Family
At the Gates of Paris Lies The Country House of the Jewellery Designer of Stone Paris and the Founder of Big Productions
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Marie Poniatowski and Pierre Rambaldi, Tess 18 years old
It was a cold and rainy winter that finally convinced Marie Poniatowski and Pierre Rambaldi to take the plunge and find their own house in the country. Four visits to the edge of the Forest of Rambouillet later, they succumbed to the charms of the "old lady" with the green shutters. The wooded surroundings and the layout of the property, which includes a main building and a lodge for their daughter, soon won over the founder of the Stone Paris brand and her producer husband, Pierre. Purchased with a long-term goal in mind – to create a base where friends and family could gather for the weekend, or even longer – the home had to be completely renovated. To tackle this project, the couple let their creativity run wild. They were also happy to accept help from their loved ones, including Marie's sister, interior designer Sarah Lavoine. Letting colour take centre stage, the living spaces in their second home have been brought to life in shades of soft green, azure blue, and brick red. This palette forms an elegant backdrop for antique furniture and more modern pieces, creating a bold yet understated style. The couple have cleverly blended their favourite genres and eras, allowing the interiors to flow seamlessly into the bucolic outdoor spaces. Visible from every door and window, their garden naturally draws the gaze out into the distance. This living scenery grows and changes with the seasons, reminding us to slow down and enjoy the sunshine as summer turns to autumn.
Author
Juliette Bruneau
Photos and videos
Constance Gennari
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TSF
Marie, Pierre: can you introduce yourselves, please?
Marie
I've been married for almost 20 years to the man in my life, and my daughter, Tess, has just gained her International Baccalaureate, I'm a businesswoman, and I'm the founder of the Stone Paris brand. I'm very happy. Content.
Pierre
I, too, am married to the love of my life, and I'm so proud of her. I'm the father of three children: Louis, Jules (from my first marriage) and Tess. I'm a producer, director and scriptwriter of all kinds of films, from cinema to music videos, advertising and documentaries.
TSF
What is your background?
Marie
Self-taught and a film buff, I frequented film sets at a very young age. I was lucky enough to meet Claude Lelouch, who welcomed me into his large family of technicians. I climbed the career ladder from assistant to director on several feature films until I met Pierre. Then I changed direction to pursue a cherished childhood dream: jewellery making. I designed my first pieces of jewellery in 2004. Colette, whom I met every morning in my neighbourhood, fell in love with my creations and decided to put them on display in her shop. Stone Paris took off as a result.
Pierre
It was my primary school teacher who gave me the film bug. I was six years old, and my friends and I took part in a workshop on Wednesday afternoons where we children animated our own drawings with a Super 8 camera. I was fascinated and asked Father Christmas to bring me the same camera. So instead of playing cowboys and Indians, I was making my first westerns. The arrival of video hire shops and constant visits to the cinema brought me the rest. I set up Big Productions in 1994 to devote myself to my vocation.
TSF
Tell us about your upbringing. Where did you grow up - and how did that influence the way your tastes developed?
Marie
When I was little, my father, who ran Vogue, used to take my sister and me to watch the fashion shows and the photo shoots sitting on his knee. I was lucky enough to see the creations of the greatest and to observe the photographic work of the masters, Guy Bourdin, for example. It was then that my passion for cinema emerged. The splendour, beauty, harmony and elegance of my inspirations have played an undeniable role in my career. Our mother, an interior designer, always encouraged us too. "Each to their own" is a maxim that has freed us to express ourselves without constraints, to dare, to dream and to fulfil our desires.
Pierre
My Italian father moved to France in the 1930s, settled in Cannes and established a fashion house in 1955. With Louis Feraud, he dressed Brigitte Bardot in Roger Vadim's "And God Created Woman", and then other great actresses, including Françoise Dorleac, her sister Catherine Deneuve and Jane Fonda. The fashion house set up shop opposite the Élysée Palace and continued dressing the women of the world until 1989. The worlds of fashion and film are closely related. A taste for the avant-garde, invention, creativity and the imaginary. That was my upbringing, my childhood playground.
