Here, the art of living is given pride of place. Artists' portraits, contemporary furnishings, decorative items, beauty products and restaurants meet everypossible desire.
After Lacroix and Gaultier, Evian has entrusted the design of its glass bottle to Paul Smith who has wrapped it in ribbons in glowing, bittersweet colours, coiffed by a bottle top in five different hues bearing the initials PS. 1.98 €.
Gwenaëlle Leprat, Christine Besson and Philippe Saharoff have put their names to “Chalets, un art de vivre”, a personal tour of the loveliest representatives of this kind of home in the leading resorts of Chamonix, Megève, Garmisch Partenkirche, Gstaad, Crans Montana, Breuil Cervinia, from the valley of Aoste to the Tyrol, and from Switzerland to Le Queyras. Together with families, architects and decorators, Gwenaëlle Leprat tells the stories behind these magnificent mountain chalets, while photographers Christine Besson and Philippe Saharoff accompany them with close on 250 photos. All styles are represented, as well as the latest trends in chic decor - at high altitudes !
Classic, but above all contemporary furniture, is their concern ! For 40 years, GR Arredamenti has designed its own creations, following trends and fashions, if not preceding them. Architects and designers are not mistaken when they make this address one of their favorite haunts. As we’re told by the store : “A home’s interior always reflects the personality of the person living in it : it is a real mirror”. Delving even deeper into the philosophy on which the products are based : “Each piece of furniture is a portrait, a self-portrait even, every detail becomes a biography”. Something to think about, while admiring the collection. GR Arredamenti, Via Roma 149, San Remo (00 39 01 84 66 78 12).
The “Viva” fruit dish from Encore & Encore was designed by Franco Consiglio. Practical and stylish, it comes in silver, reddish gold, orange and white. 36 €. www.encoreetencore.com
Fans of fine books, gourmets and Epicureans will be delighted with “12 Balades Gourmandes”, written and compiled by Régine Rivère-Salvignol and Ralph Hutchings. “I wanted to touch fans of photographs, landscapes, interior decor and cooking,” says Régine Rivère-Salvignol. In these pages, the reader discovers beautiful table settings “to entertain in style”, moods and views conducive to escapism, original recipes from Alain Llorca and Jon Coomb. Month by month, the author relates minor and major events in life, accompanying each one with original ideas to experiment with in town, in the country or by the sea... and share with family and friends. A bible to be consulted without moderation. In sales on www.rr-concept.com
Holland Park is a mini-jungle of 1,000 m2, tamed and orchestrated by Frédéric Bonino and Guillaume Allouard. From these boutiques with objects throwing a bridge between nature and design, an XXL version was born in the midst of a warehouse. The boutique has added a radical coffee lounge to its catalogue of perennials and trendy indoor/outdoor items. “No plastic, no Coca, priority to eco-glam attitude ! We propose great vintages of tea or coffee and a fooding menu from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.” 31 bis rue Michel-Ange, Nice (04 92 07 11 77).
This dedicated jazz fan works amidst a plethora of paintings, records, images and photos that help him produce his installations dedicated to the icons of jazz. It was with the help of John Beake, who has covered Nice’s Jazz Festival and Jazz à Juan for over 20 years, that these chairs came into being, telling the history of jazz in paintings and live photos. www.myspace.com/mauromodin
According to Guy Seurat of Domotique & Habitat : “This showroom is the first of its kind in the PACA region and the second at national level”. On two floors, the store provides a comprehensive picture of home automation. Here, everyone is invited to discover the many facets of its various applications. “Home automation has been democratized, it is now aimed at the general public. A full installation costs from 150 to 200 ? per sq. metre. Today, we can also assess the energy savings it generates.” At a later stage, the shop will offer an area devoted to technological innovation. To be continued... 40 boulevard Risso, Nice (04 93 24 12 39).
