In Situ Episode 4 - Maison Long

- Can you introduce yourself? Can you introduce your establishment?

La Maison LONG is our family home, handed down from generation to generation, located in Ollioules, 15 minutes from Sanary-Sur-Mer, Bandol and Toulon. The beauty of La Maison LONG is undetectable from the street. Located in the heart of the village of Ollioules, our family home is an architectural nugget with an idyllic setting for exploring the seaside and Provence in any season. Esteemed for its exceptional 12th-century architecture, La Maison LONG**** transports you to another world, with its (potential) cloister past - spectacular and warm. Featuring exceptional vaulted ceilings, 3 terraces, and 7 bedrooms for up to 13-17 guests, this is a breathtaking space. Entirely renovated with taste, using traditional raw materials and sprinkled with family heirlooms and heirlooms, La Maison LONG is a unique refuge in the south of France, charismatic and timeless.

- Could you tell us about your project? What was the background to the renovation project?

For the record, my father had his art studio in the house, but his creativity led him to have tools in every room of the house. His credo, a phrase from Paul Claudel that he repeated over and over: "Order is the pleasure of reason, but disorder is the delight of imagination."

Few cm2 remained available to live in with a baby, which prompted us to think about a renovation, although we terribly liked the general workshop atmosphere unique to my father. So, we envisioned this renovation project as a way of transforming the house into a place of life and history, but also one imbued with my Provencal culture and my roots in Ollioules, two fundamental things I wanted to pass on to my children.

We began by renovating 50% of the building, the Côté "Nougat" as we call it because the living room had once housed my grandparents' nougat factory. My father lived in the other 50%.

It was after his death in 2020 that we decided to renovate his part of the house - a complete renovation including all electrical and plumbing systems, stripping of all walls, structural reinforcement with tie rods, renovation of a dangerous terrace, re-opening of the 3 original arches that had been closed (the highlight of the renovation), the ingenious creation of mezzanine & bathroom blocks upstairs that separate the bedrooms!

When it comes to renovating such an old place, the challenge is immense: the renovation must, in my opinion, be as inconspicuous as possible and blend in with the past using noble materials; it must also reveal and sublimate the building's original forms, make the effort to unearth old materials to be as non-disruptive as possible, and restore everything that can be discovered in the walls to honor our ancestors, restoring them with love. For the past 10 years, I've been renovating my family home to sublimate its exceptional historic architecture. It's a labor of love.

- What role does design play in your home?

Design and traditional Provencal renovation are central to my renovation project. I wanted to sublimate the building while respecting it, to use authentic materials without ever going too rustic, to modernize without ever losing the soul of the house. I'm always trying to find that balance between too rustic and too refined. As the daughter of a painter-sculptor father and a mother who loves decorating, I try to make the most of the precious "artistic eye" I inherited from my parents. I suppose the result of all this is that I express my creativity through stones, as a builder. Deeply attached to this Provencal house and to my Ollioulaise roots, I want to share with our guests the all-too-rare experience of experiencing the South in an authentic setting, capable of multiplying the sensations of Provencal slow living with the sun, the crashing of the waves, the song of the cicadas, the color of rosé and pastis, the smell of thyme, garlic and tapenade.

- What were your inspirations for this project?

All the "slow living" houses were my guides for renovating the house. I always look to the simplicity of authentic materials. Of course, Provençal codes had to be respected (terracotta tiles, medieval flagstones, castle railings on the windows and round-headed French windows in ironwork, lime-grouted stones, old marble sinks, etc.). Provence is my roots, and I only live for Authentic Provence - but I've also been looking a lot at houses in the Puglia region of Italy, which are the benchmark for slow living and sublimated simplicity. I also looked a lot at monasteries, so as to be able to be just right for our centerpiece (the living room with its ribbed vaults).

- What do you think of NV GALLERY furniture?

I fell in love with NV GALLERY products for their design and value for money. I've been looking forward to a brand like this one, which differentiates itself through design, without being inaccessible. I find the designs extremely trendy. I live in California (and work every day on La Maison LONG!), and to my amazement, I found all the sleek, trendy sofa lines I love here too. When I say trendy, I don't mean overly contemporary, I mean simple shapes with soul. It's neither rustic nor ultra-contemporary; it's timeless. I loved the organic shapes of the NV Gallery sofas to go with our immaculate white vaulted ceilings. It took me a very long time to make up my mind, as I've had many favorites at NV GALLERY. I hesitated for a long time over the MASSAO sofas and armchairs in particular.

- What is your favorite NV GALLERY piece?

My favorite NV GALLERY pieces are the drop-shaped poufs, the ENZO line, which we now have in our living room. They're sculptural, and so simple. I like them to live together, positioned next to each other. They echo perfectly with the vaulted ceilings. I wanted the lines to be rounded, pure and simple. The spirit I wanted to restore to the living room was monastic, to honor its potential cloistered past. I wanted white.... to match this white room. Perhaps not the most rational choice when renting the house to holidaymakers, but the aesthetic choice took over! And I trust NV GALLERY when it comes to washable materials and removable cushions.