as well as celebrities such as Vanessa Paradis, the late designer Christian Liaigre, Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry.
Wrapped around a generous courtyard, the house was built in the 1940s by a Bordeaux-based family and had remained in their possession ever since. Rather serendipitously, Virginie’s husband was already acquainted with it. “He knew the grandchildren and had played inside the house when he was young,” she explains. Little work had been done since. There were problems with humidity, the fireplace no longer worked and there was just one bathroom.
Virginie and Jean-Louis also played around with pattern and prints, especially those created by the midcentury Swedish designer Josef Frank. “There’s a kind of eccentricity to his style,” notes Jean-Louis, who also decided to commission the Paris-based decorative painter Florence Girette to paint the walls of one of the guest bedrooms on the ground floor to resemble a sandstorm. In the same room, a white bed cover was installed with a blue stripe down either side decorated with red pompoms.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy cleared of six rape chargesFrench player will face another trial after no verdicts reached on one charge of rape and one of attempted rape
Read more »
Thrill-seekers stuck mid-air as major Gold Coast theme park attraction stallsHolidaymakers on the Gold Coast were left stuck on Sea World’s new Leviathan attraction when it stalled mid-ride. 7NEWS
Read more »
‘Family is the place for madness’: Constance Debre on the book that has shocked FranceShe was a successful defence barrister from a grand French family. Then she came out, and found herself in a fierce custody battle. As she publishes her first book in English, the author talks about motherhood, love and attitudes to gay life
Read more »
Helicopter pilot killed in mid-air collision on Gold Coast to be farewelledA private funeral will be held for Ashley Jenkinson who was killed when the Sea World helicopter he was flying collided with another over the Broadwater.
Read more »