Press
Wallpaper* (May 2009)
IN THE CANNES
A modern Riviera villa makes a picture-perfect retreat for film types
The House at.. Cannes is the second sumptuous stopover designed by Jason Maclean along with his long-term collaborator, Yusef Haniffa. The playground of Russian oligarchs and leopard-print -bikini-wearers may not be the obvious choice for Maclean after his last project in the heart of the French countryside (W*85), but this latest creation aims at providing a sophisticated haven for festival-goers and for film shoots.
The villa is surrounded by a Mediterranean garden and located in a splendid residential neighbourhood, just a 15-minute stroll from the beach and town centre. Its peaches-and-cream facade makes it look like yet another grand cannes mansion until you set foot on the driveway, where Eley Kishimoto's oversized lamp and armchair set the tone. The design company also made its mark on the curvaceous swimming pool, where its 'Flash' motif has been reproduced using hundreds of black and white mosaic tiles.
The lush grounds and azure sea view strike a contrast with the pared-down interior of this 200-year-old villa. Eley Kishimoto monochrome prints, some of which were commissioned for the project cover the walls and line the wardrobes, lifted by bursts of acid yellow - in the form of the huge B&B Italia 'Tufty-Time' seating in the area and the modernist staircase.
The five bedrooms all feature bespoke cabinets by Maclean and Haniffa, and linen by The White Company. One of the bedrooms is housed in a canny garage conversion that curves around like a snail into a minimalist bathroom, complete with a Durat recycled tub. Other washrooms have Boffi pipe showers, while the focus of the master bathroom is the stunning 'Ebb' all-in-one bath and basin unit by usTogether, fashioned like a transparent wave.
