Here, the art of living is given pride of place. Artists' portraits, contemporary furnishings, decorative items, beauty products and restaurants meet everypossible desire.
Have you heard of smart fabrics ? The innovative Ado International has lauched “e-Protect” which safeguards users of portables, TV and radio transmitters from electromagnetic rays by deflecting the waves received. In the same style, “Actibreeze” eliminates unpleasant smells and “Bio-Protect R” helps to limit the proliferation of bacteria. Ado, Sales outlets 03 89 31 02 20.
Classic training as a cabinet-maker, then practical experience and a taste for pure lines, Dominique Luvara makes no secret of it : he encourages his clients to opt for contemporary designs, original concepts and furnishings. He likes to work with walnut and sycamore, which lend themselves easily to his ideas. Blended together, the first enhances the veins and colour of the other. From his capable hands come unusual chairs, multi-purpose cubes, wall panels designed to take books, TV screen, hi-fi… His next challenge is to create his own line of furniture. It will undoubtedly be unique and… surprising !
An Internet site where you’ll find a qualified repairman, close to your home, for small electrical appliances – it actually exists ! Thanks to this initiative undertaken by the “Association Partenaire Qualité Service”, you can be put in touch with an after-sales professional. You simply have to enter the brand of your appliance and your home address to obtain the details of the nearest Service Centre approved by the brand. Simple and practical. www.depannator.com.
Billiards or baby-foot ? High-tech but also very Zen, “Kyoto” will be a real hit with fans of tradition revisited. This modern billiard table has a frame of Altuglas and legs composed of assembled steel girders. More fun, the baby-foot called “Zinc” is made of natural beechwood and has re-looked accessories in brushed aluminium. Two different styles that will be right at home in all kinds of interiors. 9,900 e for the “Kyoto” billiard table, 1,290 e for the “Zinc” baby-foot. René Pierre, points de vente sur www.rene-pierre.fr.
You’re looking for a property in the South of France, but not just anything… Whatever your budget, schedule and criteria (a stone house with a tower, a house situated somewhere within an hour’s drive from the airport, or one with an indoor swimming pool, wine cellar or sauna…), let Home Hunts handle everything. Home Hunts is a team of eleven specialised consultants who speak French, English, Spanish, Swedish, German, Dutch, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. They will find the property that corresponds to your needs. The company works with the best estate agents on the Côte d’Azur, in Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, but also with a vast network of suppliers, designers and architects... In regular contact with its clients, Home Hunts will see that you find the home of your dreams while saving time and energy. www.home-hunts.com
With the Porsche Design toaster, your breakfasts will be tempting but also pleasing to the eye. It’s in fact hard to realise that it’s a toaster, it boasts such beautful bodywork ! Eleven degrees of toasting, a built-in support for warming Viennese pastries, even memorization of the degree of toasting most recently selected. Doesn’t it deserve a toast ? And when it’s not being used, it can be protected by a lid. The price of this marvel of technology ? 159 €. Siemens. 0 892 698 110.
Would you ever have imagined a glamorous faucet finding its way into your kitchen ? “Glance” is made of solid brass with a chrome finish and is decidedly elegant. Its clean, sophisticated lines give this item dedicated to the culinary art a new look inspired by femininity and refinement. Practical too, “Glance” can swivel around and, because wet hands have been taken into account, it comes with a pencil control joystick. Jado, 01 44 98 96 96.
Gigantic ! The largest store in the PACA region (8,000 sq. metres) is laid out as a multitude of showrooms staging the home in its entirety from the bathrooms to the garden via the kitchen, walk-in closet etc… Choice, quality and a certain concept of luxury are the order of the day. Brands include Versace (exclusive in the region) for tiling, Teisseire for the kitchen, Decotec, Grandform, Laufen for bathrooms, Kettal for garden furniture. Canovas, Pierre Frey, Nobilis, Sahco Hesslein etc. sign the furnishing fabrics, Serge Lesage the carpets. Design even finds its way into central heating with radiators from GC Design, Acova, Atlantic. One thing’s for sure : whether you want to re-look your interior (or garden) or come up with an idea for a gift, Home Store is an essential port-of-call. Home Store, 201 avenue de la Roubine, Cannes-la-Bocca (04 93 905 905).
Now on line ! A mere click and you can treat yourself or someone else to a lampshade from the boutique called Abajour. So, a choice of lampshades, but also ceiling lights, wall lights and standard lamps with brushed steel bases. A message of love (romantic or dutiful), flowers… everything’s poss-ible, and birthdays and other occ-asions will henceforth be seen in a brand new light ! A bright initiative enabling fans of the store to surf its latest collections. www.abajour.fr.
Denise Vammerisse’s new shop in Nice has opted for originality. The carefully staged showroom gives a glimpse of the skills on offer. Furnishings, old books, trinkets, “chic bric-à-brac” which gives an idea of the excellent taste of this expert in deco. Her main speciality is, however, curtain-making, covers for armchairs and thus advice on fabrics. You’ll find all the big names, from Canovas to Pierre Frey, Designers’ Guild to Rubelli. Carlonia Décoration, 13 rue Maccarani, Nice (04 93 82 48 95).
