La Carmejane viewed from the village street
This beautiful hillside estate in the south of France has been featured in Veranda and Architectural Digest magazines. The property has been included in several of Louisa Jones' books about the gardens of Provence. This new article covers important historical information unearthed by the current owners, who have done extensive research about the early history of the castle complex. Fascinating!
One of the many of Louisa Jones' books that talks about the gardens of Provence featuring Villa La Carmejane.
Visiting the hilltop property of La Carmejane, one feels as one has gone though a time portal to a dimention where all worries do not exist. Modern-day France holds tremendous beauty inside its borders: within this beautiful country, the mediterranean-climate region of Provence is a stunning area, known worldwide for its charm; within Provence, the area of the Luberon Mountains, with its many scenic villages, is ravishing; and within the Luberon sits the medieval hilltop village of Ménerbes, designated one of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France.” Beauty within beauty within beauty. After exploring Ménerbes, with its spectacular views over the surrounding valleys, one might well think that beauty has revealed itself fully, but there is one more heart-stopping “doll” to be unveiled: the castle complex of La Carmejane.
Upper level parterre garden, view from the Maison des Amis
Development of the garden
La Carmejane was bought using a real estate transaction known as viager. Popular in France, the arrangement allows home owners to sell their property for an initial “down payment” followed by monthly payments for the life of the home owner, who remains in the home until death. Upon the death of the home owner, the buyer takes possession. The arrangement is starkly realistic: viager property listings in France typically include the age of the owner along with the price which may in some instances put a mark of the head of the owner, turning many of them into skeptic recluse cat people.
Private terrace, perfect for viewing sunsets with an apéro
Before they took possession of their new home, the owners had to deal with many stumbling blocks between them and the resident owners still living in the house. One incident, in particular, was of disastrous proportions. After a long dry spell, on May 12 1993 torrential rain soaked the earth of the central garden on the property’s upper level. The water dislodged a boulder below weighing over 1,000 tons. As the boulder fell away, the ramparts it was supporting collapsed. A third of the upper garden washed down the hillside! It took five years and a major engineering feat to repair the damage while retaining the traditional appearance of the wall.
Cafe table on the upper terrace above the parterre garden, perfect for breakfast and a newspaper
If there was a silver lining to the destruction, it was the opportunity to begin with a blank slate for the new upper- level garden. The couple first retained the services of Nicole de Vésian, a stylish woman who had worked in the Parisian design industry for most of her adult life. After moving to Provence in 1986, she began a second career as a garden designer – a tribute to her prodigious creativity and life energy. After designing her own garden masterpiece, La Louve, she was asked to design several other gardens in the region. Sadly, Nicole took ill before completing her work at La Carmejane. She passed away in 1996, a year before the new owners finally took possession. Though she did not get to work her magic on La Carmejane, her advice was invaluable: “Listen to the stones, and they will speak.”
Terrace seating with boxed topiaries
The new owners brought in a series of creative minds to help with the garden plan. English designers John Brookes and Tim Rees helped with initial ideas about what the garden might become, but it was the magical talent of a local Frenchman, interior designer Michel Biehn, that carried the day. Extraordinarily gifted, Michel was already helping the owners with the interior of the home and, at their request, stepped into the role of garden designer, bringing his talents to the challenging hillside. Working alongside the owners, nurseryman Jean-Claude Appy, plant sculptor and de Vésian protégé Marc Nucera, and mason Max Ellena, Michel transformed La Carmejane into a series of beautiful garden spaces. The various garden “rooms” tucked into the hillside are simple in their impact, never fussy. The ancient history of the site is respected, yet the garden design feels fresh.
A walk through the garden today
One enters from the village street through a lovely old wooden gate with rusted iron hardware: the unveiling begins as an inner courtyard, paved in brick and stone, greets the visitor. Tall columns of Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) and antique Anduze pots holding topiary balls of boxwood (Buxus) serve as focal points. A small walkway edged in boxwood leads to a balcony over the village street, with seating ideal for sunset views. The main path leads to the front door or, continuing further, towards the cliff-side parterre garden with its marvellous views over the Calavon Plain.
Swimming pool on the lower hillside
The parterre garden is perfection: its lines and scale define the space in such a way that it would be difficult to imagine a better layout. The white Iceberg roses and, in autumn, the white blooms of Japanese anemone (Anemone × hybrida) coolly and calmly soften the boxwood beds, adding floral interest without distracting from the main show: the incredible view across the Calavon Plain all the way to Mount Ventoux.
