The love affair began when Joanne, an interior designer and Peter, a former chef, currently an art specialist, came across a group of abandoned buildings in the village of Uzes in France. With the help of architect Gunilla Guirand Ronneke, the buildings were converted into a workable structure, the outer walls reinforced and the interior opened up to create more open spaces.The damage done through previous ill designed ‘renovations’ was rectified, with the windows being replaced and the floor laid with local stone.
As the radical reconstruction process used up most of their budget, the interior took on a DIY element and became a labour of love for the couple. As such, the personal taste and lifestyle of the owners ruled in the design element, which they carried out with enthusiasm to create a welcoming home. A sense of homely comfort and freedom of movement in a pale hued palette of natural materials and unfinished surfaces. A welcoming home which represents a quality of life, it was natural that the kitchen would become the most important space for people who love to entertain, a fully equipped workspace full of mismatched charm and elegance born out of sophisticated imperfection.
Most of the furniture and objects were either made by the couple or brought from their collection in England, creating a continuation from their familiar home into their newly created country residence. On the upper level, the floor had to be strengthened and the ceiling raised to accommodate their free standing heavy metal bathtub, which adjoins the master bedroom, a personal space with vintage furniture and linens. The home is an ongoing project for the couple, who enjoy their garden full of flowers and olive trees, where Joanne scans the periodicals for new ideas and Peter brings them to life in his nearby workshop, an idyllic rustic environment has been created in their beautiful country home.
