Wood

The brief held in a single word. Wood. The owners wanted a home that extended the parasol-pine park around it. No exposed stone, no tile, no metal. One dominant material treated in several species and finishes.

We worked on three main woods. Pale oiled oak for the floors and main joinery. Dark waxed walnut for the stationary furniture (bookcases, desks, headboard). Bleached brushed ash for the secondary rooms (main bathroom, dressing room, corridor).

Walls were lime-rendered in a warm off-white that serves as a neutral ground for the woods without stealing their light. Ceilings were left raw white to bounce the park light back. The openings kept their existing joinery, refinished in oiled oak.

The lighting is almost entirely blown pieces from the Biot glassmakers. Amber pendants in the dining room, opal sconces in the bedrooms, a smoked-glass table lamp in the study. Blown glass brings the warmth that wood alone cannot carry.