Calavon Plain all the way to Mount Ventoux
It was initially quite difficult to reach the lower levels of the hillside complex. There were no connecting stairs; to reach the pool, it was necessary to exit the property on to the village street, circle below the church, exit the old medieval fortified section of the village, and re-enter the property through a small wooden doorway. By “listening to the stones,” a passageway to the lower level was eventually discovered by Cédric Lafaye, the gardener. Rappelling down the rampart wall to prune the ivy, he discovered an old archway in the stonework. The owners realised that the stones had indeed spoken and had revealed the ideal place to build a stairway. The arch was reopened and a stone tower with spiral stairs was built to connect the two levels of the garden, eliminating the inconvenient walk. The tower was carefully constructed to look as though it had always been part of the castle complex.
The lower levels are less formal than the upper garden, but they have a loose rhythm to their layout. One walks easily through hillside rooms, connected by pathways and stone steps. The pool area, with its ancient grotto used as a secret gathering place for spiritual cults (circa 6th or 7th century), is laid out somewhat formally; beyond, one is free to meander and discover the hillside levels as they unfold. The large boulder, split in two by its fall from the ramparts, lies just beyond the swimming pool in sculptural repose. A small circular water feature nestles above the massive stones and empties into a runnel between them.
The lower garden is a fantasy land for adults and children alike. Newly planted olive trees grace the hillside, as does a two-hundred-year-old cherry orchard. There are numerous spots to have a picnic lunch, sit and read a book, or lie in a hammock suspended from a cherry tree. A large cobblestone oval of wild thyme kept low, with a fossilised ammonite at its centre, provides a meditative spot. A small gazebo with red and white striped curtains provides a place for intimate conversation or, when numerous family members are present, a focal spot for gatherings. There is a potager used by the owner and her staff for vegetables and cut- flowers. There is even an area for playing pétanque, a French lawn game that has evolved from ancient Roman traditions.
From its setting in the relaxed sophistication of the village, to the warm formality of the upper level garden and castle, to the meandering paths and rooms of the lower hillside, La Carmejane has become a well-loved and beautifully restored home. In a mutual stroke of luck, the village gained a wonderful expatriate family, committed to learning the mysteries of the castle and bringing it back to life, while the owners were presented with an opportunity to create a deeply soulful residence in which to live out their “third act” happily.
For more information contact us at
www.MonolithicStone.com or
www.PhoenicianStone.com or by calling us at 949-759-6944
In part II we bring you MORE splendid and inspirational antique limestone sink elements that we've supplied and installed in those unique spaces.
Reclaimed Limestone Egg shaped sinks are a stunning addition to any small Powder-Bath or Guest-Bath that will leave your friends in complete awe!
A mounted antique marble sink on an old limestone columns centuries old is a mind blowing look and one that will stimulate your conversation into art, history and natural beauty of authentic architectural elements.
The sinks above are a small selection of our 'in Stock' antique limestone sink that are ready to be shipped with a zero lead-time for fabrication.
We'd love to be by your side when you want the best of the best but is short on time...
It shouldn't come as a surprise that in reccent years we've seen a massive jump in the demand for our unusual and one of a kind antique limestone sink and
one look at them installed in our clients powder rooms or kitchens should give you a clear answer to why...
For more information contact us at www.MonolithicStone.com or www.PhoenicianStone.com or by calling us at 949-759-6944
Soothing, stunning and spectacular, Donna Karan’s spa house is everything you’d want a summer home to be. Take a comfortable seat, close your eyes, and imagine yourself sitting on those extremely wide reclaimed Antique American Oak planks overlooking the Long Island seashore.
Extension for bliss
The spa is an extension of the fashion designer’s existing compound that includes three other homes. The spa is her private silent resort, a Zen space fully devoted to yoga and meditation, with a massage table and steam room helping to maintain a state of pure bliss.
Furniture and decoration
The nearly all-white space is decorated with art of her late husband, sculptor and painter Stephen Weiss. As well asartisan pieces made in Haiti for Karan’s luxury lifestyle line Urban Zen and statement furniture created by Jérôme Abel Seguin, a French artist from Bordeaux that has worked on set design for a.o. Hermès and Louis Vuitton.
The architects
New-York based architects Enrico Bonetti and Dominic Kozerski of Bonetti/Kozerski/Architecture were invited to design the house. They had previously worked with Donna Karan on her flagship store in Manhattan, NYC. Evereything is designed to connect to the magnificent outdoors. Floor-to-ceiling windows and screen doors create an unimpeded panorama of the bay. Large sliding windows open to the decks, gardens and sea.
Bespoke wide plank flooring
The designers picked Ebony and Co’s reclaimed Antique American Oak planks in spectacular sizes, with a width up to 40 cm. The chosen timber has a strong character and unique aesthetics: worm-, beetle- and nail holes, cracks and beautiful ageing patina.
As mentioned earlier, some of the art used in Karan's home was from the French designer Jérôme Abel Seguin and here are some of his most impressive and functional pieces that he is best known for.
For more information contact us at www.MonolithicStone.com or www.PhoenicianStone.com or by calling us at 949-759-6944
