Paradise in Provence

When they first set eyes on Domaine de Bajolle, its owners were captivated by the location in the heart of the countryside around Aix-en-Provence. This celebrated area of France was much loved by Paul Cézanne, who painted it repeatedly. Indeed, the panorama from the estate – the countryside and, beyond it, Mont Sainte-Victoire – can be seen in many of his works.

However, while the view was breathtaking, the estate was in need of a swan-like transformation. To realise this, the family turned to Bruno and Dominique Lafourcade, a husband-and-wife design team renowned for their classical aesthetic and strong sense of symmetry. The late Bruno, along with the couple’s son, Alexandre, oversaw the remodelling of the house, while Dominique designed the garden.

“The family had been dreaming of an 18th-century bastide with a view of Sainte-Victoire,” says Alexandre. “They couldn’t find it, so they bought this farm” – which did have mountain views – “instead.” The house required a total renovation. “To show them what it could become, we painted a magnificent watercolour of a bastide Aixoise – a manor house typical of the region.”

A quarter of a century on, the house and its gardens are every bit as beautiful as that painting. “It is as if a splendid mansion has re-emerged intact from the 18th century,” says Alexandre. “The materials used are ancient or ‘new made old’, and the gardens designed by Dominique extend the buildings majestically.”

The entrance to the estate is today a romantic plane-tree-lined drive that leads up to the house, whose warm terracotta exterior is complemented by the soft greens of mature trees. Arched windows, a typical feature of 18th-century Provençal villas, are framed by shutters of soft grey. Inside, more than 600 square metres of habitable space have been arranged into a carefully considered layout of light-filled rooms, perfectly proportioned for modern living and connected via terracotta-tiled hallways. The house fits its skin perfectly. Local artisans, skilled in traditional forms of stone-, wood- and metalworking, were employed to recreate period-style features such as the statement fireplaces.

On the ground floor are several reception rooms with far-reaching views that make the house ideal for entertaining. The Provençal tradition of taking a section of the main sitting room to create a music alcove has been kept – situated by a porthole window. The large farmhouse-style kitchen is a focal point, with glass doors leading onto a paved terrace where a lush wisteria-covered pergola now creates a shaded spot for alfresco dining on summer days. Upstairs are six ensuite bedrooms, including a double-aspect principal suite with views across an olive grove to the mountains beyond.

The olive trees are part of Domaine de Bajolle’s 60 acres, and were included by Dominique as a nod to the estate’s agricultural past. In creating the space, she says, “I wanted to give the impression that the bastide had always been there and so I created a garden inspired by the beautiful properties that can be found in the Aix countryside”.

The family asked for space for entertaining, a large swimming pool not far from the house, a tennis court, an orchard and a treehouse for the children. “But for everything else, they trusted me completely, which was so nice!” says Dominique. “I took long walks alone in the garden, at different hours of the day and in different weathers. To create a garden, you must have knowledge of it at your fingertips, inside and outside.”

Along one side, terraces follow the natural sloping aspect of the land, ending at a large rectangular swimming pool set in manicured lawns with more wonderful vistas. From here, you can step through a gate into a secret walled garden with an arched rose trellis and box-tree topiary. Elsewhere is a spring garden filled with peonies and roses, a kitchen garden fragrant with herbs and a geometric maze that can be admired from the terraces. Also within the landscaped gardens is Le Bastidon, a stylish guesthouse of 239 square metres with sizeable reception rooms and four ensuite bedrooms, as well as an outdoor kitchen.

For the first time in more than 20 years, Domaine de Bajolle is on the market. Anyone searching for a slice of Provençal paradise need look no further.

ENQUIRIES
Alice Storrie, Associate Director, Savills Global Residential
AStorrie@savills.com

Pictures from top: Domaine de Bajolle, in the countryside around Aix-en-Provence; the terrace of Le Bastidon, the estate guesthouse; the elegant kitchen in the main building; and an aerial view of the estate