Here, the art of living is given pride of place. Artists' portraits, contemporary furnishings, decorative items, beauty products and restaurants meet everypossible desire.
The Barbara de Palma boutique is now an art-gallery. A White Cube which this summer joins the Muse hotel to present two artists : New Yorker Torrick Ablack (Toxic) who worked with Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Katrin Fridrik of Iceland who revisits graffiti through other sign cultures such as calligraphy. A “geyser” of colours that she applies to canvas but also objects, putting her name in 2008 to a limited edition of the Defender SVX launched by Range Rover for its 60th anniversary. 19 rue Quaranta, Saint-Tropez (04 94 97 09 14).
In Japan, the garden is an essential place in which to relax. Pruning of trees is done by hand using traditional rules and gives birth to “Niwaki”. A principle adopted by Cathy Hammel, who landscapes terraces, gardens, patios, pools..., leaving nothing to chance and imagining ideal, pure and Zen-like exteriors. Niwaki, Zone Athelia I, 45 voie Ariane, La Ciotat (04 42 03 80 53) and www.niwaki.fr
The Canadian Molo Design brand created a sensation at the Superstudio Piu in Milan and at the last Maison&Objet fair with its modular partitions made from recycled paper that are suitable for all applications in a home, office or showroom. Ideal for creating an intimate space, a study, or to be used as a backdrop, the partition stands alone, unfolds and folds to suit your mood. Incorporating an LED lighting system, it becomes a poetic sculpture, which will awaken your latent creativity. As illustrated by sea-urchin shaped vases, you can sculpt the light with your hands ! Ecological, easily transportable and esthetic, dozens of ingenious solutions for improved living are offered by this company with a bright future ahead. www.molodesign.com.
Inspired by a cypress tree, the outdoor “Tree” lamp made of white polyethylene is a novelty signed B&B Italia. For real effect, use several of them arranged side by side, a plethora of “Trees” to guarantee really beautiful outdoor lighting. From 1036 €. Designers Studio, 21 rue Boulegon, Aix-en-Provence (04 42 23 30 34), Sinibaldi, 146 rue Paradis, Marseille (04 91 37 98 43) and Lluck, 16 boulevard du Jeu-de-Paume, Montpellier (04 67 60 52 04).
In a minimalist universe, nothing is more fascinating than the presence of an unexpected work of art proposing poetry and mystery. Adopting the teachings of Italian artists of the 18th century, Elise Valdorcia works with papier-mâché, a poor and little-known material, to create strange characters, cherubs and angels, weathered like stone statues eaten away by time, on show in various galleries in France and abroad. www.elisevaldorcia.com.
It had been too long since Saint-Tropez had no Bang & Olufsen boutique ! A gap filled by Christophe Baudot, who invites you this summer to discover the latest offerings from the Danish brand, known for its astute blend of technology and design. “Beocom 2”, for example, is a real sculpture and the ultra-modern telephone made of a piece of aluminium surprises for its banana shape. If “Beocom 5” is more classic, it will please those who like to talk with their hands as the speaker (which also serves as base) leaves your hands free to hold a conversation at the far end of a large room. Bang & Olufsen, quai Bertaud, Grande Bastide, Gassin (04 94 79 11 68).
New address for “In Oui”, now to be found on Quai Vauban in Perpignan. Leading brands of outdoor furniture are on show in the open-air patio : Royal Botania, Fermob, Dedon, Sifas, Plancha Planet. Inside, a magnificent space has been fitted out in partnership with Lago. Atmospheres vary depending on items that Jean-Pierre Joffre has unearthed around the world. His well-trained eye always offers fans of design a very enticing selection of objects and furniture. To be discovered without delay. In Oui, passage Robert-Doisneau, 37 quai Vauban, Perpignan (04 68 34 00 00).
The brand bearing the name of Philippe Hurel symbolizes conscientious work, high quality and creativity at the service of top-notch furniture. Dedicated to Philippe and creations made by the cabinet-makers/craftsmen of the Coulombs factory, this book is a real joy thanks to photos by Jean-Marc Palisse and texts by Alix de Dives and Pierre Léonforte. www.editionsaubanel.fr.
Looking for good ideas to enhance your garden or terrace ? Pay a visit to “Demeure et Nature” in Montélimar where you will discover a fine selection of furniture and decorative items dedicated to the outdoor world. A colourful array of suggestions blending Fermob collections of chairs, armchairs and lounge chairs, superb Hedone furnishings in wood and woven wicker, Bloom flowerpots and Fatboy cushions, all magnificently staged in a vast showroom where you can also choose the barbecue and plancha of your dreams from Weber and Planet. The ideal way to finish the season in style. ZA du Meyrol, rue André-Malraux, Montélimar (04 75 46 99 28 et www.demeureetnature.com).
