Juan-les-Pins
North of Saint-Tropez and Cannes, but still south of Nice, we visited a charming little town called Juan-les-Pins. What excited me most about this location wasn’t just the stunning scenery, the beautiful climate or the exquisite food, but the hotel itself
Once home to the American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, who moved there in 1925 with his wife (for those of you who may not recognise the name, you may recognise one of his stories… The Great Gatsby).
My time in France seems so long ago now that I have settled back into everyday life here in Sydney, but the inspiration from our holiday is going to stay with me for a lot longer. We’ve visited Paris, Bordeaux and Saint-Tropez… today part three will take you with me to some of the most inspiring parts of my trip.
The hotel interior design is uniquely artistic, with original details complemented by a modern twist, but it also had another allure. Europe is special to me as I love how every place has a story, a history, and our hotel’s story did not disappoint.
The home was transformed into the first hotel on the waterfront and is still in the hands of the founding family to this day. It encapsulates the style of the carefree between-wars era enjoyed on the French Riveria, creating a special and inspiring experience.
The design of the hotel takes full advantage of such a picturesque location; soaking in the sun or enjoying a salty sea breeze outside on the patio, or taking advantage of spaces that made the inside feel like outside. It was inspiring to think of who had sat here before me taking in these spectacular views.
As with most of the historical buildings found in France, sandstone was forever present and paired with original wrought iron features, but in a clever and modernised way. I’m not a big fan of gyms, but I even considered a workout after discovering the creative use of the conservatory here…
Other stops along the way… interior design inspiration
In Domaine Des Etangs Massignac, we stayed in another historical home that had been transformed into a hotel (although the story is not quite as exciting here!). What I loved about my stay here is the way that they catered for families, in particular the little people. They had small sofas and chairs specifically designed for children that were so sweet. I used to have little chairs for my own children when they were young, but haven’t had the opportunity to do it for one of my interior design client families yet, but I would love to one day.
If you love her work as much as I do, we are very fortunate to be able to purchase them through Becker Minty here in Australia.
Inspirational encounters
Although we sadly didn’t get to visit the flamingos on the peninsula close to Palavas-le-Flots, I did have the pleasure of meeting a sculpturist that I sincerely admire, Athena Jahantigh. Originally from Iran she now lives in the south of France and is an incredibly talented bronze and ceramic sculpturist, creating sculptures of animals such as horses, rams, and antelopes, all by hand.
Working holiday… Maison et Object in Paris
Maison et Object is an annual exhibition held in Paris to spark business opportunities and creative interaction between the world’s decoration, design and lifestyle community. While I was there on a professional level as an interior designer, I wasn’t necessarily there to establish any business opportunities, but rather to discover the endless inspiration such an event offers on every level.
Whether it be inspiration on how to include exercise stylishly into the home…
Or just the unique exhibition stands, or beautiful products, fabrics, materials, art, accessories and everythOring else in between that could be found! Here are a few of my favourites…
Lighting that can spark inspiration…
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