Question 1

Are the heritage authorities a recurring blocker in Valbonne?

Accepted Answer

For façades and openings, yes. The village heritage perimeter constrains joinery, shutters and signage. For the interior, far less. We read the urban plan and the heritage perimeter before we begin so there are no late surprises.

Question 2

Does the Cap d'Antibes impose landscape easements?

Accepted Answer

For outdoor work, several sub-zones are sensitive. Inside the house, little impact. We coordinate with the landscape architect when there is one and we adapt openings.

Question 3

Does the Castellaras charter impose interior constraints?

Accepted Answer

Very little. The charter mostly concerns façades, roofs, fences and visible vegetation. The interior stays free, which opens room for clear decorative choices.

Question 4

Are you attentive to heritage restoration in Plascassier?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For old buildings, we lean towards conservation without slipping into reconstruction. Terracotta floors, beams, fireplaces and openings are kept when they read clearly.

Question 5

Who has the final say if we disagree with the contractor?

Accepted Answer

You do, as the client. We give a reasoned opinion, the contractor gives theirs, you decide. Our role is the eye and the counsel, never the technical arbitration.

Question 6

What do you not do?

Accepted Answer

We do not lead structural works. We do not sign works contracts. We do not approve structural elements. That responsibility stays with your building partner. Our craft is the interior: existing volumes, materials, light, furniture.

Question 7

Are you covered by professional liability insurance?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The atelier is covered for its decoration and advisory work. The cover of the artisans who execute the works is carried by their own insurance, which we verify on every order.

Question 8

Is the atelier registered with the commercial register?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Emicasa is registered with the French commercial register. SIRET number, NAF code and full legal details are on the site's Legal page.

Question 9

Do you carry out building works?

Accepted Answer

No. Emicasa is a decoration atelier: we design and compose, and we can recommend trusted artisans, whom you appoint directly. Structural works and their management sit outside our scope.

Question 10

Do you work inside Valbonne village itself?

Accepted Answer

Very often. The atelier is in Valbonne, minutes from the arcaded square. We know the sixty- to hundred-ten-square-metre village apartments well, the modest ceiling heights, and the access constraints that mean furniture comes up by stair.

Question 11

Do you work outside the Riviera?

Accepted Answer

Our main perimeter runs from Cannes to Châteauneuf-Grasse, with regular work in Valbonne, Mougins, Antibes and the Opio plateau. Projects beyond that are reviewed case by case, with travel billed separately.

Question 12

Do you work inside the Mougins golf estate?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Several properties on the estate are among our recent references. Landscape constraints there sit mostly on the visible exterior. Inside the house, the project stays open.

Question 13

Do Cannes co-ownership rules impose constraints?

Accepted Answer

For façades and balconies, often. For the interior, rarely. We read the co-ownership rules at the start of the project and we account for any restricted works hours the building may set.

Question 14

Should we plan for sea-rated materials in Cannes?

Accepted Answer

On balconies and directly exposed rooms, yes. Washable linen, outdoor fabrics, oiled woods that hold up to salt. For back rooms, the usual palette is enough.

Question 15

Do you often work in Opio?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The atelier is in Valbonne, a few minutes from Opio; we work there regularly. The proximity keeps the cadence of a project: short, frequent visits, no logistics.

Question 16

Do you restore mas where authentic elements remain in Opio?

Accepted Answer

Gladly. Our approach keeps the legible old elements, terracotta floors, beams, fireplaces, and frames them by contrast with cleaner furniture.

Question 17

Do you work in the central Grasse private mansions?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Heritage constraints are strong, but our approach willingly keeps what deserves to stay: mouldings, old parquet, marble fireplaces, openings.

Question 18

What kind of properties do you find in Châteauneuf-Grasse?

Accepted Answer

Plenty of bastides on the slope, a few contemporary villas, and a stone village core. Our projects here often come back to a palette of earth, lime, linen, black iron.

Question 19

What are the decoration trends in Mougins?

Accepted Answer

Mougins keeps leaning on Mediterranean restraint: broken tones, washed linen, matt terracotta, black iron, and a more present use of colour in secondary rooms. Provençal pastiche is receding.

Question 20

What makes interior design different in Provence vs Paris?

Accepted Answer

On the Riviera, the light is harder, ceilings are lower, openings are wider. The palette softens, furniture breathes, and the outdoor room counts as much as the indoor one.

Question 21

Are there materials that hold up better in the Mediterranean climate?

Accepted Answer

Washed linen, tight-weave cotton, wool on cooler rooms, oiled woods on exposed pieces. UV-sensitive silks should be avoided on south-facing rooms, light leathers yellow.

Question 22

Which interior designer to choose near Cannes as an expat?

