We knew from the start that this was going to be a gem of a project. Tucked down a long, quiet stone road just outside the popular village of Gordes, sat this precious stone property surrounded by an olive grove, complete with a view of the hilltop village from one side and a broad open vista of the Luberon on the other. With only the faint hum of the natural world outdoors, this find was an authentic slice of heaven in Provence.

We partnered with the talented Sylvie Bagros from Inside Design on both investment and services. Sylvie brought her interior design skills to the project, and we got a deep understanding of how to harmonize old with new.

This stone gem needed a total renovation, top to bottom, but had good, sturdy bones to work with. Some of the main living areas were relatively small, so our first goal was to open up walls to create vaulted, open living spaces between the kitchen, dining, and living room. This home has a “cottage” spirit we wanted to maintain, so we intentionally aimed for a classy, straightforward look. As with all of our renovations, we honored what was already existing—sandblasting the exposed beams and stripping the old closet doors and shutters.

Bathrooms were renovated with traditional bejmat and zellige tiles, and we had a great time designing and creating our own vanity units with quarried marble sinks. Two bathrooms were approached with a light, contemporary look, featuring Hydrobox freestanding sinks and reclaimed wood shelving beneath. Brushed brass finishes were used throughout, including the lighting fixtures and hardware.

The finished product was more beautiful than we imagined, with light coming through from every angle, even on the odd cloudy day.

We feel we achieved our objective of maintaining a harmonious blend of old and new.