A City House with the Charm of a Country House Designed by Enamoura, with a Lush and Resolutely Traditional Mediterranean Atmosphere

I am originally from Le Thor, a village near L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in the Vaucluse. I grew up in a farmhouse in the middle of my family’s land, which for a long time grew the “Chasselas”, a table grape whose virtues made the region famous. We have two daughters.

I was born and raised in Marseille. I met Magali while we were studying in Aix-en-Provence, and she introduced me to the Luberon and the Vaucluse mountains.

I started my career in marketing and communication in the field of board sports in Grenoble. In particular, for Rossignol Skis, where I managed product collections, then the communication department before moving back to the south to establish a property start-up in Marseille. After 10 years at the head of this company, I wanted to devote myself to a more personal project. Over the past year, I’ve been developing the Enamoura collection of holiday homes and, more recently, the collections of objects and furniture of the same name.

I trained as an engineer. Having supervised the production of competition skis for Rossignol in Grenoble for quite some time, I came to the Vaucluse to supervise production at the Blachère Illuminations factory, known for illuminating the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Élysées, and also for its contemporary African art foundation. I have just taken over a folding factory in Cavaillon.

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a Mecca for antique and second-hand goods. When I was a child, I used to go bargain hunting with my pocket money! My taste has been refined over time by understanding the history and purpose of an object and the skills used to make it. By being very observant and often by making mistakes too. (Laughs)

My mother is very creative. From sewing to bookbinding, I’ve always seen her working with her hands to make precious objects. She contributed enormously to my appreciation of the lengthy and painstaking work craftspeople do.

I grew up surrounded by old stones and authentic objects. I am still extremely aware of the environment in which I live and of natural materials. When I was a student, I preferred a nice studio with a view of the rooftops, or an apartment in a private mansion, even if it meant spending my entire budget on it. I’ve always been particularly attracted to places with a lot of history. Each renovation is a new personal challenge for me. The aim is to get as close as possible to the property’s original beauty and provide the people who will stay there with comfortable, soothing surroundings.

Magali’s passion for architecture and decoration has often led us to stay in elegantly decorated houses and hotels. On our travels, we have always taken the time to seek out local artisans, to hunt for and bring back the objects we have around us today. I’ve become very attached to this ritual.

I’ve always loved travelling, getting away from it all and the happiness that comes with arriving at a holiday home. The freedom to leave whenever you want, with only your bag on your back… The south already has this atmosphere of lightness and plenty. Our professional careers took one of us to the Vaucluse and the other to Marseille, which was the trigger for this nomadic lifestyle. Nowadays, I love moving from one house to another, places that are ours, warm and welcoming, but free of the unnecessary clutter that can accumulate over the years. I really feel as if I’m on holiday all year round. This is a luxury that we have appreciated all the more in this last year of successive lockdowns.

I’m naturally a bit more sedentary than Magali, but thanks to her restlessness, I’ve really rediscovered my home town. I enjoy Marseille’s vibrant nightlife as well as its many opportunities for sporting activities. However, I have a soft spot for Saumane, its peace and quiet and its hills. Footpaths into the hills start in right front of the house. This summer, we are moving into our newly renovated workshop in Saignon. The opportunity to explore the northern Luberon by mountain bike. Our eldest daughter is now in Lyon; the second is lucky enough to have her own independent studio attached to our house in Marseille.

While I was looking at a property for my daughters and me that I didn’t really like, we peeked over the garden wall and discovered this totally derelict house. An absolute miracle in Vauban; it’s a very popular district. From that moment on, I couldn’t sleep and scarcely breathed! I looked for the owners, the children had just inherited it, and it had not yet been put on the market. And that’s how we came to own this very special place. It was a major undertaking. I created an upper floor in the garage – a former coach building workshop – to open it onto the garden and create the winter living room, the master suite. The pond was constructed first because once the renovation was completed, the garden was no longer accessible. Next, I renovated the shed and turned it into the fisherman’s hut I’d dreamed of owning. I was supported by my long-time partner Maria Olofsson from Insides, who translated my sketches and inspirations into highly professional plans for my artisans.

I wasn’t really attracted by the idea of living partially in Marseille. But Magali found the right arguments to sway me with this house. It’s hard to believe we’re only 10 minutes walk from the old port! Magali designs the space and supervises the building work. I help her with all the processing and transport of the old materials. I’ve also repainted the house several times! (Laughs)

Before knocking everything down to rebuild it, I salvaged all the old things I could from the site: wooden doors, stonework, old windows, old shutters, and so on. Thanks to Olivier’s network of craftspeople, I was able to have each piece restored, and they were all later re-used in the layout of the house. The tabletop in the living room, for example, is an old door from the garden shed. I was able to expose the stone and brick walls of the house; the ceilings are very high. Then I simply arranged my collection of objects – pieces I had found in Provence or brought back from my travels. There is very little furniture in here. The winter living room was plastered and covered with mattresses so that the whole family could gather in front of the giant screen. For the other rooms, we limited ourselves to the bare minimum: a wicker outdoor suite and two armchairs from the Canal flea market in Lyon, a chest of drawers that we also found, as well as two 1950s benches that my brother-in-law gave me. They were in his father’s surgery. I like simple, “no fuss” furniture, as my grandmother would have said!