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We were looking for an “old lady” that we could restore, somewhere with trees and a bit of land.
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TSF
Marie, where did the attraction for the world of jewellery come from that led you to create your brand, Stone?
Marie
Jewellery is the ultimate feminine accessory. The radiance essential to the sublime. It was my fascination with earrings, necklaces and rings that motivated my desire to create them. And then being able to participate in the revolution required for my generation to democratise jewellery, previously reserved for the big brands in the Place Vendôme, by allowing all women to buy their own jewellery at accessible prices. That convinced me that a new place was possible. My ambition is to make jewellery a luxury accessory for all generations.
TSF
What kind of jewellery do you offer your customers?
Marie
Joan of Arc, Simone de Beauvoir, Rita Hayworth, Angela Davis and other icons have paved the way for women to live freely. Jewellery is still an ornament intended to showcase a woman's best and strongest features. I chose discretion and delicacy rather than ostentation. I design jewellery for everyday life and for special occasions to underpin or shine out, to influence or seduce. We can add to our collection, change our pieces every day, or wear them because they have a particular value, an attachment to a person we love, a memory too.
TSF
How does it reflect you?
Marie
I believe that what we admire is part of what resonates within us. My creations obviously reflect me. They emanate from me, from my dreams, from my inspirations. I like to mix genres. A classic outfit and a more edgy accessory. Or the other way around, mixing casual wear with ultra-chic jewellery. Women have always been important in my family. From my grandmother to my mother to my daughter. I'm finding my own way of being. Being myself. Taking responsibility. Single-handedly and simply. Stone Paris and its creations are an affirmation of my femininity.
TSF
We are here in your country house. Tell us the story of how you came across this property.
Pierre
One cold, wet January, Marie suggests we go and visit some country houses for sale.
Marie
We knew the region because some friends had been inviting us to their house for a few years.
Pierre
We were looking for an "old lady" that we could restore, somewhere with trees and a bit of land.
Marie
After four hopeless viewings, we entered this property. It was love at first sight.
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We were looking for an “old lady” that we could restore, somewhere with trees and a bit of land.
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TSF
What work was needed before you moved in here?
Marie
We could never have had this house without the work that had to be done to restore it from top to bottom. With the help of a craftsman, we have completely refurbished it.
TSF
How did you decorate and furnish it?
Marie
With our desires, our common interests Its decoration is a mixture of antique and modern furniture. Then the choice of colours was essential. We trusted each other, and we had a helping hand from Sarah, my sister.
TSF
We can see large tables for entertaining in the dining room and the garden. Does this place give you the opportunity to entertain regularly?
Pierre
We both belong to large and numerous families. This is the essence of our house.
Marie
Sundays in the country and holidays are great opportunities to get together with family and friends! Cooking, sharing, and writing the pages of our stories, filling them with beautiful memories. This is our life together.
TSF
Apart from that, what do you like to do most when you are here?
Marie & Pierre
Gardening!
Marie
The garden is a never-ending job, but, more than that, it's so rewarding.
Pierre
Every season, you have to deal with it. Planting, pruning, trimming. It's a continuous cycle, and nature reminds us of this all the time.
TSF
What are your favourite haunts around your home?
Marie
The shopkeepers are fantastic! La Marnière in La Queue-les-Yvelines for food. Outstanding products that can no longer be found in Paris, for example.
Pierre
Poulain is a high-quality and eco-friendly nurseryman.
Marie
We do some shopping in Montfort l'Amaury too. Bread from Dewulf, meat from Triboul and the cheese factory in Montfort which is exceptional.
TSF
Where will you see us next?
Marie & Pierre
At home.
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Sundays in the country and holidays are great opportunities to get together with family and friends! Cooking, sharing, and writing the pages of our stories, filling them with beautiful memories.
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