Inspiration arrives in a number of ways. One, in prose. Another, as any design lover knows, in gorgeous abodes.
Both are showcased with equal elegance in the new book, "Veranda Retreats," by Veranda senior editor Mario López-Cordero. Escape into inspiring retreats, and become lost in López-Cordero's beautiful descriptions of each. With the flip of every page, you'll discover the pristine meeting of elegant home style and graceful prose.
Read on for an excerpt from "Veranda Retreats," which will be published in October.
Pretty In Pink
Nestled in the verdant hills above the gulf of Saint-Tropez, La Violette, a villa by architect Piero Castellini Baldissera is surrounded by lavender bushes, olive groves, vineyards, and pine and cypress trees. Even in the high season, it feels tranquil and protected. Designed for a businesswoman and her husband, it's a place for them to relax and entertain a bevy of friends.
Rooms are spacious and airy, furnishings generous and unfussy - underscoring the point that this is a house that places no demands on those who stay there, other than to loll by the pool, unwind beneath the wisteria-covered pergola, or gather in the garden, the site of festive dinners all summer long.
La Violette boasts a blush pink façade. Nearly every room opens directly onto the garden, with wild grasses, wisteria, and olive trees.
Without ostentation, the retreat radiates luxury, thanks to the quality of the materials: softly bleached wood, sleek wicker, cool terra-cotta floors, and, above all, sumptuous linens and slipcovers in tranquil shades of lavender and white. Adding to the sense of ease is the fact that nearly every room opens directly to the garden.
"The idea was to have no separation between indoors and out," says Castellini. "It was meant to be one space that flows."
Walls in the dining room were painted to resemble boiserie. Embroidered Vs reference the villa's name.
Of course, it can take a lot of work to create a sense of ease. The biggest challenge was to increase the villa's size-Castellini added more than a thousand square feet-while blending the new construction seamlessly into the old. "It looks like a typical country manse that's been there for ages," he says.
Straightforward slipcovers and simple curtains-in C&C Milano linen, the fabric company cofounded by Castellini-give the living room a graceful sense of ease.
The apple sculpture is by Claude Lalanne.
A gleaming and modern brass hanging lantern is a foil and flourish in the foyer.
Neutral tones and a romantic canopy make for an ethereal guest room.
The pool surround is paved in warm Tuscan terra-cotta tiles.
A gurgling fountain and agapanthus and plumbago surround the outdoor dining area; beyond are pomegranate, lemon, and cypress trees.