Working in partnership with Toiles de Mayenne, Sophie Mallebranche is of great interest to the worlds of fashion, furniture and design. In Tokyo, New York and Paris, people fight over her fabric panels where threads of bronze are intertwined with threads of copper, steel, silk, linen and synthetic fibres. Her latest collection is simply sumptuous ! www.sophiemallebranche.com
Natural stone at a reasonable price is the credo of Ekolux, a brand that has come a long way since 2005 and will have six stores in France by September, including a brand new one in Saint-Laurent-du-Var. Democratizing stone (for flooring, sinks, hand-basins...) by making its price as affordable as tiles, is the challenge taken up the Ekolux collection, offering a score of references including travertines, marble, natural sandstone, grey or rusty slate… ZI secteur C, 8 av Pierre-et-Marie Curie, Saint-Laurent-du-Var (04 93 14 00 83).
Agath televisions meet all our desires. They become invisible with the new range of LCD Mirror screens which reflect their setting when switched off, slip inside the sauna thanks to engineering capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, and dress to match your preference ! Clad in leather, stainless steel or Corian, it's up to you, as for the customizable silkscreening, colour and size of the glass. www.agath.com.
You are unique, your coffee-machine has to be the same. A quick click and you can consult the on-line customization service : choose the one that suits you best and your very own Senseo will be delivered to your home. 150 €. www.senseo.com/favors.
“Elegance teamed with efficiency”. Such is the thought that spontaneously comes to mind when you look at the career of this designer trained in France and Italy. Signs (for the Château de Fontainebleau, Palais de la Découverte...), set design, furniture, objects and interior architecture, the young woman explores all areas of creation. Her vases, for Ligne Roset and Serax (photos), bear witness to feminine sensitivity, like the sofas designed for Désio. Presented at the last “Maison & Objet” trade-fair, “Mellow” proposes seating composed of two superimposed and padded layers, which can be transformed into a spare bed in the twinkling of an eye. Ideal for cocooning with the family, or inviting your children’s friends to sleep over at home. www.florencebourel.fr.
Pol Quadens, one of today’s most prominent Belgian designers and producers, has gone overboard for carbon fibre or Corian offering furnishings of rare elegance and objects flaunting revolutionary lines : examples include “Elix” vases and a dish called “Dune”. Sharing the same interest, Christian Ghion has joined him to produce a new collection. www.ovo-editions.com.
From classic to contemporary… After working at “La Maison des Lices” in Saint-Tropez, Cathy has opened her own boutique, in Cogolin. With “Nouvelle Avenue”, she has made way for modern design and international brands as prestigious as Zanotta, Emu, Fatboy and Contempo. The most recent guest to date, designer Stéphanie Marin, to whom we owe the now famous “Livingstones”, and who signed her name to a showcase in May. Nouvelle Avenue, rue des Frères-Lumière, Cogolin (09 61 05 63 66).
“Flora”, a sun-lounger in galvanized iron, is available in four different colours : fluorescent green, shocking pink, white and graphite. Bright colours that will bring a touch of cheerfulness to your garden and celebrate the summer in fitting style. The practical “Flora” has wheels and is stackable. 300 €. Unopiù, allée Helène Boucher, Mandelieu (04 92 19 57 77).
The prize for the environmentally correct undoubtedly goes to Auro, a brand that produces natural paints made from oils, resins, pigments, waxes and other ingredients all culled from nature. Auro is also proud of its expertise demonstrating that residue from its paint can be composted into a soil rich in nutritional substances. What more do you want ? Ressource, 40 bd de Lorraine, Cannes (04 93 69 00 57).
At long last, a showroom that lives up to the Principality of Monaco, one is tempted to say. Here, furniture means a world devoted to outdoors. With the most prominent brands, such as Paola Lenti and Roda with garden lounges to modulate at will. B & B Italia is also present with its latest collection, along with Gandia Blasco, focusing on immaculate white and stark, clean lines. In addition, and because decoration is a whole, Sabrina Monte-Carlo Déco also proposes house linen (Malo and Pratesi), tableware (the very classic Ercuis and Robbe & Berking, or Guzzini with its touch of fantasy), not forgetting Vondom pots, which become original and daring showcases for the plants to which they play host. Sabrina Monte-Carlo Déco, place des Bougainvilliers, Monaco (00 377 97 97 57 60).
“Area” is a kitchen without handles, noble and elegant. It features sleek, limpid lines and a high-gloss finish obtained thanks to the surfaces being varnished several times over. It offers a choice of frontages and bodies, in white or colour, and a work surface also in white or different colours. Modern, appealing to the eye and practical, a worthy setting for culinary creativity… Albalat Cuisines, 31 bis et ter rue Barla, Nice (04 93 56 66 00).