Round tables, large format wall hangings, photographs on canvas along with stickers (as here), Scenolia collections play the ace of originality. An unexpected way of cheering up walls, getting rid of frames and treating oneself to dreams. 39.90 €. www.scenolia.com
“Finding ways to make carbon esthetically pleasing” is the challenge taken up by Nicolas Blin. First a painter-decorator, he used the material for the first time the day he decided to make furniture for a boat. A search for balance, volume and revelation. At the end of 2005, he designed some jewellery, mostly for fun. Fate decided otherwise. People liked his jewellery, the effect was guaranteed, success on the cards. Three years later, Nicolas Blin and Génération Carbone (a company that handles all of his production in workshops in La Gaude) had finally tamed carbon, revealing its transparency and visual appeal. Its originality too. Nicolas Blin leaps blithely from fashion to interior decor. The ideas are there, their implementation will follow. It’s a sure thing, carbon is going to enter our homes in a big way. www.generationcarbone.com
We’re all in favour of environment-friendly cooking utensils (the WWF approves !). Their non-stick coating is made from ceramic to limit their impact on nature. Evergreen by-aubecq, sur www.karis.fr
Hopping from checked ticking in blue and white to black-on-black is pretty daring. Hästens has done it, with insolence and elegance ! From 2140 €. 44 rue Gioffredo, Nice (04 93 55 45 90).
Founded almost 80 years ago, this Austrian company has been a leading light in parquet design for the past 15 years. Fans remember models which have become legendary, like Domino, Vulcano or Bois d'Hiver. The showroom in Cannes (brand new) presents the latest creation : “Chêne Tigré”. A parquet whose natural fissures are filled with different materials. The result : an extravagant and surprising effect, especially if the material used is transparent putty ! One then only has to back-light the surface of wood to create unexpected ambiances. Used in flooring, of course, but also for walls or furniture surfaces, “Chêne Tigré” is asserting itself as “the” parquet design of today. 12 avenue de Saissy (04 93 43 51 36).
This book reveals (and it’s a first) the gardens of the Grimaldis’ private residences. In addition to archive photos, one discovers photographs taken by Jean-Baptiste Leroux and quotes from the Principality’s current sovereign, HSH Prince Albert II. Dans les Jardins des Grimaldi, éditions Chêne 35 €.
Concerned about our planet and our homes, we are opting more and more frequently for eco-chic decor. Such as “Svarva”, Ikea’s light fixture in solid beech and aluminum which comes as a standard lamp and table lamp. www.ikea.fr
Meridiani, editor of contemporary Italian furniture, promotes homemade expertise. The 2009 collection certainly perpetuates this tradition, combining sleek, simple and timeless lines with noble materials. Which gives a homogeneous quality to the various products. Leather, oak, nickel, lacquer etc. are used to produce modular furniture all in subtle nuances. Then most of the collections bear the name of a star, when they have not been named in tribute to a specific detail. As illustrated by the “Loren Ghost” bed (above) with its imposing but light bedhead, beautifully curved. Or “Cross” (top right), a console of perfect geometry, a combination of metal and leather with crossed legs. Keep an eye out also for the “Lolita” daybed, “Lewis” sofas, “Sumo” tables and “Chaplin” pouffs... All immobile players to make each home a lively and personalized stage. In sales at Raineri, 16 rue Biscarra (04 93 80 27 89).
300 sq. metres entirely dedicated to well-being with a selection of the latest models of saunas, hammams, spas and fitness equipment, that’s Nordique’s seventh showroom in France. The store distributes the Tylö, Dimension One, 4SeasonsSpa and Life Fitness brands. In this contemporary space on two floors, you can test the very best of the latest offerings. Products are shown off to their best advantage so that clients can easily imagine them in their homes or gardens. 1390 avenue du Campon, Le Cannet (04 93 45 20 60).
He defines himself as a madman who burns with an innate passion for art. Hence the opening of his gallery, and the exhibiting of unique or rare items. Hence also this accumulation of sculptures and light-bulbs. "Galerie du Fou qui voyageait dans des pays sans poussière", 29 rue de la Préfecture, Nice (04 93 85 65 77).
“The Lb3 collection tries to understand time.” Roberto Palomba, who designed it with his wife Ludovica for Laufen, talks of a democratic line. “We feel close to American designers of the 1950’s,” say the pair, who also admit to “making a clear distinction between architecture, interior architecture and design”. In sales at Home Store Balitrand, 183 avenue de la Roubine, Cannes La Bocca (04 93 90 59 05).
The AD showroom in Monaco presents the latest offerings from the Milan Fair, including those of Casamilano. One also discovers Tonon’s unusual chair. AD’s design studio has maintained the policy that made its reputation : free estimates, plans in 3D, and projects handled from A to Z for both houses, apartments, yachts and gardens. Château Périgord, 6 Lacets Saint-Léon, Monaco (00 377 93 50 20 40).