Accepted Answer

Look for a decorator who speaks your language, knows the local housing stock and can work remotely between your stays. Emicasa, an atelier based in Valbonne twenty minutes from Cannes, works with expatriate owners in French, English, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish.

Question 23

Do you work outside your eleven communes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The atelier is in Valbonne and the eleven communes listed are our daily territory, but we work across the whole French Riviera, from the Croisette to the villages above Grasse, and further afield depending on the project.

Question 24

Why choose a local decorator over a big firm?

Accepted Answer

Because the light, the stone and the artisans here cannot be guessed from afar. Founded in the Grasse hinterland in 2017 and based in Valbonne, the atelier knows the region's houses, its suppliers and its real lead times.

Question 25

Can we hire your atelier for our home in the south of France?

Accepted Answer

Of course. We work regularly with Nordic owners, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish mainly. Swedish, Norwegian and Danish are understood in writing, with English as the main working language.

Question 26

Can you reconcile a Nordic aesthetic with a Provençal character?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is even a recurring brief. Pale woods, clean lines, a neutral palette lean north. Exposed stone, terracotta, raw linen anchor the home in the south. The right balance holds both without slipping into caricature.

Question 27

Can Scandinavian style work with the light of the French Riviera?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is a frequent request from our Nordic clients. Scandinavian restraint pairs well with southern stone, lime plaster and light: pale woods, linen, soft palettes and calm lines, without Provençal pastiche.

Question 28

Can we visit your staging stock before signing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, by appointment at the atelier in Valbonne. Staging furniture, material archives and reference palettes are available on site. Useful for home-staging and second-home projects.

Question 29

Do you publish photos of your projects?

Accepted Answer

With your written approval only. Some clients prefer to stay discreet: we respect that. Others let us publish the home without identifying details (precise address, name, full floor plan).

Question 30

Which languages do you work in?

Accepted Answer

The atelier works in five languages: French, English, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish. Conversations, documents and this site exist in all five.

Question 31

Do you take smaller budgets?

Accepted Answer

Yes, when the project is clearly scoped from the first meeting. For tighter budgets the Coaching service is often the best entry point: one visit, one written roadmap, you execute it yourself.

Question 32

Is the staging furniture rented or purchased?

Accepted Answer

Rented most of the time, from our stock. Purchased on request when they are pieces you would keep after the sale. This happens when a sofa or a pendant you genuinely like moves with you.

Question 33

How is the price of a bespoke piece set?

Accepted Answer

The quote comes from the artisan, plus our coordination fee. No hidden margin. You see the artisan quote in the clear and you approve before the order goes out.

Question 34

How much does an interior design atelier cost on the French Riviera?

Accepted Answer

The fee depends on the service. Coaching is a fixed fee for the visit and the roadmap. Full decoration and renovation styling are quoted per project. Home staging runs around two percent of the asking price. The first meeting is free.

Question 35

What budget should we plan for a Valbonne villa renovation?

Accepted Answer

The budgets we see run from fifteen hundred to three thousand euros per square metre for a full renovation, excluding heavy structural works. Our aesthetic direction is billed separately, usually as a monthly retainer.

Question 36

Is the first meeting really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. An hour-long on-site visit. We listen, we look, we leave with enough material to quote a project. No commitment.

Question 37

Is the quote fixed or can it change?

Accepted Answer

It is fixed on the scope locked at the start of the project. If you ask for an addition along the way, we quote the change separately and wait for your approval before launching it.

Question 38

Are there hidden fees on furniture purchases?

Accepted Answer

No. You see the supplier purchase price and our coordination fee in the clear. Any negotiated discount is passed through in your quote, not kept by the atelier.

Question 39

How much does an interior designer cost in the Alpes-Maritimes?

Accepted Answer

Every project is quoted individually: the budget depends on the surface, the state of the property and the depth of the engagement. Decoration coaching is the most accessible format, full decoration the most extensive, and home staging typically sits around 2% of the sale price. The first meeting is free.

Question 40

How much does home staging cost and what does it return?

Accepted Answer

The typical fee is around 2% of the sale price. A decluttered, well-staged property stands out in listings, shows better and generally sells faster, which protects the asking price.

Question 41

How long does a full decoration project take?

Accepted Answer

Plan for twelve to twenty weeks between the first mood board and the final installation. Artisan lead times are the biggest variable: six to twelve weeks for joinery, three to six for upholstery, up to sixteen weeks for certain edition fabrics.

Question 42

Can we keep some of our existing furniture?

Accepted Answer

Of course. Part of our work is often to frame pieces you want to keep inside the new atmosphere. A reupholstered antique armchair, an inherited chest refinished, a bookcase moved and recast often hold up better than a brand-new equivalent.

