A is updated to adapt to the owner’s needs and maximise unsurpassed views.
Originally built in 2000 for a developer of high-end houses, and renovated 10 years ago, it was, according to designer , lacking character and quite impersonal. “I feel the original idea was to sell it on, hence the fairly neutral interior was applied at that time,” says, who has worked with the owner on several projects.
Kitchen features , Pierre Jeanneret office chairs, and vintage Vallauris ceramic vase. Monica Vitti portrait by Chiara Samugheo.
The initial brief was to rework the kitchen, making it more befitting of the scale of the house and one that would allow a professional chef to prepare meals for the owner and guests. When the new kitchen featuring new joinery, and splashbacks along with was complete, was then awarded the larger brief to redesign the entire home – complete with new timber windows to maximise the views.
As the owner was working and living from the home due to the pandemic, Jean-Charles’ approach was ‘room by room’, with the guest bedroom turned into the . “We tried to retain as much of the original house as possible, embellishing it rather than simply removing things and starting from scratch,” Jean-Charles says.
Iconic mid-century pieces – the and – are front and centre in the living space under a custom-made by Lindsey Adelman. A upholstered in Loro Piana Fabric and are also featured. Artwork by
Jean-Charles’ approach was to work with a natural palette of materials, whether it took the form of timber, metal or stone, mindful of how each complemented the other. There were visits to quarries in Tuscany with the owner, where they discovered the marble that features in the kitchen and the lavish new ensuite bathroom to the main bedroom. Mindful of the structural columns in areas such as the bedroom, the solution was to add a third ‘faux’ column that provides symmetry and a nook for a chest of drawers. Each of the three nooks now has a specific function – writing, storage or reading. “It’s important to have a feeling of security in a bedroom,” Jean-Charles says
Many of the walls in the home are quite neutral, allowing the owner’s art collection to be displayed, while sometimes adding a subtle tint of colour to respond to certain pieces of furniture or art. Some of the furniture had been purchased when the house was first completed, with some new pieces added including the statue of Thomas Schutte in the living area, the and the with its fine brass inlay. “That brass detailing became an inspiration for some of the other details,” Jean-Charles says.
A bespoke wooden headboard, desk, chest and sofa were all designed by Jean-Charles Tomas in the primary bedroom. A vintage sits in the foreground while a Samouraï mask and print are featured on the wall behind.
Although the spacious living and dining areas are often the places to which the owner gravitates, it’s the kitchen that has the greatest hold. “We all have to eat and a great kitchen is a great place to share with friends. It’s an immersive and inclusive experience,” Jean-Charles says, who also reworked some of the outdoor spaces, including the roof terrace, for , sunbathing and simply contemplating the extraordinary views of the Mediterranean.
This feature originally appeared in est Magazine Issue 45: Sense of Place.
Designer Jean-Charles Thomas
The designer and client visited quarries in Tuscany to find the Arabescato Viola marble that lines the new ensuite bathroom. The mirror and shower doors are custom made with a nickel-plated frame by Bronze&Co, complementing the and
Jean-Charles Tomas ensured the roof terrace was optimised for entertaining, sunbathing and taking in views of the Mediterranean. The pool’s sparkling effect has been created with
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