Remember Laurent Gautier ? After digging up 20th-century vintage items here, there and everywhere, he threw himself into designing mirrors. Now, with his wife Laurence, he has launched Design District in the area known for its antique-dealers close to the port, displaying design furniture, decorative objects and even jewellery. One settles into the “Giant Hand” or “Lounge Ball” armchair, one is tempted to take one of the modular light fixtures back home, look at oneself every day in a mirror signed by the master of the house, adopt a “Chic on a Mission” shoulder bag or deck oneself out in richly coloured resine creations from Sobral. Design District, 3 rue Antoine-Gautier, Nice (04 93 07 08 55).
Time to think about plants for your garden ! In colours that are pale and delicate or bright and intense, peonies symbolize triumphant, sensual femininity and come in a wealth of varieties. Eternally popular, roses, like peonies, already herald the spring. They too, either single or double, in pastel or deeper hues, add a discreet or more powerful fragrance to their visual charm. A découvrir chez Botanic, 999 chemin des Gourettes, Mouans-Sartoux (04 92 28 31 00).
Original BTC isn’t a well-known name, yet some of the creations produced by this English firm are best-sellers in the field of lighting. Among other things, the brand proposes little spotlights in white porcelain to be unearthed in the catalogue of Résonance stores all over France. Specialising in modern light fixtures in porcelain, glass and chromed or painted metal, the manufacturer takes inspiration from industrial models from the early 20th century, the ’forties, ’sixties and ’seventies. En vente chez Résonances, 31 avenue Notre-Dame, Nice (04 92 00 71 15). B.L.
Winter at Côté Bastide pays tribute to design. With a monastery table and its beige-grey patina, uncluttered lines and minimalism enter the home. Not, however, forsaking what first built the brand’s image : earthenware, linen (in the guise of tablecloths, curtains, towels edged with ivory linen and damask linen napkins, also in ivory). Then, a clever compromise between past and present, cutlery with silver rings and transparent resin handles for a touch of refinement. The Côté Bastide home is always warm, with a contemporary air that fits like a glove. En vente à La Maison de Charrier, 1 Faubourg Saint-Esprit, Valbonne (04 93 40 29 19).
In 400 m2 of exhibition space, Picconalbicocco Arredamenti displays kitchens, couches, wardrobes, living-rooms and bedrooms signed by prestigious brands : Arclinea, Snaldero, Moroso, Ligne Roset, Busnelli, Besana, Move, Porro, Leucos... The most enticing models are on show in this store with 60 years of experience and a team of real professionals to meet the expectations of the most demanding clients. Via Vitt. Emmanuele, 190, Bordighera. 00 39 0184 261 432.
Lots of solutions, classic or contemporary, offered by several brands ranging from Romo and Mario Sezzano to Christian Fischbaker, not forgetting Home Collection and Ulf Moritz for drapes and netting. For indoor sunblinds, check out Technolight, Bellini, Latendapannell and Luxaflex. For outside, make way for models from Tende da Sole. Calestani is also the place to find Ulf Moritz and Artline curtain rails. Calestani, C.so Cavallotti 50, San Remo (00 39 01 84 50 08 401).
Moghadam opened its doors in Monaco in 1962 and is justly proud of being official supplier to the Prince’s Palace. With a stock of over 3,000 pieces, it offers one of the most prestigious collections of oriental carpets in the world. From Tabriz, Isfahan, Ghom, Naïn and Kashan, they may be old, antique, contemporary, decorative or even figurative. In addition to this vast choice, Moghadam also handles special commissions, as, for example, the sumptuous carpet specially created for the Hôtel de Paris in Monte-Carlo. It also provides comprehensive, top-quality service : cleaning, anti-acarian treatment, non-slip underlays, restoration, selection of models ideal for your home… Above all, Moghadam provides a unique guarantee. For five years, any carpet purchased from the store will be taken back at 100 % of its initial price ! But you won’t want to part with it : Moghadam carpets are works of art. 23 bd des Moulins,, Monaco (00 377 93 25 67 68). www.moghadam.mc
A long-established institution in Cannes, L’Héritier Décoration still comes up with new ideas and keeps up with trends. For the year-end, the accent is on gift ideas and items you may well want to keep for yourself ! Vases, candle-holders, photo frames (a gift that’s always appreciated), lamps, mirrors and little trays : the choice is wide and to the point. L’Héritier Décoration, 23 et 25 rue Hoche, 06400 Cannes (04 93 38 59 46).
Fixtures and fittings, solutions for storage, the quality of materials… Vocation d’Intérieur promises you all that and more, by proposing the best possible scenarios, both technical and esthetic. Ones that will adapt ideally to constraints imposed by space and budget. Top-notch designer products for bathrooms, kitchens and walk-in closets, giving priority to Italian brands. Show-room, Parc d’Activités des Tourrades, Le Palace Center 2. 04 93 480 480.
If you are a fan of cacti or simply want to learn more about them, this is the address you’re looking for. And if you take the time to observe them and chat with the professionals on hand, you will discover lots of amazing things. For instance, what do you know about “crêtes” ? These living sculptures are in fact the result of an anomaly : the trunk of the plant splits into branches which flatten out instead of growing vertically. At Cactus Mania, these specimens are a real passion and you can see them in their early stages or as more spectacular plants, one metre tall. A nursery to be visited as if it were a museum. Cactus Mania, 140 Via Gallardi, Vintimille (00 39 01 84 33 003).