Question 43

Do you produce technical drawings for the trades?

Accepted Answer

We deliver the layout, positioning and finish drawings the joiners, painters and electricians need to execute our direction. Structural drawings and load calculations come from your building partner, never from the atelier.

Question 44

In Biot, how do you work the inside-outside seam?

Accepted Answer

Through floor continuity when possible, through outdoor-rated textiles, and through a garden lighting scheme designed at the same time as the room it extends.

Question 45

Can you build identifiable kid zones in Mouans-Sartoux?

Accepted Answer

Of course. Without slipping into a childish set, we use warmer palettes, storage that scales with the children, and materials that hold up to daily use.

Question 46

Do you compose the interior with the pool-house in Castellaras?

Accepted Answer

Almost always. Terrace, pool and pool-house are full outdoor rooms. We tune the interior palette so it talks to what you see from the sofa.

Question 47

In Plascassier, is the hero piece often the opening onto the landscape?

Accepted Answer

Very often. Bastides and mas here have a clear view over the olive grove. The decorative work is tuned to what you see through the window.

Question 48

How do you compose with the panoramic bay view from Grasse?

Accepted Answer

Through pale sheer curtains, through seating placement tuned to the view, and through indirect lighting that rebalances the room late in the day when the blue gives way to grey.

Question 49

How do you handle permanent back-lighting in Châteauneuf-Grasse?

Accepted Answer

Through sheer curtains, broken tones, and indirect lighting that rebalances the room late in the day. Materials need to stay legible against the sun, which rules out large fields of light-absorbing black.

Question 50

Can you join after the works have started?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but the further the project has progressed, the smaller the aesthetic margin. We add the most value before floors, kitchens and bathrooms go in. Once those choices are set, our role tilts towards decoration.

Question 51

Is a strict weekly presence required during a renovation styling project?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the phase. During finishes, yes. During structural work, a check-in every two weeks is often enough. The cadence tracks progress, not a fixed calendar.

Question 52

Do we need to empty the home for staging?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. We keep what serves the reading of the volume and replace what works against it. A sofa in good shape often stays, personal trinkets almost always go.

Question 53

How early before listing should we plan home staging?

Accepted Answer

Plan three to four weeks between the visit and the first photographs going live on portals. That leaves a week for the written diagnosis, two for the staging, and a few days for the photo shoot.

Question 54

Does coaching cover the whole house?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for a house of typical size. Above two hundred square metres, we plan a second visit. The goal is for you to leave with an overall view, not a focus on a single room.

Question 55

Can we call you after the coaching if we get stuck on a choice?

Accepted Answer

Of course. Quick message-based check-ins are included for one month after the roadmap is delivered. Beyond that, we bill by short consultation.

Question 56

Can you rework a piece I already own?

Accepted Answer

Often yes. Reupholstering, refinishing, custom metalwork. We assess case by case. A solid antique piece reworked often holds up better than a new piece at the same cost.

Question 57

How long does an artisan order take?

Accepted Answer

Six to twelve weeks for joinery, three to six for upholstery. Seasonal variation applies. Summer and the holiday period stretch the lead times, spring compresses them.

Question 58

What is the process for hiring an interior design atelier in France?

Accepted Answer

Five steps: free first meeting, written proposal, mood boards, sourcing and artisan coordination, final installation. A single point of contact runs the project from start to finish.

Question 59

Do we approve each step before any spend?

Accepted Answer

Always. No artisan order, no furniture purchase, no significant spend goes out without your written approval. You stay in control of the budget at all times.

Question 60

How many mood boards do you deliver?

Accepted Answer

Three to four per main room, depending on project complexity. We iterate until the direction is unmistakable and you can see yourself in the result without reservation.

Question 61

Do you work with 3D renderings?

Accepted Answer

When the project calls for it, yes. For simple volumes, two or three mood boards and a 2D plan are enough. For complex volumes or openings that need a decision, we move to targeted 3D.

Question 62

How long does a full decoration project take?

Accepted Answer

Allow roughly two to six months from the first meeting to installation, depending on the surface and furniture lead times. A coaching session or a Nouveau regard runs over a few weeks.

Question 63

Is the first meeting really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, always. We visit the property or meet by video call, listen to the project, then propose the format and quote that fit your budget. You decide freely afterwards.

Question 64

How does a project with Emicasa run?

Accepted Answer

A free first meeting, then a tailored quote. After that: mood and plans, material and furniture selection, ordering, and final installation. You approve each step before the next.

The questions that come up most often.

Ask us directly. We reply within forty-eight hours.

The questions that come up most often.

Ask us directly. We reply within forty-eight hours.